Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer didn't have much time to wax nostalgic Tuesday as he faced his former team in Milwaukee for the first time since getting fired as the Bucks' coach two years ago.

But as much as he tried focusing on keeping his injury-riddled team alive in the playoff chase, Budenholzer couldn't deny this game was a little different from a typical regular-season contest.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm human," Budenholzer said after the Suns' 133-123 loss.

Budenholzer led the 2020-21 Bucks to the franchise's first NBA title in half a century, but he was fired two years later after Milwaukee posted the league's best regular-season record but got upset 4-1 by the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

Milwaukee posted the most combined regular-season and playoff wins of any team during Budenholzer's tenure and had the league's best regular-season record in three of his five seasons. He posted a 271-120 regular-season record and a 39-26 playoff mark with the Bucks.

"I've always said it was a great five years here in Milwaukee," Budenholzer said. "I'm forever appreciative to the organization, to the players, to the fans here. The people here were great to me. It's tough to lose tonight. I want to keep the focus on my guys, my team. But I've said it a million times: It was five great years here."

The Bucks didn't air a video salute to Budenholzer but did post a "Welcome Back, Coach Bud" message on the video board during the first timeout. Budenholzer was busy talking to his team at the time and said after the game he didn't notice it.

"I thought they were going to play like a video for him," said Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won two MVP awards during Budenholzer's Milwaukee tenure. "They didn't, which was surprising to me. I felt like they should."

The only remaining Bucks who played on Budenholzer's last Milwaukee team are Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton. Portis wasn't in the building Tuesday because he's still serving his 25-game suspension for testing positive for the painkiller tramadol.

Antetokounmpo noticed one unusual aspect about playing against his former coach.

"It's definitely weird seeing him complain about plays that I do, charges and blah-blah-blah, push-off and all that," Antetokounmpo quipped. "And it's the stuff that he loved when I did it when we were on the same team and won a championship together."

Since Budenholzer spent last season away from coaching, this marked the first time he had returned to Milwaukee as part of a visiting team. He coached against his old team for the first time since his firing on March 24, when Devin Booker's jumper with 2.4 seconds left gave the Suns a 108-106 victory over the Bucks in Phoenix.

The Suns haven't won a game since while dealing with injuries to Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, who didn't play Tuesday. Phoenix is 11th in the Western Conference standings -- one spot away from qualifying for the play-in tournament.

That's what made Tuesday's game so important.

The Suns instead lost their fourth straight and fell two games behind ninth-place Dallas and 1 games behind 10th-place Sacramento. Phoenix forced 20 turnovers but allowed Milwaukee to shoot 68.9% from the floor, the highest single-game shooting percentage by any NBA team since March 1998, according to Sportradar.

"My gut is they had one of those nights," Budenholzer said. "I thought defensively our effort, our (will to) compete was at a very high level. ... The basket was big for them tonight."

MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo told his Milwaukee Bucks teammates they were fighting for their lives.

They responded by shooting for the highest single-game percentage by any team this century.

Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid by shooting a franchise-record 68.9% (51-of-74) from the floor in a 133-123 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. No team had shot for that high a percentage in a game since March 13, 1998, when the LA Clippers shot 69.3% (61-of-88) in a 152-120 triumph over the Toronto Raptors.

"I kept saying to my teammates, 'We're fighting for our lives. We're fighting for our lives,'" Antetokounmpo said. "They think I'm joking, but I'm not joking. We're fighting for our lives right here. Every win counts."

The Bucks are sixth in the Eastern Conference standings and on track for their lowest playoff seed since 2018. They were coming off a 145-124 loss to Atlanta in which they allowed the most points they'd given up all season. They don't know when -- or if -- seven-time All-NBA guard Damian Lillard will return from the deep vein thrombosis in his right calf that has him taking blood-thinning medication.

So they needed a win badly. They responded by making shot after shot.

Each of the eight Bucks who took the floor Tuesday shot at least 50%. Antetokounmpo had 37 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds while shooting 12-of-18, but he wasn't a one-man gang.

Ryan Rollins shot 8-of-10 overall and 5-of-7 from 3-point range while scoring 23 points. Brook Lopez celebrated his 37th birthday by shooting 10-of-13 and scoring 22 points. The Bucks made a season-high 58.6% of their 3-point attempts (17-of-29).

"I think we were a bit disappointed in our offense the past few games," Lopez said. "I think we got back to moving it, sharing it, trusting it, really taking advantage of our size in transition, getting the ball into the paint and just playing off that."

Antetokounmpo, as usual, led the way.

"I knew coming into this game, whenever I see cracks, I've got to take them because I'm not going to have a lot of opportunities to be aggressive," Antetokounmpo said. "When I don't have cracks, probably somebody's going to be wide open, so I've just got to look to the right or the left of me and make the right play."

As well as the Bucks shot the ball, they nearly blew a 21-point second-half advantage. Phoenix had reduced the margin to four points before Rollins hit a 3-pointer with 1:09 left to get the Bucks out of danger.

Phoenix stayed close because Milwaukee committed 20 turnovers. The Suns took 18 more shots than the Bucks and outscored them 24-3 in second-chance points.

"My gut is they had one of those nights," Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said. "I thought defensively our effort, our [will to] compete was at a very high level. ... The basket was big for them tonight."

The Bucks followed a similar script Sunday, when they shot 69% in the first half but still trailed 82-75 at the break because of their eight turnovers and struggles on defense.

"We're so close to being an incredible offensive team," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "We shoot 70% the first half the other night. We shot 68.9 tonight. If we can rebound the ball and take care of the ball, we've got a chance to break out and make a hell of a run here. We really do."

At least this time, the Bucks found a way to win -- even if it took a record performance.

"I definitely needed a win," Antetokounmpo said. "I think when you win, you enjoy your sleep better. You enjoy your food better. You enjoy spending time with your kids and everything better. You enjoy interacting with your teammates more. I'm a sore loser. I'm not going to lie. We definitely needed a win."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The last time Stephen Curry and Golden State played in Memphis, he was held without a field goal and the Warriors lost by 51 points.

Curry didn't recall the frustration from that loss in December. And there was no repeat Tuesday night.

Curry fired up 3-pointers throughout the game, connecting on a dozen from long range on the way to a 52-point performance as the Warriors beat the Grizzlies 134-125.

"I had actually forgotten," Curry said when asked if the teams' previous game was motivation. "I was just kind of more focused on how big this game was for us."

The victory moved Golden State past Memphis into fifth place in the Western Conference, and benefitted the Warriors in two areas. Golden State won the season series 3-1, in essence giving the Warriors a two-game lead over the Grizzlies in the standings.

Curry connected on his first five shots, including four 3-pointers, and was 11-of-16 by halftime, including 8-of-10 from distance. His 32 points in the first half gave the Warriors a lead, but they had to hold on for the victory.

It was Curry's 27th game with at least 10 made 3s, by far the most in league history (former teammate Klay Thompson is second with nine), according to ESPN Research.

Curry said he felt rejuvenated after taking a week off late last month, recovering from a left pelvic bruise. He is still wearing a pad to protect the injury, but the time off cleared his mind and helped him physically.

"I feel in a good rhythm," he said. "The week off helped. The tank is pretty full."

Curry's scoreline of 52 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists marked the first time a Golden State player hit those marks since Rick Barry (64 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) against Portland on March 26, 1974.

As part of Curry's night, he also passed Jerry West and moved into 25th place on the NBA all-time scoring list.

"I got a little emotional about that," Curry said of passing West. "It was special. In his memory. What he meant to our organization, the league, to the world of basketball. ... That's the logo."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr characterized Curry's performance as "incredible." Kerr, who has seen plenty of Curry's spectacular nights couldn't believe one shot in the second quarter, turning away from the court in disbelief.

"Fifty-two points with people draped all over him, all game long," Kerr said, later adding: "I've been watching this for 11 years, and actually longer before I became his coach. ... You get a real sense of just the magnitude of his talent.

"The guy is amazing to watch."

But as special as the night was, a longtime teammate put it in perspective when asked if it was Curry's best game.

"Hell, no. No chance," Draymond Green said. "I've played with him for 15 years. I can't quite recall the best one off the top of my head, but that ain't it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DENVER -- The Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a career- and NBA-best 61-point triple-double performance from Nikola Jokic to outlast the Denver Nuggets 140-139 in double overtime on Tuesday night.

Jokic's 61 points -- the most by a player in the NBA this season -- were also the most points in a triple-double in NBA history. Jokic, who played 52 minutes, 38 seconds, also had 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He didn't leave the court after halftime.

"Nikola came up to me after the third quarter and said, 'Coach, I'm good. Leave me in there. I don't want to come out. Let me just keep playing,'" Nuggets coach Michael Malone said afterward. "He was in a good rhythm, obviously -- 61 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals. The guy is Superman."

Said Jokic: "Coach asked me a couple times [if I wanted to come out] but I was feeling good."

The Timberwolves sealed the win on a pair of Nickeil Alexander-Walker free throws with 0.1 left, concluding a wild sequence in which Russell Westbrook stole the ball on one end in the closing seconds, missed a layup and then fouled Alexander-Walker in the corner. The Timberwolves guard made two free throws and missed the third one on purpose.

"He's a guy that hates to lose," Malone said of Westbrook. "So he may not want to hear any of that stuff because he's a perfectionist and he's a competitor. And knowing the way I do, he's probably going to put a lot of this on him. But we lost tonight. The Denver Nuggets, we as a collective group lost a game tonight, not one player."

Westbrook left the arena before the Denver locker room was open to media.

"Obviously, I feel awful for Russ," Malone said. "That last play we get the turnover, we don't convert, and then the foul. It was not from a lack of effort or care.

"Sometimes it goes like that, and that's why we've just got to be strong. We've got to be resilient."

The big question: Should the Nuggets have not attempted the layup and pulled the ball back out to run down the clock?

"It's tough. You've got a two-on-one break," Malone said. "As a coach, am I up on the sideline yelling, 'Don't go?' We've got a layup. But it's easy to say that (pull the ball out) in hindsight, because we missed a layup. ... He (Westbrook) is a tough kid, and I think he knows that everybody in that locker room's got his back."

Jokic was asked if he will speak to Westbrook about the sequence.

"Why? It happened. It's basketball. I'm pretty sure he didn't want to foul. It happens," he said.

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 8 assists. He had 10 points entering the fourth quarter and has scored 25 or more in seven consecutive games against Denver.

"He just took off and that's what superstars do and that's why he's a special person and a special player in this league," Jokic said.

Jokic hit two free throws with 13.9 seconds left to tie it at 112 in regulation. He dropped in a floater with 7.3 seconds left to knot it at 125 in the first overtime.

"Nikola Jokic, he might be the best basketball player that I have ever seen close up, besides myself," cracked Edwards. "He is incredible. The MVP race is tough. I don't know. He had 60. That is crazy."

The game had a playoff intensity and featured 21 lead changes. The Timberwolves have won six straight over the Nuggets, including the playoffs, as Jokic became the second player in NBA history to lose with a 50-point triple-double, following Wilt Chamberlain in 1963.

The Timberwolves were without Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo, who were suspended one game by the league for their roles in an on-court altercation against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

Denver didn't have Jamal Murray (hamstring) or Michael Porter Jr. (personal reasons).

