Ohtani has ranked No. 1 in 4 of the previous 5 seasons, dropping to No. 4 in 2024, when rehab from elbow surgical procedure turned him from two-way participant to full-time DH. (Ronald Acuña Jr., coming off a 40-40 season, ranked first that 12 months — proper earlier than Ohtani topped him by going 50-50.)
Frankly, there’s no motive to assume Ohtani received’t be proper again on high once more in 2027. He’s a celebrity who stays on the high of his recreation, one who will probably be again performing in a two-way capability from Opening Day this 12 months, following his midseason return to the mound in ‘25.
And if it’s not Ohtani, the brand new No. 1 will greater than possible be one in every of his closest challengers this time round. Right here once more is that this 12 months’s high 10:
That impressed this query, which we put to 10 MLB.com writers and researchers: If somebody jumps from outdoors of this 12 months’s high 10 all the best way as much as No. 1 in 2027, who will it’s?
We performed a draft, and listed below are the outcomes …
1. Julio RodrÃguez, CF, Mariners2026 rank: 16
RodrÃguez has been within the Majors for 4 seasons. He was the 2022 AL Rookie of the 12 months and he’s earned three All-Star picks and two Silver Slugger Awards. He has already posted two seasons of not less than 30 homers and 30 steals. Defensively, RodrÃguez is likely one of the greatest heart fielders within the recreation, with +38 outs above common since making his MLB debut, second in that span solely to Pete Crow-Armstrong’s +39.
But it seems like we haven’t seen J-Rod’s greatest. A infamous gradual starter — for his profession, he has a .737 OPS previous to the All-Star break and a .902 OPS within the second half. What may it appear to be if he actually places collectively a whole marketing campaign? It is a prototypical five-tool participant who has but to unlock his full potential. When he does, he might rocket as much as No. 1 on the High 100 rankings.
2. Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays2026 rank: 39
Caminero is electrical. Final winter, all of us marveled at his ninth-inning, go-ahead residence run in Recreation 7 of the LIDOM championship collection for Leones del Escogido. He has the makings of a celebrity, and he adopted up that winter ball marketing campaign with a breakout MLB season at simply 21 and 22 years outdated — crushing 45 residence runs. At 22 years and 85 days outdated on the final day of the season, he turned the second-youngest participant in MLB historical past with not less than 45 residence runs in a season, older than solely 1953 Eddie Mathews (21y, 349d).
That wasn’t a shock. Caminero has elite bat pace, a instrument that can assist him be an incredible energy hitter for years to come back. With bat pace, a quick swing is outlined as one at 75 mph or quicker — and no one swung quick extra incessantly than Caminero in 2025. With 81.1% of his aggressive swings score as quick, he was the one participant above 80%.
3. Roman Anthony, LF, Purple Sox2026 rank: 41
Anthony seems to be like the true deal, possessing the type of all-around ability set that offers him a practical path to changing into one of the best participant in baseball. These may appear to be lofty expectations for a 21-year-old with solely 71 video games of MLB expertise below his belt, however after vaulting to the highest of MLB Pipeline’s checklist of the High 100 prospects final season, he’s used to it.
Following his callup final June, he shook off a gradual begin and completed the 12 months with a .292/.396/.463 slash (140 OPS+) for Boston, exhibiting a uncommon mixture of plate self-discipline and energy on the dish. Actually, Anthony’s 60.3% hard-hit fee led all gamers with not less than 100 batted balls, and he and Juan Soto had been the one two hitters (minimal 300 PAs) to put up a hard-hit fee above 55% and a chase fee under 21%. With the potential to be an elite defender as properly, the sky’s the restrict for Anthony coming into his first full season.
4. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF, Padres2026 rank: 15
One way or the other, Tatis simply turned 27 years outdated and has already compiled a powerful profession .868 OPS with 152 residence runs, 124 stolen bases and 26.5 WAR (per FanGraphs). He’s coming off one in every of his greatest seasons, too, during which he had a 125 OPS+, 6.1 WAR, 25 homers and 32 steals. Regardless of his robust profession highlighted by all-around excellence, it nonetheless seems like there could be one other gear.
His high quality of contact means that one other offensive stage might come. In 2025, Tatis’s .370 anticipated wOBA was deal greater than his precise .353 wOBA. It was the identical story in 2024 (.390 xwOBA, .359 wOBA). Contemplating his offensive stage is already good and that Tatis boasts elite protection and robust baserunning, any uptick in offense might make him a professional MVP candidate and threaten as top-of-the-line gamers in baseball.
5. Ben Rice, 1B, Yankees2026 rank: 95
Nobody of their proper thoughts would take a primary baseman off the board with so many shortstops and heart fielders nonetheless obtainable. However we’re speculating right here, so let’s say by this time subsequent 12 months, Rice is a full-time catcher — it isn’t out of the query, and it provides him that premier place bonus that separates, for instance, Cal Raleigh (No. 4) from Kyle Schwarber (No. 17).
