We¡¯re two weeks into the 2023 season, and several new names have entered our latest Hitter Power Rankings.
Hot starts to the year have landed four new players in the top 10, but plenty of familiar faces remain. These rankings don¡¯t merely reflect who¡¯s been the best so far in the early season; instead, our voters balanced 2022 performance and 2023 success to make their picks.
Here are the results. All stats are updated through Wednesday¡¯s games.
1. Aaron Judge, Yankees (Last poll: 1)
Judge has now topped seven of our past eight polls, including this one. And for good reason: Last year¡¯s AL MVP hit an AL-record 62 home runs, and he hasn¡¯t missed a beat in 2023. He¡¯s hitting .298 with four homers this season, ranks second in MLB in hard-hit rate and remains an imposing figure in the batter¡¯s box.
2. Mike Trout, Angels (2)
A 441-foot bomb off a truck beyond the outfield wall was the latest sign Trout isn¡¯t slowing down. The 10-time All-Star and three-time MVP has kept up his production early in his age-31 season, and he¡¯s still one of baseball¡¯s best hitters.
3. Yordan Alvarez, Astros (3)
Alvarez owns an incredible .974 career OPS since reaching the Major Leagues in 2019. He hasn¡¯t lost a step after a top-3 finish in 2022 AL MVP voting, owning a .300 average with three homers this season. His second long ball made him the fifth-fastest player in MLB history to reach 100 homers, doing so in just 372 games -- an Astros record.
4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (not ranked)
After breaking onto the scene with a second-place AL MVP finish in 2021, Vladdy is off to a scorching start this season. He is hitting .412 with a 1.041 OPS, recording 21 hits in just 13 games. Previously unranked, Guerrero shot up to our No. 4 spot courtesy of his torrid start.
5. Luis Arraez, Marlins (not ranked)
Another unranked hitter who catapulted into the top five was Arraez, the Major League leader with a .500 batting average. Last year¡¯s AL batting champ with the Twins, Arraez recorded the first cycle in Marlins history on Tuesday against the Phillies.
6. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (7)
All Freeman does is hit. Currently in his second season with the Dodgers, he hasn¡¯t stopped yet. The first baseman has a shot at his eighth career season with a .300 or better batting average, sitting at .353 so far in 2023. Freeman also still has plenty of power, averaging 27 home runs per year.
7. Shohei Ohtani, Angels (6)
If Ohtani¡¯s early-season numbers hold up through 162 games, he would record his best season with the bat -- which, given his past production both at the plate and on the mound, would say something. Coming off 34 homers in 2022, he¡¯s slugged three long balls so far this year and is hitting .300 through 11 games.
8. Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals (5)
Goldy ripped 35 home runs for St. Louis last season and led the NL in OPS at .984. With just one homer so far in 2023, his power hasn¡¯t shown up, but he¡¯s hitting a cool .354 with five doubles, including two against the Rockies on Wednesday. The 2022 NL MVP isn¡¯t going anywhere.
9. Matt Chapman, Blue Jays (not ranked)
Chapman has been tearing the cover off the baseball in his second year with the Blue Jays, making a talented lineup even more fearsome. He owns a .489 average -- second to only Arraez -- and leads MLB in hits (23), doubles (8) and total bases (40).
10. Adley Rutschman, Orioles (not ranked)
Rutschman had an Opening Day to remember, going 5-for-5 and hitting a home run in his first at-bat of 2023. He has only kept hitting, including a 4-for-4 performance April 9 against the Yankees and a walk-off homer Thursday against the A¡¯s, and our voters took notice.
Also receiving votes: Bryan Reynolds (Pirates), Luis Robert (White Sox), Brandon Lowe (Rays), Rafael Devers (Red Sox), Jordan Walker (Cardinals), Ryan Mountcastle (Orioles), Ronald Acu?a Jr. (Braves), Xander Bogaerts (Padres), Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Matt Olson (Braves), Pete Alonso (Mets), Juan Soto (Padres), Bo Bichette (Blue Jays), James Outman (Dodgers)?
Voters: David Adler, Brett Blueweiss, Paul Casella, Doug Gausepohl, Thomas Harrigan, Sarah Langs, Travis Miller, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Brian Murphy, Efrain Ruiz, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon, David Venn