Jokic finished 18-of-29 from the field, including six 3-pointers. His 61 points were the second most in a game in Nuggets history (David Thompson had 73 in 1978), and the most given up to an opponent in Timberwolves history.

A wild play ensued near the end of the second overtime when Jokic was fouled by Jaden McDaniels during a jump ball. Jokic made one free throw to give the Nuggets a 139-138 lead.

The Nuggets dropped to 18-3 at home when tied or leading after the first quarter. They led by 16 in the opening quarter.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Less than two weeks to go in the NBA regular season but there's plenty still to play for. Teams are snapping up postseason spots but the race to avoid the play-in tournament is changing by the day. Things remain especially tough in the Western Conference, where the teams between third and eighth place are all separated by at least two games.

At the bottom end of the standings, several teams are straddling the fine line between a strong finish and improving their lottery chances for the No. 1 draft pick in a stacked class of prospects led by Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.

With only a handful of games left, players are trying to meet the criteria for postseason honors while also making their case for the top awards such as MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year.

Our NBA insiders give their takes on where things stand in our latest Power Rankings and what to watch in the few remaining weeks of the season.

Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN's Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Michael Wright, Tim MacMahon, Dave McMenamin, Ohm Youngmisuk and Chris Herring) think teams belong this season.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 30 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 13 | Nov. 20 | Nov. 27 | Dec. 4 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 25 | Jan. 1 | Jan. 8 | Jan. 15 | Jan. 22 | Jan. 29 | Feb. 5 | Feb. 12 | Feb. 26 | Mar. 5 | Mar. 12 | Mar. 19 | Mar. 26

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTA | WAS

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

• 2024-25 record: 63-12

• Previous ranking: 1

• Next games: vs. DET (Apr. 2), @ HOU (Apr. 4), vs. LAL (Apr. 6), vs. LAL (Apr. 8)

The Thunder's blowout of the Bulls on Monday meant that Oklahoma City has clinched the best cross-conference record in NBA history. The Thunder are 28-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season, the lone blemish coming in their visit to Cleveland. The previous best cross-conference record was 27-3, achieved by the 2015-16 Warriors, 2006-07 Mavericks and 1999-2000 Lakers. -- Tim MacMahon

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

• 2024-25 record: 60-15

• Previous ranking: 2

• Next games: vs. NYK (Apr. 2), @ SA (Apr. 4), vs. SAC (Apr. 6), vs. CHI (Apr. 8)

The Cavs already secured the third 60-win season in franchise history and can tie the team record for wins by going 6-1 down the stretch. That's secondary, of course, to making sure they hold on to the No. 1 seed in the East, up four games on the Celtics, who have won 14 of their past 15. And only one of Cleveland's last seven games is against a team out of the postseason picture (San Antonio). -- Dave McMenamin

3. Boston Celtics

• 2024-25 record: 56-19

• Previous ranking: 3

• Next games: vs. MIA (Apr. 2), vs. PHX (Apr. 4), vs. WAS (Apr. 6), @ NYK (Apr. 8)

If the Celtics win out, there's a small chance they could catch the Cavaliers for the top spot in the East. But what is by far more important for the Celtics over the next couple of weeks is whether they can get into the playoffs healthy. Boston is more than confident in its chances of going toe-to-toe with any team if it has its full complement of talent. -- Tim Bontemps

4. Houston Rockets

• 2024-25 record: 49-27

• Previous ranking: 4

• Next games: vs. UTAH (Apr. 2), vs. OKC (Apr. 4), @ GS (Apr. 6)

Despite Houston missing a chance to become the second team in the West to clinch a postseason spot, coach Ime Udoka is more concerned with the Rockets staying healthy, consistent and leaning into their physicality to routinely turn defense into offense. Houston is also looking at ways to improve its half-court offense ahead of the playoffs and can lean on its league-leading offensive rebounding. The upcoming schedule should serve as strong preparation for the postseason with Houston set to close against five expected West playoff participants. -- Michael Wright

5. Denver Nuggets

• 2024-25 record: 47-29

• Previous ranking: 5

• Next games: vs. SA (Apr. 2), @ GS (Apr. 4), vs. IND (Apr. 6)

The Nuggets have a lot on the line in their final six games as they aim to finish among the top-four teams in the West. Nikola Jokic is still in a two-man race for MVP with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and will probably need a big finish to overcome the recent five-game stretch he missed due to injury. But perhaps the most important thing for the Nuggets is their health and making sure Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are ready for the playoffs. No matter the seeding, Denver has a shot to come out of the West as long as those three remain healthy. It's worth noting the last team to beat the West-leading Thunder (currently on a 10-game win streak) were the Nuggets. -- Ohm Youngmisuk

6. Los Angeles Lakers

• 2024-25 record: 46-29

• Previous ranking: 7

• Next games: vs. GS (Apr. 3), vs. NO (Apr. 4), @ OKC (Apr. 6), @ OKC (Apr. 8)

The Lakers have qualified for the postseason through the play-in tournament in three of the past four seasons. With L.A. in the No. 4 spot in the West with seven games remaining in the regular season, LeBron James and the Lakers are dead set on holding their positioning and making the playoffs outright. "Our mission is to lock in a playoff spot," James said. "We don't want to have to play in the play-in, so we understand what's at stake." -- McMenamin

7. Golden State Warriors

• 2024-25 record: 44-31

• Previous ranking: 9

• Next games: @ LAL (Apr. 3), vs. DEN (Apr. 4), vs. HOU (Apr. 6), @ PHX (Apr. 8)

Since acquiring Jimmy Butler III before the trade deadline, the Warriors' goal has been clear -- get the sixth seed or higher and stay out of the play-in. The Warriors don't want to risk an improved second half of the season in a potential single-elimination predicament and would rather have an invaluable week off before a first-round seven-game series. Curry told ESPN earlier this season that he feels the Warriors can beat anyone in a series because of their championship experience. Add Butler to the mix and they're confident they can make a run. -- Youngmisuk

8. Indiana Pacers

• 2024-25 record: 44-31

• Previous ranking: 11

• Next games: vs. CHA (Apr. 2), vs. UTAH (Apr. 4), @ DEN (Apr. 6), vs. WAS (Apr. 8)

Can the Pacers hold the No. 4 seed? The Pacers have stayed hot while the injury-riddled Bucks dropped from fourth to sixth in the standings, setting Indiana up for potential home-court advantage in their first-round series. The Pacers also have a two-game lead over No. 5 Detroit and will have five of their final seven games at home entering the playoffs, giving them an edge as a top-four seed. -- Jamal Collier

9. Memphis Grizzlies

• 2024-25 record: 44-32

• Previous ranking: 8

• Next games: @ MIA (Apr. 3), @ DET (Apr. 5), @ CHA (Apr. 8)

The Grizzlies sent shock waves through the NBA when they fired head coach Taylor Jenkins so close to the end of the regular season. Now, let's see how Memphis plays under interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, a former Finnish professional player and coach of Paris Basketball in 2023-24, where he won the EuroCup on the way to being named coach of the year. After utilizing an offense built mostly by recently fired assistant Noah LaRoche, Memphis will try to incorporate more of Iisalo's pick-and-roll tactics to optimize guard Ja Morant. Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said he expects "clarity of direction" down the stretch, but the team is 0-3 since Jenkins' dismissal. -- Wright

10. Minnesota Timberwolves

• 2024-25 record: 44-32

• Previous ranking: 10

• Next games: @ BKN (Apr. 3), @ PHI (Apr. 5), @ MIL (Apr. 8)

Can the Wolves get out of the play-in? Minnesota, like every other team surrounding them in the standings, wants to avoid the play-in tournament and grab a top-six seed. The Wolves, on a three-game winning streak, sit at No. 7 in the standings but are tied with the No. 6 Grizzlies in games back (19.5). However, they sit only half a game ahead of the No. 8 Clippers. After a double-overtime win versus Denver on Tuesday night, the road gets easier for Minnesota, with a road trip against Brooklyn and Philadelphia to close out the week. -- Collier

11. New York Knicks

• 2024-25 record: 48-27

• Previous ranking: 6

• Next games: @ CLE (Apr. 2), @ ATL (Apr. 5), vs PHX (Apr. 6), vs. BOS (Apr. 8)

The biggest thing the Knicks are focused on over these final two weeks is star guard Jalen Brunson's health as he recovers from an ankle sprain sustained last month. The team is also hoping backups Deuce McBride and Cam Payne can return soon after missing some time, and for Mitchell Robinson to get back into form after his prolonged absence. But Brunson getting back in time for a handful of regular-season games to feel comfortable heading into the postseason -- something he said he's hoping to do -- would be ideal. -- Chris Herring

12. LA Clippers

• 2024-25 record: 43-32

• Previous ranking: 12

• Next games: vs. NO (Apr. 2), vs. DAL (Apr. 4), vs. DAL (Apr. 5), vs. SA (Apr. 8)

The Clippers are fighting to get to the sixth seed and avoid the play-in. But the most important thing for the Clippers is once again making sure Kawhi Leonard is healthy entering the playoffs. When Leonard missed the first part of the season, he and the Clippers said they wanted to do everything they could to ensure the superstar doesn't get hurt in the playoffs like he has the past two occasions. They've been holding Leonard out of back-to-backs, but luckily, they have only one back-to-back remaining, consecutive home games against Dallas. -- Youngmisuk

13. Detroit Pistons

• 2024-25 record: 42-33

• Previous ranking: 14

• Next games: @ OKC (Apr. 2), @ TOR (Apr. 4), vs. MEM (Apr. 5), vs. SAC (Apr. 7)

Having almost clinched a top-six spot in the East and a direct return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, the Pistons are focused on seeding over the remainder of the regular season. Catching the Pacers for home-court advantage in the first round could be difficult since Indiana has a two-game lead in the standings and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, but Detroit will want to stay ahead of the reeling Bucks for fifth. That tiebreaker won't be decided until the season's final weekend when the teams play a home-and-home set. -- Kevin Pelton

14. Milwaukee Bucks

• 2024-25 record: 41-34

• Previous ranking: 13

• Next games: @ PHI (Apr. 3), @ MIA (Apr. 5), @ NO (Apr. 6), vs. MIN (Apr. 8)

Damian Lillard's health is the biggest thing to watch in Milwaukee, which dropped four straight games before their win against the Suns on Tuesday night and has fallen to No. 6 in the standings since the superstar's absence. Any chance of the Bucks making a deep postseason run hangs on whether Lillard can return this season. The emerging chemistry between Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the highest-scoring duo in the league, is something the Bucks will sorely need in the postseason. -- Collier

15. Atlanta Hawks

• 2024-25 record: 36-39

• Previous ranking: 16

• Next games: @ DAL (Apr. 2), vs. NYK (Apr. 5), vs. UTAH (Apr. 6), @ ORL (Apr. 8)

Atlanta will want to prioritize not overworking Trae Young, who's been day-to-day lately with right Achilles tendonitis. Beyond that, the Hawks are also focusing on getting backup big Clint Capela (left hand injury) back soon should they reach the playoffs. The Hawks will be circling their two remaining games with the Magic, whom Atlanta is incredibly likely to face in the play-in matchup for the No. 7 seed. The two teams, who have been swapping spots in the standings all season, are neck-and-neck in games back. -- Herring