Rice hit .255/.337/.499 with 26 residence runs and a 131 OPS+ in his first full Main League season. His batted ball knowledge suggests he truly obtained a uncooked deal, and it is that sizeable hole between his good SLG (.499) and his nice xSLG (.557, 97th percentile) at his age (27 as of Opening Day) that this prediction hinges on. On the one hand, it is potential none of this implies something. On the opposite, these numbers are reminiscent of some different current seasons we did not assume a lot about on the time — say, for instance, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 2023 (.444 SLG, .509 xSLG in his age 24 season), Ronald Acuña Jr.’s 2022 (.413 SLG, .496 xSLG in his age 24 season) or Aaron Choose’s 2021 (.544 SLG, .601 xSLG in his age 29 season).
6. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Reds2026 rank: 52
Leapfrogging to the No. 1 spot means dethroning Ohtani and Choose. Realistically, just a few gamers actually have a probability. It’d must be somebody with such a dynamic ability set that they might catch lightning in a bottle and do one thing historic.
De La Cruz is likely one of the solely guys who suits that invoice. He has the top-of-the-scale uncooked energy and pace to have an MVP season like 2023 Ronald Acuña Jr. (41 homers, 73 steals) or 2024 Ohtani (54 homers, 59 steals). Elly additionally has the defensive ceiling to be one in every of baseball’s greatest shortstops (which he was in 2024). He is like Witt, and Witt is behind solely Ohtani and Choose on the High 100.
Principally, De La Cruz has the elite power-speed-defense combo to have No. 1 total upside … he simply must be elite in any respect three issues on the similar time. Simple.
7. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics2026 rank: 23
Kurtz is 22 years outdated, has simply 117 video games of Main League expertise and is already among the many greatest offensive gamers within the recreation. That final half could sound like a stretch, however think about that beginning on Could 20 final season, Kurtz led all certified hitters over the rest of the 12 months in slugging (.691) and wRC+ (196). Amongst gamers with not less than 300 plate appearances from that date, Kurtz’s 20.6% barrel fee was bested solely by Aaron Choose, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber. To place that one other means, solely the 2 league MVPs and the NL MVP runner-up had been higher at barreling up the ball than the A’s rookie. Plus, despite the fact that he didn’t debut till April 23 and didn’t actually hit with authority till that Could day, Kurtz was the seventh-most useful batter final season in accordance with Statcast’s run worth metric.
He should enhance his 30.9% strikeout fee and poor protection (minus-5 fielding run worth), however Kurtz’s prodigious energy might propel him to the highest.
8. Yordan Alvarez, DH/LF, Astros2026 rank: 28
After Alvarez missed main time in 2025 resulting from a fracture in his proper hand, it’s straightforward to miss him heading into 2026. However the Astros slugger is as feared a hitter as any within the Main Leagues: In his profession, Alvarez owns a .297 batting common and a .961 OPS. The 2019 AL Rookie of the 12 months was named an All-Star and earned down-ballot AL MVP votes in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Alvarez has repeatedly struggled to remain wholesome, however he’s a Statcast monster who can work walks, hit for energy and spray the ball all around the area. Whereas it received’t be straightforward for a main DH to earn the No. 1 rating, Alvarez completely has the expertise to take action. Set to show 29 in late June, Alvarez is in his prime and might be in for a large 12 months if he can keep on the sphere.
9. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF, Braves2026 rank: 14
Acuña’s on this checklist for one motive: He is made a serious leap to No. 1 earlier than and could also be primed to do it once more. Acuña returned in late Could after lacking a lot of the 2024 season with a torn proper ACL — just like 2022, when he returned in late April after lacking half the 2021 season with a torn left ACL. However not like in 2022, when Acuña struggled to regain his kind, the 2025 model of Acuña appeared like himself from the primary pitch he noticed. He completed with 21 homers, a .935 OPS and a 163 OPS+ in 95 video games for Atlanta — numbers harking back to the NL MVP from 2023. The Braves slugger ranked No. 25 on this checklist forward of the ’23 season earlier than his historic 40-70 MVP season vaulted him to the highest. May he do one thing comparable in 2026? The prelude sounds acquainted.
10. Jackson Merrill, CF, Padres2026 rank: 59
Merrill appeared prepared for one thing like an MVP run in 2025 after ending within the ninetieth percentile or higher in anticipated batting common, anticipated slugging share, anticipated remoted energy, barrels, arm energy and outs above common in heart area as a rookie in 2024.
However Merrill’s second season didn’t see the anticipated leap, partly as a result of he visited the injured checklist thrice. Merrill additionally struggled towards off-speed pitches after slugging .511 towards them in 2025, and he dropped under the ninetieth percentile in all the above classes besides arm energy. Nonetheless, his rookie season confirmed Merrill has the expertise to provide at a excessive stage. With youth on his aspect, the 22-year-old former first-round Draft decide can’t solely recapture his 2024 ranges, however enhance on them. And perhaps at the moment subsequent 12 months, we’ll be speaking about Merrill defending his NL MVP Award and residing on the apex of the highest 100.
