Let’s take a second to acknowledge those that make the largest leaps — particularly, the three gamers who improved not less than 50 spots from final yr and the 9 who landed inside the highest 50 after being unranked a yr in the past. Whether or not they had been rookies, breakout stars or established veterans who discovered a close to gear to their sport, these 12 gamers opened eyes final season. With Spring Coaching upon us, we won’t wait to see what this group will do that season.
BIGGEST GAINS IN THE TOP 100
De La Cruz’s thrilling instruments had been on show throughout his 2023 rookie yr, however his sport nonetheless wanted plenty of refinement. Final yr, he was capable of take his tantalizing uncooked supplies and mix them with a greater really feel for the sport. Elly nonetheless struck out quite a bit, however his Ok charge fell by two share factors whereas his chase charge fell by about six factors. He made optimum contact extra typically, showcased by a 4.2-point enchancment in his barrel charge, and his outs above common elevated from 4 to fifteen, tied for Eleventh-most within the Majors.
Elly’s ascent is just like that of one other uber-talented shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr. The Royals’ franchise participant was No. 92 within the High 100 Proper Now in 2023. Final yr, he was No. 20. This yr, he’s No. 3. De La Cruz may make that leap from star to famous person this summer time.
Most individuals might need identified him as Willson’s youthful brother a number of years in the past, however now you’ll be able to name William Contreras the top-ranked catcher in baseball. The 27-year-old completed fifth within the Nationwide League MVP voting final yr after main all certified catchers in wRC+ (131) and in every triple-slash class — .281 common, .365 on-base share, .466 slugging share. Contreras’ 5.4 fWAR tied for thirteenth in baseball, and he was the All-MLB First Workforce choice at catcher.
Contreras is barely the second catcher since 2019 to crack the highest 30 of the High 100 Proper Now. The Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto got here in at No. 29 in ’23.
Contreras and Chapman may level to elevated bat velocity as one cause for his or her success on the plate final season. Chapman’s first season in San Francisco received off to a sluggish begin as he carried a sub-.700 OPS into mid-June. However he got here to life over the ultimate few months of the season, hitting 19 dwelling runs and posting an .891 OPS by means of his final 81 video games. Now he’ll name San Francisco dwelling for years to return.
Nonetheless a improbable defender on the scorching nook in his early 30s, Chapman captured his fifth Gold Glove final yr. His WRC+ (121) and fWAR (5.5) had been his finest since 2019.
BIGGEST LEAPS INTO THE TOP 100
Skubal was baseball’s No. 24 prospect in 2021 and commenced to indicate indicators of stardom on the tail finish of 2023 when he recorded 36 strikeouts and allowed just one earned run over his last 23 innings. Nevertheless it wasn’t till final season that Skubal solidified himself as a bona fide ace. After incomes his first All-Star nod, successful the American League pitching Triple Crown, being baseball’s most precious pitcher by run worth, main the Tigers to the postseason and taking dwelling the AL Cy Younger Award, Skubal debuts on the High 100 Proper Now because the top-ranked pitcher.
Skenes overpowered hitters on his first day in The Present and simply stored shoving over the following 4 1/2 months. He had a 1.96 ERA throughout 133 innings. He allowed solely 4 earned runs over his last seven begins, spanning 35 innings. Opposing batters produced a lowly .442 OPS throughout that interval. This is one other loopy quantity: Skenes’ Ok-BB charge (26.8%) was the most effective from any pitcher who threw not less than 100 innings of their debut season throughout the Reside-Ball Period (since 1920).
One in all 9 rookies on this yr’s High 100 Proper Now, Skenes’ rating is the best by a participant instantly following their rookie season since Aaron Decide was No. 15 on the 2018 record. The No. 1 choose from the 2023 Draft might already be the most effective starter within the Majors and is projected by Steamer to steer all pitchers in fWAR this season.
We have spent most of this text to this point speaking about gamers who’ve elevated their play to beforehand unseen heights. Sale’s rise, conversely, is mostly a rebound. The left-hander was the No. 5 participant a decade in the past and final made the High 100 Proper Now record forward of the 2020 season. Then got here a rash of accidents that restricted him to solely 31 begins over the following 4 years. Nonetheless, after an offseason commerce from the Pink Sox to the Braves, Sale discovered the fountain of youth in Atlanta final yr.