16. Dallas Mavericks

• 2024-25 record: 37-39

• Previous ranking: 19

• Next games: vs. ATL (Apr. 2), @ LAC (Apr. 4), @ LAC (Apr. 5)

The Mavs will at least get a glimpse of general manager Nico Harrison's vision of the NBA's biggest and most dynamic frontcourt down the stretch. Anthony Davis (adductor strain) and Daniel Gafford (knee sprain) recently returned from extended injury absences, and Dereck Lively II (ankle stress fracture) is on the verge of doing so. Davis has averaged 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in four games since returning, chipping off rust while dealing with a minutes restriction. Gafford had 17 points and 7 rebounds in 19 minutes during Monday's loss to the Nets, his first game back. -- MacMahon

17. Sacramento Kings

• 2024-25 record: 36-39

• Previous ranking: 15

• Next games: @ WAS (Apr. 2), @ CHA (Apr. 4), @ CLE (Apr. 6), @ DET (Apr. 7)

Despite losing six of their past seven games, the Kings are still clinging to the 10th and final play-in spot in the West. Durant's injury improves Sacramento's chances at postseason play as they are 1 games ahead of the Suns. But the head-to-head tiebreaker is up for grabs on the last day of the regular season as they face off in Sacramento. Between now and then, the Kings' more favorable schedule makes them BPI's favorites to reach the play-in in 85% of simulations. -- Pelton

18. Orlando Magic

• 2024-25 record: 37-40

• Previous ranking: 18

• Next games: @ WAS (Apr. 3), vs. ATL (Apr. 8)

The Magic are locked in a battle for seeding in the play-in tournament as they've slipped behind the Hawks for seventh. If they fall any lower, advancing with a single play-in win would be off the table. Orlando and Atlanta will play twice in the season's final five games, starting Tuesday at Amway Arena. The Magic have gone 5-2 in their past seven games but haven't made up any ground on the Hawks. -- Pelton

19. Chicago Bulls

• 2024-25 record: 34-42

• Previous ranking: 21

• Next games: vs. POR (Apr. 4), @ CHA (Apr. 6), @ CLE (Apr. 8)

Keep your eyes on Josh Giddey entering free agency. The Bulls' recent surge allowed them to briefly set their sights on moving up in the standings for the East play-in tournament before settling back to No. 10 this week, but the most important thing to watch down the stretch will be how Giddey finishes the season. His numbers have been impressive since the All-Star break and, along with Coby White, he's given the Bulls a backcourt to build around. However, Giddey's finish, including during any postseason, will be key to proving he is a different player than the one who got benched in Oklahoma City in last season's playoffs. -- Collier

20. Phoenix Suns

• 2024-25 record: 35-41

• Previous ranking: 17

• Next games: @ BOS (Apr. 4), @ NYK (Apr. 6), vs. GS (Apr. 8)

Will Kevin Durant's sprained ankle dash any hopes of the Suns making at least the play-in tournament? Before Durant got hurt in a blowout loss to the Rockets, handing them their third loss in a row, Phoenix had won five out of six. They're only 1 games behind the No. 10 Kings, whom they face on the last day of the season. But with Durant sidelined at least a week and with upcoming games against the Celtics, Knicks, Warriors and Thunder, it seems as though the sun is beginning to set on Phoenix's season. -- McMenamin

21. Miami Heat

• 2024-25 record: 34-41

• Previous ranking: 23

• Next games: @ BOS (Apr. 2), vs. MEM (Apr. 3), vs. MIL (Apr. 5), vs. PHI (Apr. 7)

After following up a 10-game losing streak with a five-game winning streak, Miami has given itself a chance to get back into the 7-8 play-in game. For Miami, getting into the playoffs means avoiding having two unprotected picks out in the future. -- Bontemps

22. Portland Trail Blazers

• 2024-25 record: 33-43

• Previous ranking: 20

• Next games: @ TOR (Apr. 3), @ CHI (Apr. 4), vs. SA (Apr. 6)

A four-game losing streak has probably taken the possibility of the Blazers reaching the play-in tournament off the table. They're 3 games back from the Kings and would also have to pass the Suns to finish at No.10 in the standings. At some point soon, Portland's focus may shift to finishing as high in the lottery as possible. The Blazers and Spurs will most likely enter the lottery eighth and ninth, with that order to be determined. The two teams play Sunday in Portland. -- Pelton

23. New Orleans Pelicans

• 2024-25 record: 21-54

• Previous ranking: 27

• Next games: @ LAC (Apr. 2), @ LAL (Apr. 4), vs. MIL (Apr. 6), @ BKN (Apr. 8)

Bad news on the injury front continues for New Orleans, which announced Monday that star forward Zion Williamson (backbone contusion) and guard CJ McCollum (right foot bone contusion) would miss the remainder of the season. There's also a chance that three other players -- Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones -- could miss at least part of next season recovering from injuries that ended their 2024-25 campaign. With injuries derailing this team's season early, the Pelicans need to finish 2024-25 with an eye on the draft and roster construction to fill in expected gaps they'll have to start next season. -- Wright

24. San Antonio Spurs

• 2024-25 record: 31-44

• Previous ranking: 22

• Next games: @ DEN (Apr. 2), vs. CLE (Apr. 6), @ POR (Apr. 6), @ LAC (Apr. 8)

San Antonio will need a miracle to nudge its way into the play-in tournament, but that doesn't mean the Spurs won't close out the season fighting hard to make that a reality. The problem is that four of San Antonio's eight opponents down the stretch own records of .500 or better, and the Spurs close the regular season with five road outings. Despite playing without Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, the Spurs still have several young players auditioning for future roles. It's worth watching whether Stephon Castle will cement what appears to be a Rookie of the Year season. -- Wright

25. Toronto Raptors

• 2024-25 record: 28-48

• Previous ranking: 25

• Next games: vs. POR (Apr. 3), vs. DET (Apr. 4), @ BKN (Apr. 6)

While Toronto won't get to see what Brandon Ingram looks like with this group before the end of the season, the Raptors are getting chances to see Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley together, after the two of them have rarely shared any court time because of injuries since Quickley arrived last season. After being eliminated from the postseason on Tuesday night, the Raptors can at least use their last few games to see what that duo could look like moving forward. -- Bontemps

26. Brooklyn Nets

• 2024-25 record: 25-51

• Previous ranking: 24

• Next games: vs. MIN (Apr. 3), vs. TOR (Apr. 6), vs. NO (Apr. 8)

Even as Brooklyn remains in striking distance of the tanking Sixers for the NBA's fifth-worst mark -- and the 10.5% chance at the top pick in the lottery -- it's clear that first-year Nets coach Jordi Fernandez is trying to squeeze whatever he can out of this group. The Nets just won back-to-back games (against the Wizards and Mavericks) for the first time since the All-Star break. -- Herring

27. Philadelphia 76ers

• 2024-25 record: 23-53

• Previous ranking: 26

• Next games: vs. MIL (Apr. 3), vs. MIN (Apr. 5), @ MIA (Apr. 7)

After Brooklyn pulled off back-to-back victories, Philadelphia now holds a "lead" over the Nets for fifth place in the NBA's draft lottery standings -- a massively important position for the 76ers to be in, given their pick needs to fall inside the top six spots to avoid sending it to the Thunder. Finishing fifth, rather than sixth, will give Philadelphia a nearly two-thirds chance of keeping the pick. This is the main focus for Philadelphia over the next week and a half. -- Bontemps

28. Charlotte Hornets

• 2024-25 record: 19-56

• Previous ranking: 28

• Next games: @ IND (Apr. 2), vs. SAC (Apr. 4), vs. CHI (Apr. 6), vs. MEM (Apr. 8)

More than anything, Charlotte -- even after its Monday win over Utah -- will want to stay positioned in the bottom three of the league's standings to grab the top lottery odds along with the Jazz and Wizards. With LaMelo Ball (ankle and wrist) ruled out for the rest of the season, and the club sitting two games worse than the Pelicans in the overall standings, the Hornets seem increasingly likely to finish where they want to be: at the bottom. -- Herring

29. Washington Wizards

• 2024-25 record: 16-59

• Previous ranking: 30

• Next games: vs. SAC (Apr. 2), vs. ORL (Apr. 3), @ BOS (Apr. 6), @ IND (Apr. 8)

With seven games remaining in the season, the Wizards have to ensure that they have the best lottery odds in what is expected to be a loaded draft. They're approaching 60 losses on the season and are in a dead heat with Utah to finish with the worst record, with Charlotte not far behind. The three worst records will earn 14% odds for the top overall pick. While Washington wants to get youngsters like Alex Sarr quality experience down the stretch, it's imperative to maintain the highest odds for the No. 1 pick. -- Youngmisuk

30. Utah Jazz

• 2024-25 record: 16-60

• Previous ranking: 29

• Next games: @ HOU (Apr. 2), @ IND (Apr. 4), @ ATL (Apr. 6)

One of John Stockton's assist records has been broken by rookie Isaiah Collier. Collier, who dished out seven assists in Monday's loss to the Hornets, now has 419 assists for the season, breaking Stockton's previous franchise record for a rookie of 415. The No. 29 pick in last year's draft would need 15,388 more assists to break Stockton's NBA career record. -- MacMahon

LOS ANGELES -- The first seven games of the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2025 season have seen them play in two continents, face two reigning Cy Young Award winners and navigate two elaborate pregame ceremonies.

Major League Baseball's traditional Opening Day was only five days ago, and yet it seems as if the Dodgers have already done it all -- except lose.

On Tuesday night, they came from behind to beat the languishing Atlanta Braves 3-1 and improve to 7-0, tying the 1933 New York Yankees of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig for the best start to a season for a reigning champion. Only two Dodgers teams have started a season on a longer winning streak, and both instances -- in 1940 and 1955 -- occurred when the franchise was still in Brooklyn.

The current Dodgers did it by overcoming both Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale. They did it despite beginning their season more than 5,000 miles away, in Japan. They did it with either Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman or -- as was the case from the Tokyo Dome -- both absent from the lineup more than half the time. And they did it while shouldering the pressure and expectations of one of the most star-studded rosters in their sport's history.

"All that stuff. It's tough to win a handful of ballgames, let alone all of them," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose team has stayed just ahead of the 6-0 San Diego Padres in the National League West. "I think we just do a really good job of resetting."

The Dodgers have yet to fully click. But a theme has developed through their first seven contests: solid pitching and timely hitting. Their .864 OPS with runners in scoring position is the seventh highest in the majors, despite not yet unveiling their best lineup. Their 2.25 ERA ranks fourth, even though Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott -- two of their biggest offseason pitching acquisitions -- have dealt with early struggles.

On Tuesday, Dustin May took the mound for the first time in more than 22 months and set the tone early, limiting the Braves to only an unearned run -- on an errant throw from Betts while attempting to turn a double play -- through five innings.

May, 27, grabbed the fifth spot in the Dodgers' rotation largely because Tony Gonsolin was beset by a back injury late in spring training. Not long ago, May wasn't sure if he'd ever make it back. In July, May was roughly a month away from returning from flexor tendon surgery and a Tommy John revision. Then a piece of lettuce got stuck in his throat at an Arizona restaurant, a freak occurrence that caused a serious tear in his esophagus, sent him to the emergency room, necessitated abdominal surgery and ended his 2024 season before it began.

