MLB Network unveiled their annual rankings of the best players in the game today. Boston Red Sox fans will be happy to see a lot of familiar names on the list.
It should come as no surprise that Mookie Betts continues to earn praise from baseball experts across the board. A little over a month ago, he was named the best right fielder in baseball by ESPN’s Buster Olney and now MLB Network placed him eighth on their list of the 100 best players in baseball today. He, along with seven other Red Sox players made the list. The entire 100-man ranking is available in the previous link, but here’s a look at the top 10.
10. Joey Votto
9. Bryce Harper
8. Mookie Betts
5. Jose Altuve
4. Kris Bryant
Mookie beat out two former National League MVP’s to ascend to the eight spot; Joey Votto, and Bryce Harper. After placing second last season, behind only Mike Trout, Harper’s down year in 2016 cost him. He batted .243/.373/.441 with 24 home runs and 86 RBI to follow up his MVP campaign in 2015. There’s still some debate as to whether Mookie is better than Harper, after all, 2017 will only be the Red Sox star’s third full season in the MLB while it’s Nationals phenom’s sixth.
Despite Harper’s longer tenure, Mookie has been a more valuable player on average. He’s averaged 8.03 bWAR per 162 games compared to Harper’s 5.03. I’m sure that many will side with the Nats’ right fielder based on the attention he’s garnered since being selected first overall in 2010, but to overlook what Betts has accomplished during his short time in the MLB would be foolish. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he’s already making history through his age-23 season.
"Betts had 9.6 WAR in 2016 in his age-23 season. The only Red Sox player with more WAR in an age-23 season or younger was Ted Williams, who had 10.6 in 1941 in his age-22 season and 10.6 in 1942 at age 23. The only position players overall with higher WAR in age-23 or younger seasons were Williams, Trout, Harper, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Cal Ripken and Rogers Hornsby."
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Moving down the list, the rest of the names are to be expected. Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw are head and shoulders above the rest in their respective crafts and have been for a long time. Josh Donaldson followed up his MVP season in 2015 with 7.4 WAR and a 4th place finish in 2016 AL MVP voting. Kris Bryant won the NL MVP and led the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years, while Jose Altuve has been the best second baseman in baseball for the past three seasons. Manny Machado is also one of the best all-around players in the league. Then there’s Miguel Cabrera, a future Hall-of-Famer, and part of a handful of the best hitters in the world.
Mookie Betts was the highest ranked Red Sox player on this list, but he was far from the only one. Here are his teammates that joined him among the rankings.
30. Chris Sale
44. Xander Bogaerts
50. David Price
55. Dustin Pedroia
73. Jackie Bradley Jr.
79. Hanley Ramirez
95. Rick Porcello
With two-thirds of the outfield, three out of five starters, and half the infield making the list, the Red Sox cannot complain about their representation. Rick Porcello only placing 95th after winning the AL Cy Young is a little bit suspect, but we can let that slide when you consider how much of an improvement he had over 2015.
If you include Hanley Ramirez, who rose through the minors with the Sox before being traded to the Marlins, five of their eight players on the list are homegrown. Boston has a long-held reputation of being a powerhouse in the player development field and this list lives up that hype. It’s also a testament to the work done by Ben Cherington while he was the GM of the Red Sox from 2011 to 2015, drafting Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. and signing Xander Bogaerts. The overwhelmingly positive long-term contributions he made to this roster are overshadowed by some of his more questionable short-term decisions.
It’s also a testament to the work done by Ben Cherington while he was the GM of the Red Sox from 2011 to 2015, drafting Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. and signing Xander Bogaerts. The overwhelmingly positive long-term contributions he made to this roster are overshadowed by some of his more questionable short-term decisions.
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In the post-David Ortiz era, the Red Sox’ offense will only go as far as Mookie Betts takes it. Thankfully, the sky is the limit for the 24-year-old as he looks to find himself in a similar position among the game’s very best for years to come.