He gained his first Cy Younger Award in addition to the NL Triple Crown. No certified large league starter had extra fWAR (6.4), a decrease FIP (2.09) or a greater strikeout-minus-walk charge (26.5%). Sale was simply 4 strikeouts away from changing into the primary pitcher since Johan Santana in 2006 to tempo MLB in wins, ERA and Ok’s.
Skenes’ dominance might have barely overshadowed what Merrill achieved throughout his first large league season, however that does not make it any much less spectacular. Merrill was an All-Star and a Silver Slugger winner, completed among the many prime 10 within the NL MVP voting and was the runner-up to Skenes for NL Rookie of the 12 months. He posted above-average strikeout and whiff charges whereas rating within the 94th percentile with a .372 anticipated weighted on-base common. Defensively, Merrill excelled in middle discipline — a place he by no means performed within the Minors — with 12 OAA. Any rookie can be recommended for doing all of that. However the truth that Merrill did it after being an Opening Day starter for the Padres at simply 20 years outdated speaks to only how particular his yr was.
Duran’s 735 plate appearances final season had been essentially the most within the Majors and essentially the most by a Pink Sox participant since Mo Vaughn in 1996 (752). Boston’s present leadoff artificial essentially the most of his alternatives, packing his stat line with notable numbers: 111 runs, 34 stolen bases, 21 homers, 48 doubles and 14 triples. These final two numbers had been essentially the most in MLB. Additionally they made Duran the primary participant since Cardinals nice Stan Musial in 1946 to report not less than 48 doubles and 14 triples in a single season. The All-Star Recreation MVP in his first look within the Midsummer Traditional, Duran completed his breakout marketing campaign with 6.7 fWAR, seventh-most within the sport.
Chourio entered the season as MLB’s No. 2 prospect, one spot forward of Skenes. However whereas Skenes regarded like a seasoned professional on Day 1, Chourio wanted a while to get comfy within the bigs. Coming into June 8, Chourio had a .209 common and a .588 OPS. From that time, he was probably the greatest place gamers within the sport. He slashed .306/.362/.525 with 15 homers and 15 steals over his last 94 video games. Chourio possesses near-elite velocity and made a constructive affect on protection with 5 OAA in left discipline. He tallied 21 dingers and 22 steals as a rookie. May he go 30-30 as a 21-year-old? He can be simply the fourth Brewers participant to affix that membership and the third participant to succeed in these marks at that age or youthful, becoming a member of Mike Trout (2012) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2019).
Adames, a former Brewer, is now one half of San Francisco’s very good left facet of the infield together with the aforementioned Chapman. The 29-year-old established career-highs with 32 homers, 112 RBIs and 65 extra-base hits in his last yr with Milwaukee. He additionally stole 21 bases after stealing a complete of 30 over his first six MLB seasons. It was all a part of a bounceback season for Adames after he skilled a subpar yr on the plate (94 wRC+) in 2023. That quantity elevated to 119 final season, and he was rewarded in December with essentially the most profitable contract in Giants franchise historical past.
The Royals orchestrated a exceptional turnaround in 2024, successful 30 extra video games than they did the earlier yr and making the playoffs for the primary time since 2015. Ragans was key to Kansas Metropolis’s success and an enormous a part of a beginning rotation that led the American League with 16.7 fWAR. It’s why the Royals had barely unpacked in Arizona earlier than giving him a three-year, $13.25 million contract.
Ragans got here to the Royals in a swap with the Rangers forward of the 2023 Commerce Deadline and made a direct impression in his new dwelling, compiling a 2.64 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings. Final season, he tallied the fifth-most Ok’s within the large leagues (223) over 186 1/3 innings. He additionally ranked fourth in Ok/9 charge (10.77). Teammate Seth Lugo was the AL Cy Younger runner-up, however Ragans sits 31 spots increased on the High 100 Proper Now record.
Rooker was an All-Star in 2023, however that choice was closely supported by a scorching first month by which Rooker hit .353 with 9 dwelling runs and a 1.245 OPS. He closed that yr with 30 homers, however he had a .228 common and a 35.4% strikeout charge after that April.
In 2024, Rooker proved that he’s rather more than an all-or-nothing slugger. He did launch 39 homers, however his slash line — .293/.365/.562 — featured a major enchancment in every statistic. Rooker’s 164 wRC+ ranked seventh within the Majors and was the most effective by an A’s participant since Jason Giambi in 2001. Rooker was additionally the sixth-most worthwhile hitter in MLB by run worth.