May started Tuesday's outing by striking out each of the first three batters he faced. The Braves, who have scored just nine runs while starting their season 0-6, didn't do much else over the next four innings. By the end of it, May felt gratified to learn that his devastating arsenal -- a hellacious sweeper, a bowling ball sinker and an upper-90s fastball -- still plays against major league hitters.

Mostly, though, he felt relief.

May had experienced nerves while making his major league debut in 2019 and pitching in the World Series in 2020, but this one, he said, felt "way more heavy."

"The debut, the World Series and all that stuff is -- not expected, but you're there in the moment, and everything is going on, you know it's coming," May said. "This -- I didn't know if I was going to come back, so it was a huge, huge sigh of relief."

May departed after 81 pitches with a 1-0 deficit, but the Dodgers finally broke through against Sale an inning later. And the decisive blow was once again provided by Betts, who teamed with Sale to win the World Series as a member of the Boston Red Sox in 2018. With one on and none out in the bottom of the sixth, Betts got a 1-1 slider out over the plate and lofted it over the left-field fence for his third homer in four games, all of which have driven in the go-ahead run.

Three Dodgers relievers -- Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Scott, who pitched an encouraging ninth inning -- did the rest, making the Braves MLB's lone winless team.

Betts has joined the likes of Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, among others, in setting an early tone for these Dodgers, either through their words or their actions. The messaging has been consistent since the onset of spring training: What they accomplished last fall, claiming the franchise's first full-season championship since 1988, did not matter. Chasing the regular-season wins record of 117 is irrelevant. All that matters, Betts and others have consistently preached, is maximizing each day. And for the first seven games of 162, the Dodgers have.

"They're not settling for just the one ring," first-year Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto said. "They're hungry. I think it's just engrained in the group of guys they had last year. They made it a point, for the new guys that are here, to just understand the mindset to go out there and win every single day, not take any days off, and just be able to get after it. That's the expectation."

NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton, one of the first known adopters of the torpedo bat, declined Tuesday to say whether he believes using it last season caused the tendon ailments in both elbows that forced him to begin this season on the injured list.

Last month, Stanton alluded to "bat adjustments" he made last season as a possible reason for the epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow, he's dealing with.

"You're not going to get the story you're looking for," Stanton said. "So, if that's what you guys want, that ain't going to happen."

Stanton said he will continue using the torpedo bat when he returns from injury. The 35-year-old New York Yankees slugger, who has undergone multiple rounds of platelet-rich plasma injections to treat his elbows, shared during spring training that season-ending surgery on both elbows was a possibility. But he has progressed enough to recently begin hitting off a Trajekt -- a pitching robot that simulates any pitcher's windup, arm angle and arsenal. However, he still wouldn't define his return as "close."

He said he will first have to go on a minor league rehab assignment at an unknown date for an unknown period. It won't start in the next week, he added.

"This is very unique," Stanton said. "I definitely haven't missed a full spring before. So, it just depends on my timing, really, how fast I get to feel comfortable in the box versus live pitching."

While the craze of the torpedo bat (also known as the bowling pin bat) has swept the baseball world since it was revealed Saturday -- while the Yankees were blasting nine home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers -- that a few members of the Yankees were using one, the modified bat already had quietly spread throughout the majors in 2024. Both Stanton and former Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, now with the Cincinnati Reds, were among players who used the bats last season after being introduced to the concept by Aaron Leanhardt, an MIT-educated physicist and former minor league hitting coordinator for the organization.

Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and Austin Wells were among the Yankees who used torpedo bats during their season-opening sweep of the Brewers.

Stanton explained he has changed bats before. He said he has usually adjusted the length. Sometimes, he opts for lighter bats at the end of the long season. In the past, when knuckleballers were more common in the majors, he'd opt for heavier lumber.

Last year, he said he simply chose his usual bat but with a different barrel after experimenting with a few models.

"I mean, it makes a lot of sense," Stanton said. "But it's, like, why hasn't anyone thought of it in 100-plus years? So, it's explained simply and then you try it and as long as it's comfortable in your hands [it works]. We're creatures of habit, so the bat's got to feel kind of like a glove or an extension of your arm."

Stanton went on to lead the majors with an average bat velocity of 81.2 mph -- nearly 3 mph ahead of the competition. He had a rebound, but not spectacular, regular season in which he batted .233 with 27 home runs and a .773 OPS before clubbing seven home runs in 14 playoff games.

"It's not like [it was] unreal all of a sudden for me," Stanton said.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone described the torpedo bats "as the evolution of equipment" comparable to getting fitted for new golf clubs. He said the organization is not pushing players to use them and insisted the science is more complicated than just picking a bat with a different barrel.

"There's a lot more to it than, 'I'll take the torpedo bat on the shelf over there -- 34 [inches], 32 [ounces],'" Boone said. "Our guys are way more invested in it than that. And really personalized, really work with our players in creating this stuff. But it's equipment evolving."

As players around the majors order torpedo bats in droves after the Yankees' barrage over the weekend -- they clubbed a record-tying 13 homers in two games against the Brewers -- Boone alluded to the notion that, though everyone is aware of the concept, not every organization can optimize its usage.

"You're trying to just, where you can on the margins, move the needle a little bit," Boone said. "And that's really all you're going to do. I don't think this is some revelation to where we're going to be; it's not related to the weekend that we had, for example. Like, I don't think it's that. Maybe in some cases, for some players, it may help them incrementally. That's how I view it."

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball's average salary broke the $5 million mark on Opening Day for the first time, according to a study by The Associated Press.

The New York Mets, with Juan Soto's record $61.9 million pay, led MLB for the third straight Opening Day with a $322.6 million payroll, just ahead of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at $319.5 million. Those two teams each spent roughly five times as much as the Miami Marlins, who at $64.9 million ended the Athletics' three-year streak as the lowest spender.

Still, the Mets were down from their record high of $355.4 million in 2023.

The average salary rose 3.6% to $5,160,245. That was up from a 1.5% increase last year but down from an 11.1% increase in 2023.

Adding Blake Snell, Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the Dodgers boosted payroll by a big league-high $69 million from Opening Day last year. Baltimore hiked spending by $66 million, followed by Arizona ($55 million), San Diego ($47 million), Philadelphia ($41 million) and Detroit ($39 million).

Los Angeles' payroll figure was held down by deferred payments. Shohei Ohtani's $70 million salary was discounted to a present-day value of $28.2 million because it won't be paid in full until 2035, causing him to be listed as the 18th-highest-paid player. Other Dodgers with deferred payments include Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Scott, Will Smith and Snell.

Following their record 121-loss season, the Chicago White Sox cut payroll by $60.8 million, San Francisco by $39.1 million, Miami by $31.7 million and St. Louis by $31.6 million. The American League champion Yankees dropped by $18.5 million.

Just five teams were under $100 million, with the Marlins joined by the A's ($74.9 million), Tampa Bay ($79.2 million), the White Sox ($80.9 million) and Pittsburgh ($87.9 million).

Soto broke the previous high of $43.3 million shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander under deals they agreed to with the Mets.

Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler is second at $42 million, followed by Texas pitcher Jacob deGrom and Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge at $40 million each.

Of 953 players in the major leagues on Opening Day, 526 had salaries of $1 million or more, 55%, and down from 532 last year and 546 in 2023.

There were 15 players at $30 million or more, a drop of two; 66 at $20 million, up from 66; and 177 at $10 million, an increase from 166.

A total of 35 players made the $760,000 minimum.

The top 50 players make 29% of the salaries, the same as in the prior two years, and the top 100 earn 48%, up from 47%.

Baseball's median salary, the point at which an equal number of players are above and below, dropped to $1.35 million from $1.5 million and well below the record high of $1.65 million at the start of 2015.

Average and median salaries decline over the course of the season as veterans are released and replaced by younger players making closer to the minimum. The AP's average was $4.98 million at the start of last season; MLB calculated the final average at $4.59 million and the players' association at $4.66 million.

Because they started the season in the minor leagues, Baltimore pitcher Kyle Gibson ($5.25 million), Detroit pitcher Jason Foley ($3.15 million) and Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim ($2.8 million) were among the players not included in the Opening Day payroll figures.

The AP's figures include salaries and prorated shares of signing bonuses and other guaranteed income.

Payroll figures factor in adjustments for cash transactions in trades, signing bonuses that are the responsibility of the club agreeing to the contract, option buyouts and termination pay for released players.

The San Diego Padres and All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill have agreed to a nine-year, $135 million contract extension, sources confirmed to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.

The deal, first reported Wednesday by FanSided, includes a $30 million club option for a 10th season and has a maximum value of $204 million.

The team option for 2035 that would convert to a player option if Merrill has a top-five finish in MVP voting at any point during the contract.

Merrill, who turns 22 on April 19, made his major league debut last season and became an All-Star, batting .292 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI and 16 stolen bases. He finished second in National League Rookie of the Year behind to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes.

Merrill has an $809,500 salary while in the major leagues this year after earning the $740,000 minimum last year and gaining $1,191,534 from the pre-arbitration bonus pool. The extension starts next year and runs through the 2034 season.

Merrill would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2026 season and for free agency after the 2029 World Series. The former first-round draft pick becomes the latest Padre to sign a nine-figure contract, joining Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Yu Darvish.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The 2025 MLB season has already brought us eye-popping performances both good (the barrage of Yankees home runs) and bad (Rafael Devers' historic strikeout streak). As the 162-game campaign gets underway, it makes you wonder: Who will be the best player in 2025?

To answer that question, we created our annual MLB Rank list of the top 100 players in baseball. We presented a panel of over 60 ESPN baseball experts with pairings upon pairings of the biggest names in the game and asked them which player will be better this season.

However, that raises a litany of other questions around how to compare players who have vastly different but still important roles across the sport. How do you match up the best starting pitchers against the top sluggers in the game? What about players who don't have much (or any) major league experience? And where do the best relievers land? It seems impossible to pit these stars against one another, but we did it -- and one familiar name came out on top.

Our list features MVPs, Cy Young Award winners, veterans fleshing out Hall of Fame résumés and young megastars who could dominate MLB for years to come building their own cases for Cooperstown. But who's No. 1? And where does the best player on your team rank?

ESPN MLB experts Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez, Jorge Castillo, David Schoenfield and Bradford Doolittle broke down why each player is ranked where he is and what to expect from these players this season.

Jump to team's top-ranked player:

American League
ATH | BAL | BOS | CLE | DET
HOU | KC | LAA | MIN | NYY
SEA | TB | TEX | TOR
(No top 100 players: CHW)

National League
ARI | ATL | CHC | CIN
LAD | MIA | MIL | NYM | PHI
PIT | SD | SF | STL
(No top 100 players: COL, WSH)

More: Snubs, surprises

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Any question about who the best baseball player in the world is was put to rest last year, when Ohtani transitioned from the Angels to the team 30 miles north, raised his profile immensely and extended the boundaries of our imagination despite not fulfilling a two-way role. He spent 2024 rehabbing from a second elbow surgery, so he dedicated himself to stealing bases like never before. The result was the first 50/50 season in baseball history and a third MVP in four years, with all three MVPs being awarded unanimously.

