MLB Power Rankings: Hitter Rankings 2023

The 2023 MLB season is well underway, and as teams battle their way to the top of the World Series odds, plenty of star sluggers are making waves on their own. 

As of May 26, Shohei Ohtani is leading the AL MVP odds at -125, with Aaron Judge (+800) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+1200) trailing behind him. In the NL, Ronald Acuña Jr. is leading MVP odds at +125, with Pete Alonso (+1300) and Mookie Betts (+1500) rounding out the top three picks.

MLB Hitter Power Rankings 2023

1. Ronald Acuña Jr.

Acuña Jr. is shining extremely bright this season, and that’s saying something on a team stacked with stars.

The Braves slugger is ninth in the league in hard-hit rate, having already smashed 88 balls at over 95 mph (55.3%). As of May 26, he’s slashing .332/.419/.577 with 11 home runs. He’s leading MLB in runs (46), ranking third in hits (65) and batting average, and ranking second in stolen bases (22).

I’m excited to see Acuña Jr. continue to shine, and won’t be surprised if he stays at the top of these rankings all season.

2. Yandy Díaz

The Rays are contending to be the best team in franchise history, so it should come as no surprise that there’s multiple players from Tampa Bay on this list, and Díaz takes the top spot among them.

As of May 26, Díaz is slashing .322/.425/.599 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs, ranking sixth in batting average, second in OBP, and second in OPS (1.024). He ranks fifth in MLB in hard-hit rate, having smashed 57.1% of his balls at over 95 mph, and as the Rays continue to grow their lead over the notoriously-competitive AL East, I don’t expect the first baseman to slow down.

3. Aaron Judge

After his 62-home-run season in 2022, I’m sure there are plenty of fans who think Judge should be higher on this list. Unfortunately, the Yankees slugger had a bit of an early-season slump that he’s only now coming back from, so he sits in the third spot — for now.

As of May 26, Judge is batting .288 with an OPS of 1.032 and 14 home runs. He’s hit 58 balls at a rate over 95 mph (60.4%) to rank second in MLB in hard-hit rate, so even with a slow start, it’s clear he’s determined not to slack off after making history last season.

Perhaps another historic year is on the horizon for the Yankees star.

4. Luis Arráez

Arráez was the American League batting champ last season with the Twins, and now that he’s signed with the Marlins, there’s absolutely no sign of the second baseman slowing down.

After 46 games, Arráez is leading the league in batting average (.371) and ranks fourth in hits (63). If that’s not enough, he recently became the first player in Marlins franchise history to hit for the cycle, so I’m excited to see if he can keep up the pace as the season continues.

5. Randy Arozarena

Much like Judge, there’s an argument to be made that Arozarena should be higher on this list, especially since he’s sixth in OPS (.959), seventh in RBIs (39), and sixth in OBP (.415). Still, fifth on this list is nothing to scoff at, and I expect he’ll shuffle his way higher as the season continues.

As of May 26, Arozarena is 24th in MLB in hard-hit rate (50.7% — 68 balls over 95 mph), with 11 home runs. The left fielder is a crucial part of the Rays’ stacked batting lineup, and as the team keeps dominating MLB, I can see Arozarena continuing to shine brightly.

6. Freddie Freeman

If there’s a player you can rely on to hit, it’s Freeman.

After 51 games, the Dodgers first baseman is batting .325 with an OPS of .956, including 66 hits (ranked second in MLB) and nine home runs. He’s not as high on the hard-hit rankings as I’d expect, currently sitting 71st in the league with just 45.5% of his balls being smashed over 95 mph, but when you consider how often Freeman makes contact (45.5% is still 76 balls), it’s certainly not bad at all.

Freeman has established himself as an extremely reliable batter, and I expect to see him climb these power rankings as the season progresses.

7. Bo Bichette

Bichette is another player that should arguably be higher on this list, especially since he’s leading MLB in hits (71) and ranked fourth in batting average (.326). He’s flown somewhat under the radar this season, especially recently with the shaky performance of the Blue Jays, but I expect him to keep shuffling up the rankings as the year goes on.

Bichette is 61st in hard-hit rate, having hit just 46.9% of his balls over 95 mph, which is lower than I would’ve expected. Still, he’s proven to be an essential part of Toronto’s offense, and I’m excited to see him keep turning up the heat this season.

8. Nolan Gorman

As of May 26, Gorman is slashing .297/.389/.613 with 13 home runs, so in just his second season in the majors, the Cardinals star is making waves. Ranked fourth in the league in OPS (1.002) and seventh in home runs, it’s clear Gorman is having a hot season, even if his team is struggling.

Gorman is 35th in the league in hard-hit rate, having smashed 53 balls (49.1% over 95 mph). As the Cardinals keep working to fight back in 2023, I expect Gorman to be a huge part of their offense.

9. Yordan Alvarez

After 43 games, Alvarez is slashing .297/.403/.600, which is finally catching up to the Astros star’s usual standard after a rather slow start to the season. As of May 26, Alvarez is second in the league in RBIs (46), has 12 home runs under his belt, and has hit 63 balls over 95 mph, so I think it’s safe to say he’s found his feet in 2023.

I expect the 25-year-old to climb even higher on the power rankings this season, especially after finishing 2022 with a batting average of .306 and 37 home runs, the second-most in MLB.

10. Paul Goldschmidt

Goldschmidt’s performance this season has largely gone unnoticed this season because of the Cardinals’ extremely underwhelming record, but don’t think that means his stats aren’t fierce.

As of May 26, the first baseman is batting .292 with an OPS of .917, nine home runs, and 25 RBIs. He’s ranked third in doubles (16) and 11th in hard-hit rate, having hit 80 balls (54.8%) at over 95 mph.

Even if the Cardinals are struggling in 2023, Goldschmidt has come to compete, and he’s definitely a player to watch as he attempts to back up his 2022 NL MVP campaign.