In his first year with the Dodgers, Ohtani set a career high in homers (54) and adjusted OPS (190) and more than doubled his previous career high in steals with 59. More importantly, he reached the playoffs and helped the Dodgers capture their first full-season championship since 1988. The legend of Ohtani just keeps growing, and at some point this year, he'll add another chapter -- a return to a two-way role.

Season prediction: Somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 innings pitched -- some really good, some not so much -- and another spectacular season offensively, but with about half the steals. Also, a top-three MVP finish -- his fifth in a row. -- Alden Gonzalez

2. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals

At some point, a player can improve only so much. But Witt, great as he is already, is getting better. As he enters his age-25 season, it's exciting to think about his ceiling. Over three big league seasons, Witt has upped his homer rate, slashed his strikeout rate, nearly doubled his walk rate and gone from a .254 rookie average to a .332 batting-title third season. In the field, his metrics have gone from concerning to OK to Gold Glove.

However good you might think Witt is, he wants to prove that he's better. No one can match Ohtani's skill set -- as in no one in the history of baseball. But in the non-Shohei class, there's no one with whom you'd rather start a franchise than Witt.

Season prediction: Witt has focused on becoming a more efficient baserunner, and given his track record, that is likely to translate to a 50-steal season. Add that to 35 or so homers, a .300/.400/.500 slash line and another Gold Glove-level season at shortstop, and you've got an MVP résumé that this time is too impressive for second place. -- Bradford Doolittle

3. Mookie Betts, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

Two-and-a-half months into his age-31 season last year, Betts was putting together another MVP-caliber campaign, slashing .304/.405/.488 with 10 homers and nine steals in 72 games. Then a fastball plunked him on his left hand, causing a fracture that kept him out eight weeks and ended a shot at a second MVP. It also ended something else: his pursuit of learning shortstop, triggered by Gavin Lux's spring training throwing issues. Betts agreed to return to right field and help the Dodgers win a championship down the stretch, then expressed his desire to return to shortstop shortly after the parade and dedicated his offseason to that unprecedented transition.

What Betts is attempting -- transitioning from a six-time Gold Glove right fielder to shortstop, arguably the sport's most challenging position, in his 30s -- seems nearly impossible. But those who know Betts also know never to bet against him, and he showed why with a dramatic walk-off home run during L.A.'s opening homestand not long after his status was in question due to a prolonged stomach virus.

Season prediction: Betts had minus-four outs above average in 61 starts at shortstop last year. A lot of that was from errant throws because he didn't have the proper footwork to establish different arm angles at the position. He has since cleaned up a lot of that, and he'll have zero outs above average in 2025, becoming an average major league shortstop. That alone is incredible. But paired with the type of offensive season he's always capable of will lead to his sixth top-five MVP finish in 10 years. -- Gonzalez

4. Aaron Judge, RF, New York Yankees

Juan Soto left for Queens, but the Yankees still have arguably the best hitter in the sport. Judge was otherworldly in 2024: He led the majors in fWAR (11.2), home runs (58), RBIs (144), walks (133), OBP (.458) and slugging (.701) to win his second American League MVP Award. And he did it playing center field with a bad -- by his standards -- April. His 1.159 OPS was the highest posted in a non-COVID season since Barry Bonds in 2004. At one point, teams were pitching around him like peak Bonds because he was hitting like peak Bonds -- and he finished with a league-leading 22 intentional walks.

It was arguably the greatest season by a right-handed hitter -- and it wasn't a one-off. Judge was nearly as good in his previous full season in 2022, when he blasted an AL-record 62 home runs with a 1.111 OPS and won his first AL MVP award. Then, a random foot injury spoiled his 2023 season. Judge, who returns to right field this season, turns 33 in April. Father Time comes for everyone, but the 6-foot-7 superstar hasn't shown signs of slowing down as his four home runs during New York's opening series demonstrate.

Season prediction: Judge continues his historic stretch, clubbing 54 home runs with an OPS over 1.000 and putting himself in position to win his third AL MVP award in four years. -- Jorge Castillo

5. Paul Skenes, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Splinkers, cutters, sinkers and more. Skenes, the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year, has added to his arsenal and is poised for a sophomore campaign without major innings limitations. The kid gloves are off after he produced a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts over 133 innings last season. Don't be surprised if he repeats a sub-2.00 ERA but over 170 innings or more. That would put him in Cy Young territory, an award he's bound to win at least once -- if not several times -- during his career.

Season prediction: Move over, Kerry Wood. Skenes will flirt with a 20-strikeout game at some point this year. He'll reach 17 on one glorious night, wowing the sports world in the process. -- Jesse Rogers

6. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Guardians

Ramirez is never really in the discussion for best player, but is there a more consistent star in the game? Other than 2019, when he suffered a broken hamate bone, he plays 150-plus games every season and his MVP voting results since 2017 speak to his reliable performance, including a fifth-place finish in 2024. He's 32 years old and coming off one of his best campaigns, only one home run short of a 40/40 season. He's 10th all time among third basemen in WAR through his age-31 season -- just behind Scott Rolen and Adrian Beltre and ahead of Brooks Robinson and Chipper Jones.

Season prediction: There have been 72 30/30 seasons in MLB history, but only five players have done it in their age-32 season, including Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds (and nobody has done it at an older age). Ramirez will become the sixth. -- David Schoenfield

7. Yordan Alvarez, DH/LF, Houston Astros

Over the past four years, Alvarez has made a little over a third of his starts in the outfield for Houston. He has also missed 17% of the Astros' games. This, as much as anything, is why Houston is trying to reshape veteran Jose Altuve into a left fielder. Keeping Alvarez in the lineup is simply that important to the Astros' attack.

What's the ceiling for such a maneuver? Well, through his age-27 season, David Ortiz had a 116 OPS+, 89 career homers and 5.9 Baseball-Reference WAR (bWAR). Now, at that same age, Alvarez is already at 166 OPS+, 164 homers and 23.6 bWAR. Over the last 13 years of his career as the Red Sox's full-time DH, Ortiz had a 148 OPS+ and added 452 homers and 49.1 bWAR to his tally. You can draw your own conclusions regarding what Houston hopes to gain by this switch.

Season prediction: Not every player takes to DHing full time. Alvarez has a .939 career OPS as a DH, but as an outfielder he's at a stratospheric 1.042. Now that Alvarez knows that hitting, and only hitting, is his job, expect that gap to narrow after he posts a 1.000 OPS season over 145-150 games. -- Doolittle

8. Juan Soto, RF, New York Mets

After years of nonstop talk about his future, Soto finally has his long-term home. It won't take long for the highest-paid player in baseball history to get comfortable on his fourth team in three years. The 26-year-old recorded perhaps his best full season in his one-year stint in the Bronx, cracking a career-high 41 home runs with a .989 OPS. Hitting in front of Judge helped, but Soto's plate discipline was elite long before putting on pinstripes. Batting between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso should help yield MVP-level results again for an offense that will rank among the best in the majors.

Season prediction: Some players relax once they hit the free agent jackpot. Soto won't be one of them. The best left-handed hitter in baseball sets another career high in home runs and finishes in the top three in NL MVP voting. -- Castillo

9. Zack Wheeler, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Wheeler is the rare free agent who so lived up to his first contract with his new team that he got another one before he hit the market again. He has been a model of consistency since signing with the Phillies in 2020. Besides missing a few starts in 2022, he has taken the ball every five days, producing four seasons when he received Cy Young votes, including last year when he finished second and made his second All-Star team. He also had the lowest WHIP in the NL, striking out 224 batters while walking only 52 -- which was 13 more than the previous season. Philadelphia will take more of that kind of production.

Season prediction: On paper, the Phillies' rotation is deeper than ever after adding Jesus Luzardo and still having Taijuan Walker. It means they could back off Aaron Nola and Wheeler a little, considering the mileage piling up on their arms as the team keeps making the playoffs. Wheeler won't hit 200 innings this year -- but he'll be as good as ever, saving his stuff for the postseason. -- Rogers

10. Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers

After showing flashes of brilliance in his first three seasons, including a dominant final three months in 2023, it finally came together for Skubal in 2024 as he won the AL pitching triple crown (18 wins, 2.39 ERA, 228 strikeouts) and was the unanimous Cy Young winner. With a fastball that averages 97 mph, Skubal can blow away hitters with high-octane heat while also mixing in an elite changeup and a wipeout slider. Throw in plus command (just 1.6 walks per nine innings), and he begins the season as the AL Cy Young favorite.

Season prediction: Last season, Skubal had seven no-decisions when he allowed two runs or fewer. A better Detroit offense will turn a couple of those games into wins, and Skubal becomes the AL's first 20-game winner since Justin Verlander in 2019. -- Schoenfield

11. Bryce Harper, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies

As Harper continues chasing his first ring, he keeps on producing. He was just shy of another .900 OPS season last year. As usual, he garnered MVP votes and an All-Star bid. He also won a Silver Slugger Award at first base in 2024, a year after winning the award as the Phillies' DH. In other words, he's as good as ever -- and well-removed from his elbow surgery in 2022. Harper walked less last season than his normal output, but he's still a threat. Don't be surprised if he's once again in the MVP conversation.

Season prediction: Harper matched a career high in doubles last season with 42. He'll flirt with 50 this year. -- Rogers

12. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers

Freeman had probably his most trying season in 2024, and then it ended in the most exhilarating way. For most of the summer, his swing hardly felt right. Around the All-Star break, one of his young sons, Max, suffered through Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that prompted Freeman to step away from the team for more than a week (Max made a full recovery). A jammed finger then plagued Freeman for a chunk of August. On Sept. 26, the night the Dodgers clinched the division title, he sprained his ankle. And during a workout the day before the start of the NL Division Series, he broke the costal cartilage in his sixth rib, an injury that typically sidelines players for months.

Every postseason start Freeman made felt like a minor miracle. And yet he produced -- most notably with the walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series, which propelled the Dodgers to the championship.

Season prediction: Freeman's numbers dipped a bit last year -- his slash line went from .331/.410/.567 in 2023 to .282/.378/.476. His defense tailed off a bit, too. But he was still productive, accumulating 4.1 FanGraphs WAR. It was his lowest in a full season since 2013 but still third highest among first basemen. He'll get back closer to five wins in his age-35 season. -- Gonzalez

13. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Toronto Blue Jays

Just as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entered the top 10 of several of the Blue Jays' career leaderboards, he is entering what might be his final season with the franchise. For all the success the Jays have had during their existence, and the Hall of Famers who have donned their uniforms, Toronto has never had anything close to a one-team Hall of Famer.

Guerrero's 21.3 bWAR is the franchise record for players who have played only for the Blue Jays, and he's followed by current teammates Bo Bichette (17.5) and Alejandro Kirk (9.0). If none of these players stick with the Jays for the duration, the top spot reverts to Devon Travis (5.6). Guerrero could become the historical face of this franchise -- or just another great player who passed through.

Season prediction: After a slow start in 2024, Guerrero mashed to a .345/.412/.590 tune starting May 1. This is the kind of hitter we envisioned when Vlady broke into the majors with so much hype. He's just hitting his prime, and this is a platform season for him with untold millions on the line. Expect a monster season for Guerrero, with all of his production coming for the Blue Jays. With Guerrero leading the way, Toronto figures to be a playoff contender deep into the season, making an in-season trade much harder to justify. -- Doolittle

14. Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles

Henderson took another leap forward in his age-23 season, making the AL All-Star team and finishing fourth in AL MVP voting. Henderson ranked in the top 11 in the majors in fWAR, home runs, slugging and OPS in his first full year as a big league shortstop. Possibly the only thing that could prevent Henderson from MVP-caliber production in 2025 is an injury, which is why the Orioles are treading carefully with his intercostal strain. The shortstop didn't play in an exhibition game after suffering the injury Feb. 27 and started the season on the injured list. The Orioles have a group of sparkling young position players, but keeping Henderson on the field is paramount.

Season prediction: The Orioles don't rush back Henderson and it takes him some time to find a rhythm before he returns to form in May. He makes another All-Star team, finishes in the top 12 in fWAR and flirts with a 30-30 season. -- Castillo

15. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF, San Diego Padres

One of the surprises in the rankings, Tatis' tools, age and metrics suggest his offensive numbers (.276/.340/.492 in 2024) can climb closer to his pre-suspension figures (.292/.369/.596 from 2019 to 2021). He ranked in the 99th percentile in hard-hit rate last season -- despite playing through a stress reaction in his right femur. He still made the All-Star team before the injury sidelined him for two months, but a healthy Tatis could approach the 42 home runs he hit in 2021.

Season prediction: The game is better with a dynamic Tatis, so let's predict good health, 35 home runs and a return to his Gold Glove status of 2023. -- Schoenfield

16. Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets

Lindor was the heart of the 2024 OMG Mets, and his season mirrored the team's success. Like the Mets, Lindor was bad in April before turning around his slow start as the weather warmed up. He belted 33 home runs with 29 steals and an .844 OPS in 152 games before overcoming a balky back that sidelined him near the end of the regular season. He returned to produce in clutch spots, supplying two of the biggest home runs in franchise history (a go-ahead home run to get the Mets in the playoffs on the final day of the season, followed by a division series grand slam against the Phillies). He was the franchise cornerstone the Mets have envisioned.

Season prediction: Lindor capitalizes on Soto's protection behind him, improving his batting average by 20 points and producing another 30/20 season while making his first (!) All-Star team as a Met in his fifth season with the franchise. -- Castillo

17. Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds

He is a force like no other. Who else could lead the majors in strikeouts, times caught stealing and errors, and yet still finish ninth among position players in FanGraphs wins above replacement? Here's the scary part -- De La Cruz is just 23 years old, coming off his first full season in the major leagues. With experience, his strikeouts should come down and his mistakes, both on the bases and in the field, will be tempered. But it'll be a while before his overwhelming array of tools lets up, even a little bit. In short, De La Cruz is already incredible and he could get significantly better. Just check out his recent two-homer seven-RBI game for evidence.

Season prediction: Last season, De La Cruz had 25 homers and a major league-leading 67 steals, but also 218 strikeouts -- which is too many. We'll see more balance from De La Cruz this season -- something in the range of 35 homers and 45 steals, and a top-three NL MVP finish. -- Gonzalez

18. Corbin Carroll, RF, Arizona Diamondbacks

The old trope, one that's probably true, is that a good measure of a ballplayer's greatness is what his worst season looks like. It's too soon to know if 2024 will be Carroll's career nadir but his ranking suggests that belief in him has hardly waned (he ranked 10th on this list a year ago). It was a trying season for Carroll, who had a .210 average and just two homers after 87 games. Then, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year version of Carroll returned. After hitting his third homer of the season July 7, Carroll had a .928 OPS with 20 homers and 20 steals. Which is the real Carroll? A No. 18 overall ranking tells you what we think.

Season prediction: Only four players since 1901 have had a season with 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 steals: Wildfire Schulte (1911), Willie Mays (1957), Jimmy Rollins (2007) and Curtis Granderson (amazingly also 2007). Expect Carroll to join that list in 2025. -- Doolittle

19. Kyle Tucker, RF, Chicago Cubs

Tucker has hit everywhere he has been and is off to a torrid start after moving to a new team, league and city in 2025. His calm demeanor will be handy as he transitions to Wrigley Field, which can play havoc with the mindset of hitters depending on the weather.

Tucker added an element to his game recently that will be helpful as he progresses through his free agent year and beyond -- laying off pitchers' pitches. He has shrunk his hitting zone and is swinging at more hitters' pitches than earlier in his career. His walk rate has ballooned in the past couple of years -- and so have his overall numbers.

Season prediction: He'll walk 100 or more times for the first time in his career as opposing teams realize he's the most dangerous hitter in the lineup. That wasn't always the case in Houston. -- Rogers

20. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF, Atlanta Braves

Acuña was one of the more difficult players to rate on this list. He probably won't return until May as he recovers from his second torn ACL that ended his 2024 season after 49 games -- a season in which he was hitting nowhere near his unanimous MVP level of 2023, when hit .337 with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. The issue before the injury: After lowering his strikeout rate in 2023 to just 11.4%, it was back up to his career norm of 23.9%. Acuna has a lot to prove, not just that he'll be healthy, but that 2023 wasn't his career year.

Season prediction: Acuña slugged just .413 in 2022 (after returning from his first torn ACL) and just .365 last season, but he finds his power stroke and slugs over .500 -- and steals 25 bases. -- Schoenfield

21. Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers

When Seager plays, he's as productive as anyone in baseball. Last season, the shortstop, who underwent two sports hernia surgeries in nine months, compiled 4.6 fWAR in just 123 games. The year before, he was even better: 6.3 fWAR in 119 games, finishing second in the AL MVP race during the Rangers' championship season despite landing on the IL twice because of hamstring and thumb ailments. The challenge is staying healthy enough to help the Rangers win more games this season. If he does, he should be in the MVP conversation for a club with high expectations after missing the postseason in 2024.

Season prediction: Seager clobbers 35 home runs and 40 doubles in 130 games, enough to push the Rangers back into the postseason. -- Castillo

22. Ketel Marte, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks

A decade ago, when Marte first broke into the majors, he had five minor league home runs over parts of five professional seasons. It has been quite a journey from there to 2024, when Marte cranked 36 bombs (in 136 games) and finished third in NL MVP balloting.

Marte is entering his age-31 season but he might be getting better. That homer uptick happened because of a quantum leap in exit velocity (91.1 mph to 94) and a 50% hike in barrel rate. Marte remains one of baseball's unsung stars.

Season prediction: Marte stays off the IL, plays 150-plus games, and has his first season with 40 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs. -- Doolittle

23. Jackson Merrill, CF, San Diego Padres

What Merrill accomplished last year needs more appreciation. When it began, he was a 20-year-old lifetime shortstop who hadn't played above Double-A. By the end of 2024, he turned into a really good defensive center fielder and a catalyst for an elite Padres offense, slashing .292/.326/.500 with 24 homers and 90 RBIs while coming through in numerous important spots. Oftentimes, Merrill looked like a seasoned superstar, not someone who was barely of legal drinking age.

For Year 2, he wants to focus on increasing his walks and cutting down his strikeouts. Considering all he did in Year 1, it could be easy for him.

Season prediction: Merrill will move into the No. 3 spot of the Padres' lineup, flanked by superstars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. It could help quell the dreaded sophomore slump and perhaps lead to an even better offensive season. Merrill's 130 weighted runs created plus from last year will increase into the 150 range. -- Gonzalez

24. Corbin Burnes, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

The transition to a new team will be interesting as Burnes keeps moving up in class in terms of hitters he'll face within his division. After a fairly easy run in the NL Central, he took his talents to Baltimore in a strong AL East last season. Now, he's in the NL West, which houses the Dodgers and Padres -- along with Coors Field. Those games will be Burnes' toughest in-division task to date, other than his starts against the Yankees last season when he gave up just three runs in 11 innings while striking out 15. His ranking could be higher if he dominates in the toughest division for pitchers in the game.

Season prediction: Another 200-inning, 200-strikeout season is in reach for Burnes after falling just short of that during the past two years (he accomplished it in 2022). His ERA could creep over 3.00 in the NL West, but so will his strikeout total, which was 181 last year. -- Rogers

25. Rafael Devers, DH, Boston Red Sox

No player will be under more scrutiny in 2025 than Devers -- especially after starting the season with 15 strikeouts and no hits in his first five games. After the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, Devers said he wasn't open to moving from third base -- though he eventually reversed course about a move to DH and said he's ready to help the team win. He also spent the offseason rehabbing both shoulders and showed up to camp out of shape. If his mind and body are right, there's no denying his offensive prowess: He's hit .279/.354/.519 over the past four seasons, averaging 32 home runs and 96 RBIs.

Season prediction: Devers shakes off his slow start, plays more games at DH than third base and produces his fourth 30-homer season. -- Schoenfield

26. Julio Rodriguez, CF, Seattle Mariners

Based on what we knew entering last season, you would have expected that J-Rod would be a top-10 fixture. But his third MLB season was a puzzling one. Despite being on target with his early-career norms for indicators such as strikeout rate, walk rate and BABIP, Rodriguez's power went missing for most of the summer. His slugging percentage fell under .400 after the third game of the season and didn't climb back over until Sept. 20. Rodriguez finished strong but even that late flurry left many wondering what was going on for most of the previous five-plus months. Don't expect it to happen again.

Season prediction: T-Mobile Park will always work against Rodriguez's raw numbers but he'll be fine. He was stellar during spring training, so look for J-Rod to hit the ground running (and mashing) early and often on his way to 2026 top-10 status. -- Doolittle

27. Max Fried, SP, New York Yankees

The Yankees gave Fried an eight-year, $218 million contract in December, intending him to be the No. 2 starter in a loaded rotation. A lot has changed since then. Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery. Luis Gil suffered a strained lat that will keep him out for at least the season's first two months. Fried is now the ace. The Yankees are counting on Fried to replicate his success in Atlanta, which will require staying healthy after spending time on the IL the past two seasons because of forearm injuries.

Season prediction: Fried misses a few starts, which isn't the worst thing when the goal is to pitch deep into October, and registers a 3.10 ERA over 170 innings in an All-Star season. -- Castillo

28. Jackson Chourio, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Chourio ranking this high on the list speaks to his expected improvement after he finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. He hit .275 with 21 home runs and 22 stolen bases (just the 17th rookie with a 20/20 season), but his ceiling is even higher than this ranking, considering how he hit over his final 94 games: .306/.362/.525 with an 18% strikeout rate.

He possesses elite contact potential with above-average raw power to go with outstanding defense and plus-plus speed. Oh, he's just 21 years old. He's exciting, young and has a chance to develop into a true franchise player.

Season prediction: Chourio becomes the youngest All-Star in Brewers history and just the third player to achieve a 30/30 season before turning 22 (joining Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr.). -- Schoenfield

29. Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies

His WAR has dropped in each of his two seasons with the Phillies, but Turner is still a solid contributor who displays a top-tier power/speed combo -- though he stole only 19 bases last year. It remains to be seen if that stolen-base decline is the start of a trend because he'll be 32 in June -- but there are only a handful of shortstops who regularly post .800 OPS seasons, which Turner has done in six of the past seven years.

Season prediction: Despite his speed, Turner didn't have a triple in 2024. That won't happen in 2025 as he'll lead the league with 12. -- Rogers

30. Brent Rooker, DH, Athletics

The A's did what they had to early this year, signing Rooker to a five-year, $60 million extension. The A's need to solidify their core going into Las Vegas, and Rooker, 30, is the current face of the team. The A's acquired him off waivers from the Royals in November 2022 and watched him carry an otherwise substandard offense in the ensuing season, hitting 30 home runs and putting up an .817 OPS. Rooker took it to another level in 2024, homering 39 times, driving in 112 runs and finishing seventh in the majors with a 164 WRC+.

Season prediction: More of the same from Rooker, who's coming off slashing .293/.355/.562 and will benefit from some of the A's younger players' development. He will make far more outfield starts after just 13 last year, which will free up the designated hitter to give other A's an occasional break. -- Gonzalez

31. Dylan Cease, SP, San Diego Padres

Despite never having led his league in strikeouts, Cease has struck out 33 more batters over the past four seasons than any other pitcher in baseball. He has logged at least 32 starts, 200 strikeouts and qualified for the ERA title in each of those campaigns, the first three for the White Sox and the last for the Padres. In terms of combining dominance, consistency and durability, Cease has become one of baseball's best pitchers, easily justifying his lofty standing in these rankings.

He enters the 2025 season with a lot on the line, as, barring an unexpected extension, he'll reach free agency for the first time in the fall. If the Padres falter during the first half, or simply want to parlay Cease's expiring deal into multiple contributors, he'll be one of the most sought-after in-season acquisition targets. Then his payday will arrive. All Cease has to do is keep doing what he's been doing.

Season prediction: Cease will play out his deal with the Padres, who figure to contend deep into the season. While doing so, he'll reach 200 innings for the first time, top 230 strikeouts and once again finish in the top five of NL Cy Young balloting. -- Doolittle

32. Chris Sale, SP, Atlanta Braves

What a comeback the veteran southpaw has had. After making just 31 starts over four seasons from 2020 to 2023, the Red Sox gave up on Sale and traded him to Atlanta prior to the 2024 season. He responded with a pitching Triple Crown and Cy Young Award: 18-3, 2.38 ERA, 225 strikeouts. Sale was close to his pre-Tommy John velocity, averaging 94.9 mph with his fastball, to go with that unhittable slider (.171 average, one home run) as he pitched his most innings since 2017. The question for 2025 certainly isn't age or stuff: He just needs to stay healthy.

Season prediction: You hate to make predictions about a player's health, so let's say Sale makes 25 starts -- and most importantly, is ready to pitch in the postseason after being unavailable for last year's wild-card series. -- Schoenfield

33. Mike Trout, RF, Los Angeles Angels

Trout's career has been a tale of two chapters. In the first, he compiled one of the greatest eight-year stretches in baseball history, winning three AL MVPs, making the All-Star team each season and putting himself on a first-ballot Hall of Fame trajectory. The second has been about time missed. Injuries have limited Trout to 266 games over the past four seasons, and no more than 119 in any single one of them. He now seeks a third chapter, one of good health and a career rejuvenation, in his age-33 season. If he stays on the field and produces, the Angels might just surprise some people.

Season prediction: Trout stays on the field more as he shifts to right field and is named an All-Star for the 12th time. He finishes with 38 home runs and a .935 OPS in 130 games. -- Castillo

34. Blake Snell, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

It wasn't until March 19 that Snell finally chose a team in free agency last year. He missed basically all of spring training, and he felt it. Through his first three months with the Giants, Snell held a 9.51 ERA and served two stints on the IL because of an adductor strain and a groin strain. Then, in the second half, Snell looked very much like the pitcher who'd captured his second Cy Young Award a season prior, posting a 1.31 ERA with 111 strikeouts and just 27 walks in 75 innings. It led to a much more robust market at the end of the 2024 season -- and a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers right around Thanksgiving.

Season prediction: Snell will reap the benefits of a full spring training while being surrounded by both a great group of starters and an elite pitching department that is as good as any at maximizing pitchers' stuff. It will lead to Snell putting together one of the best seasons of his career and challenging for his third Cy Young. -- Gonzalez

35. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles

After garnering MVP votes in his first two seasons, Rutschman's only honor in 2024 was making the AL All-Star team. That's how high he set the bar after bursting onto the scene in 2022, when he nearly won Rookie of the Year. He didn't slug as much last year -- especially in the second half -- but he still has all the ingredients to be one of the best-hitting catchers in the game. Interestingly, his numbers were decidedly better last year when he was slotted in at designated hitter, slugging .488 in that role compared to .351 when he was behind the plate. A trend or an anomaly? This season might give us an answer.

Season prediction: Rutschman will rebound in a big way in 2025, especially after having a hot spring. With a weaker field in the AL, he'll finish in the top 10 of MVP voting -- perhaps the top five if he has a really good year. -- Rogers

36. Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox

Duran's shocking breakout season in 2024 was a statistical smorgasbord: 48 doubles, 14 triples, 21 home runs, 34 stolen bases, 191 hits, 111 runs, 8.7 WAR and 23 defensive runs saved. He led the majors in doubles, triples and plate appearances while ranking second in runs and DRS. Can he do it again? This ranking suggests he won't be quite as good, but it's also hard to fluke your way to 83 extra-base hits. Even with some regression at the plate -- although his .834 OPS in 2024 matched his .828 mark from 2023 -- Duran's all-around game makes him a very valuable player.

Season prediction: We're not going to predict another 8.7-WAR season (that would be a little too fearless), but how about another All-Star appearance, a Gold Glove in left field and 70 extra-base hits -- which could add up to a 6-WAR season. -- Schoenfield

37. Garrett Crochet, SP, Boston Red Sox

On one hand, this ranking might be a bit enthusiastic for a pitcher who has been a big league starter for exactly one season and has never qualified for an ERA title. On the other hand, have you seen Crochet pitch? His final season with the White Sox was a strange one. He pitched as well as anyone for a half season, even as the team around him tumbled to historic depths. Then, with Chicago trading anyone and everyone, Crochet stayed put. But because the White Sox were hopelessly out of the running, his innings were kept to a minimum, even as he kept taking his regular turn in the rotation.

According to Baseball Reference, there have been 4,325 pitchers making at least 32 starts in a season, dating back to 1871. None has finished with fewer innings than Crochet's 146. Yet he struck out 209 batters during those frames, leaving everyone wondering what he would do with a full workload. This season, we'll all find out.

Season prediction: A massive strikeout total topping 260 whiffs. That would be the most by a Red Sox pitcher not named Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens or Chris Sale. -- Doolittle

38. Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves

A year from now, Riley could rank in the top 20 -- he had back-to-back-to-back 6-WAR seasons until an injury sidelined him after 110 games in 2024. He's just the perfect type of third baseman, combining corner infield strength with enough athleticism to play third base well. He's also incredibly consistent, hitting 30-plus homers in each of those 6-WAR seasons while managing right around a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio -- which isn't horrendous in this era of baseball. MVP voters have taken notice of that consistency: Riley has two seventh-place finishes and one sixth-place on his résumé.

Season prediction: This one is easy, assuming Riley stays healthy. He'll hit 35 home runs, with a .345 OBP and an .870 OPS. He's predictable in a sport where that's just not usually a thing. -- Rogers

39. Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres

Machado was coming off elbow surgery in 2024 and struggled early on, with his slash line sitting at just .241/.293/.361 through the end of May. From that point on, he was one of the game's most productive hitters, slashing .302/.355/.528 and accumulating 24 home runs in June, July, August and September. It should come as no surprise that the Padres' offense began to hum around him. When Machado arrived in spring training this year, he said he felt as healthy as he had in a while. And that's important -- the Padres keep cutting costs in the wake of owner Peter Seidler's death in 2023, and Machado's health has become increasingly more important.

Season prediction: We pretty much know what to expect from Machado -- typically, he finds a way to play in 150 or so games and produce an OPS in the .800s. There's no reason for that to stop in his age-32 season. Now that he's healthier, expect him to get back to playing more of an elite brand of defense at third base after not quite doing so in 2024. -- Gonzalez

40. Willy Adames, SS, San Francisco Giants

The first major move of the Buster Posey era was signing Adames to a seven-year, $182 million deal in December. Posey sees Adames not just as a top-tier shortstop, but a clubhouse leader and culture-setter. But good culture only matters if teams win and the Giants need Adames to produce to compete in a loaded NL West. The 29-year-old set career highs in home runs (32) and RBIs (112) for the Brewers last season. He's one of the best players in baseball without an All-Star nod. Now he's getting paid to supply All-Star-level production.

Season prediction: Adames' power numbers take a dip playing half his games at Oracle Park, one of the toughest places to slug in baseball. But his defense, batting average and on-base percentage improve in a 5-WAR season. -- Castillo

41. Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta Braves

After a historic season in 2023 -- Olson set a franchise record with 54 home runs and his 139 RBIs were the most since Hugh Duffy in 1894 -- the slugging first baseman hit .247 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs, numbers that more or less matched his first season with the Braves in 2022. Who is the real Olson? Expect some bounce-back, but not all the way back to 2023. A key to watch: how he fares against fastballs. He hit .324 and slugged .659 against four-seamers in 2023 but fell off to .252 and .463, respectively, in 2024.

Season prediction: Olson plays 162 games for the fourth year in a row and, with a healthier lineup around him, leads the NL in RBIs like he did in 2023. -- Schoenfield

42. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Yamamoto's introduction to the major leagues in 2024 was a disaster. He took the ball in the Dodgers' second game in South Korea and allowed five runs before recording a third out. After the Dodgers returned stateside, he began to round into the celebrated pitcher who was given a record contract, culminating in a dominant start from Yankee Stadium in June. Shortly thereafter, he missed close to three months with a rotator cuff strain.

When he returned, he was spotty. There were some good starts (five scoreless innings in Game 5 of the NLDS, for one), but plenty of mediocre ones. His final numbers -- 3.00 ERA with 105 strikeouts and 22 walks in 90 innings -- don't quite tell the story of how erratic his rookie season was.

Season prediction: Dodgers officials have raved about Yamamoto in spring training. Many of them expect a breakout season if he stays healthy. And Yamamoto will provide it, vaulting himself into the Cy Young discussion. Major league hitters will get a real taste for how scary he can be when he mixes his devastating stuff and pinpoint command on a consistent basis. -- Gonzalez

43. Emmanuel Clase, RP, Cleveland Guardians

Clase had one of the best relief seasons ever in 2024, logging 47 saves, 4.4 bWAR and a 0.61 ERA over 74 regular-season innings. Placing a short reliever -- any reliever that pitches only one-to-two innings -- this high in a player ranking can be dicey. But consider: Clase's 6.3 wins probability added in 2024 not only lapped every other pitcher, but only Shohei Ohtani posted a higher figure among hitters.

It was far from a one-off. Clase has led the AL in saves three seasons running and his aggregate ERA over the past four campaigns is 1.62. Still, relievers are relievers as Clase himself proved again in October when he faltered against both the Tigers and Yankees.

Season prediction: Clase will post more human numbers but will again lead the AL in saves. His playoff struggles will prove to be more fuel for his considerable fire. -- Doolittle

44. Sandy Alcantara, SP, Miami Marlins

Alcantara was vintage Alcantara again this spring, peppering the strike zone with a 100 mph fastball, a 93 mph changeup and a 90 mph slider. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner didn't yield an earned run in 12 innings over five starts. Spring training numbers usually don't matter much, but they matter here -- and Alcantara followed up with seven strikeouts over 4 innings on Opening Day. It's a great sign for the Marlins as they undoubtedly seek to continue their thorough rebuild by trading Alcantara for a huge haul.

Season prediction: Alcantara proves he's elite again over the first two months of the season in his return from Tommy John surgery -- and then is traded to a contender in June. -- Castillo

45. Aaron Nola, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

There might not be a pitcher in the game more consistent than Nola. He has made every turn in the rotation over the past seven seasons. His ERA ballooned over 4.00 in a couple of those years but that's mostly due to the home run bug. He gives up the long ball more than most -- he gave up a league-leading 30 in 2024 and 32 in 2023. But in between those mistakes, Nola simply gets outs. His career WHIP is right around 1.1 while his yearly strikeout totals hover around 200. He won't jump into a top-30 ranking but maintaining top-50 status is in the cards.

Season prediction: Nola will make it seven consecutive (full) seasons of 32 or more starts, which would continue to be the longest streak in baseball. (Jose Berrios has done it in six straight seasons as well.) -- Rogers

46. Framber Valdez, SP, Houston Astros

The lefty with the whiffle ball-like movement on his pitches has matured into one of the most reliable starters in the game, posting a 3.08 ERA over the past four seasons -- which is fifth in the majors since 2021 among those with at least 500 innings pitched. When he gets on a roll, he commands his sinker and induces batters to pound the ball into the ground. He can also dominate for long stretches, like the 1.91 ERA he posted over his final 13 starts in 2024.

Season prediction: Valdez threw a no-hitter in 2023 and just missed another last August when Corey Seager hit a two-out home run in the ninth inning. Valdez gets it this year and joins Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as the only active pitchers with more than one no-hitter. -- Schoenfield

47. Alex Bregman, 3B, Boston Red Sox

It's strange to see Bregman in another uniform, but the veteran should thrive hitting at Fenway Park -- if past performance is any indication. He owns a slash line of .375/.490/.750 with seven home runs and nine doubles in 21 career regular-season games in Boston. Defensively, he is a massive upgrade at third base over Rafael Devers and provides some versatility should rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell struggle. Off the field, he's a respected clubhouse leader with winning credentials for a club looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021.

Season prediction: Bregman takes advantage of Fenway and enjoys his best offensive season since 2019. He slashes .280/.380/.500 with 30 home runs and 35 doubles, and makes his first All-Star team in six years. -- Castillo

48. Cole Ragans, SP, Kansas City Royals

You know your rotation is having a good season when your breakout lefty finishes fourth in the Cy Young balloting but is just the second-best pitcher on his own team. That was the fate for Ragans, who recorded career highs in wins (11), innings (186), strikeouts (223) and bWAR (5.0). He led the AL in whiffs per nine innings (10.8) among qualifiers. Alas, teammate Seth Lugo (second in the Cy Young voting) was even better -- but Ragan more than validated the excitement created by his strong finish to 2023, after he was traded to Kansas City from the eventual champion Rangers.

As good as Ragans has been since becoming a Royal, he still has untapped upside in his game as he further refines his command. His arrival already marks one of the best trades the Royals have ever made.

Season prediction: Ragans will improve on the margins, perhaps with slightly fewer whiffs but an accompanying drop in walks. It'll get him close to 200 innings and another top-five finish in Cy Young voting. -- Doolittle

49. Logan Gilbert, SP, Seattle Mariners

Only three pitchers have accumulated more innings than Gilbert's 585 over these past three years -- and only 16 have more FanGraphs WAR (fWAR). Last year, for a Mariners team that didn't get enough offense to match a dominant starting rotation, Gilbert led the majors in both innings (208) and WHIP (0.887), posted a 3.23 ERA and went at least six innings and allowed no more than two runs in 16 of 33 starts. Gilbert's standing within Seattle's rotation, and throughout the sport, was validated when the Mariners named him their Opening Day starter for the first time.

Season prediction: Gilbert took another leap forward in 2024, making his first All-Star team, finishing sixth in AL Cy Young voting and posting a career-best strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.95. He'll take another leap in 2025 -- and make a legitimate run for the hardware. -- Gonzalez

50. Marcus Semien, 2B, Texas Rangers

Was 2024 the beginning of a drop in production for Semien? Will his 50th ranking be his highest for the rest of his career? Those are legitimate questions after his OPS dropped below .700 for the first time in a full season since 2014. He was still an All-Star, and some of his numbers indicate he's still a good hitter, starting with his strikeout-to-walk ratio -- it was 1.64 in 2024, which is in line with his better seasons. He also still provides tons of pop from a middle infield position, and that's always a valuable commodity. Collectively, the Rangers seemed to have the proverbial World Series hangover from their 2023 championship season, so maybe Semien was simply caught up in that.

Season prediction: Semien enters his age-34 season but, as usual, looks to be in great shape. He'll age gracefully, providing another 25-plus home run season -- though forget about stealing bases. He had just eight last year, in part due to a .308 OBP, and he'll continue to be in single digits from now on. -- Rogers

51. Luis Castillo, SP, Seattle Mariners

The three-time All-Star is a reliable workhorse in today's game, making 30 starts every full season since 2018 except 2022, when he missed April with a hamstring strain and made 25 starts. Castillo used to rely heavily on a changeup, throwing it more than 30% of the time, but batters have hit .283 against it the past two seasons and slugged .545 against it in 2024 (and he threw it just 14% of the time). As a result, lefties hit him hard. With his fastball velocity down a tick, he needs to regain the feel for his once-signature pitch.

Season prediction: It's hard not to notice this trend: 4.2 WAR in 2021 to 3.9 to 3.2 to 1.8 in 2024. (Castillo had a 4.25 ERA on the road.) But let's be positive here. Castillo makes some adjustments and reverses that trend with 3.3 WAR in 2025. -- Schoenfield

52. Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks

Gallen has a lot riding on a strong 2025 for a Diamondbacks team with a lot of collective upside. He has become a top-of-the-rotation fixture in Arizona and enters his last year before free agency as a vital part of a potentially elite Diamondbacks starting staff. Last season was a mixed bag for Gallen thanks to a hamstring injury that cost him most of June. He was off his game a bit after getting back to action but finished the season with a flurry.

His arsenal has evolved, with his poor-performing cutter becoming a rare offering, replaced largely by more reliance on his curve. He has also had to adapt to lower spin rates on his four-seamer, and his ability to keep the bottom line steady will inform his popularity during the next hot stove season.

Season prediction: Gallen worked out of the strike zone far too often last season, contributing to some erosion in his numbers. Expect that to regress in a good way, with him returning to his accustomed ERA in the 3-to-3.30 range and throwing more innings than he was able to in 2024. He's more of a status quo pitcher than a breakout candidate at this point, but his status quo is better than most. -- Doolittle

53. Teoscar Hernandez, LF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Hernandez's market never quite materialized to his liking last offseason. Instead, he bet on himself, signed a one-year contract, became the smiling, sunflower-seed-throwing face of a dominant Dodgers offense and ultimately landed the type of deal he was originally looking for this past offseason -- three years and $66 million. In his 2024 season in L.A., Hernandez became just as beloved in the clubhouse as he was with the fan base. More importantly, he served as a consistent run producer for a lineup that suffered several key injuries throughout the summer and came up big when it mattered most in the fall. In the end, the Dodgers' brass simply had to bring him back.

Season prediction: The NL outfield picture got crowded with Soto signing with the Mets, so it'll be hard for Hernandez to make the All-Star team and win a Silver Slugger for a second straight year. But he'll reach 30 home runs and produce something very similar to his .272/.339/.501 slash line from 2024. -- Gonzalez

54. Devin Williams, RP, New York Yankees

Clay Holmes was, on the whole, a very successful closer for the Yankees, but Williams is a clear upgrade. While Holmes pitched to contact, which occasionally backfired in front of a subpar Yankees defense, Williams is a strikeout machine. The right-hander has a 39.4% strikeout rate in 241 career games -- the fourth-best tally in the majors since he debuted for the Brewers in 2019 -- behind his famous "Airbender" pitch. As a result, Williams, a free agent next winter, has a career 1.83 ERA, the second-lowest mark in baseball during the span since his debut. With another elite season, he stands to become one of the highest-paid relievers ever.

Season prediction: Williams is dominant in his first -- and maybe only -- season in the Bronx, saving 40-plus games with another sub-2.00 ERA. -- Castillo

55. Logan Webb, SP, San Francisco Giants

Webb has flown under the radar at times even though he has led the league in innings pitched in each of the past two seasons while keeping his ERA in the 3.00s. He was sixth in Cy Young voting last year after finishing second in 2023. The pitcher-friendly Oracle Park has been especially kind to Webb, who boasts a career 2.78 ERA in his home ballpark. He continues to be the clear ace of a rotation with plenty of potential -- for a team that needs him to be his very best to compete in a loaded NL West.

Season prediction: Webb will be right back in the Cy Young conversation in 2025 -- and will be more productive on the road, where he had a 4.11 ERA last year. He gave up more hits than innings pitched outside of San Francisco, but that trend will change this year. -- Rogers

56. Spencer Strider, SP, Atlanta Braves

Strider became the rarest of things in 2020s baseball in 2023 -- a 20-game winner. He did so while striking out a modern-era franchise record 281 batters. Alas, the pitching gods don't like us to have nice things anymore, so a UCL injury mostly wiped out his follow-up campaign: zero wins, 12 whiffs. Strider is back and clearly still has plenty of believers in our group of voters. For what it's worth, Strider looked occasionally electric during his return to game action this spring, but also had issues with consistency. For now, forget those 2023 numbers. The Braves just need Strider to make 30 starts.

Season prediction: The Braves will be careful with Strider, who opens the season on the IL as he continues to ramp up. That will be a seasonlong process for Atlanta and Strider, with the hope being he hits full stride (no pun intended) when October arrives. -- Doolittle

57. George Kirby, SP, Seattle Mariners

This ranking is in a state of flux as Kirby began the season on the IL with shoulder inflammation. The Mariners are downplaying the severity of the injury and said Kirby's MRI came back clean. (Kirby wanted to keep pitching.) When healthy, Kirby is one of the elite strike-throwers in the game, walking just 64 batters in 89 career starts, and once starting a game with 24 consecutive strikes. He pounds the top of the zone with his fastball and was working on a new cutter to give him another weapon to use against left-handed batters.

Season prediction: Before the injury, it felt like Kirby was perhaps in line for his first 200-inning season (he reached 190 the past two seasons) while projecting as a sleeper Cy Young candidate. Let's just go with the lowest ERA and ERA+ of his career. -- Schoenfield

58. Michael King, SP, San Diego Padres

King's transition to full-time starter was a resounding success in 2024 as he made 30 starts while compiling a nifty 2.95 ERA. If he continues on that path, he'll undoubtedly move up in the rankings a year from now. One big difference: As a starter, King is throwing his changeup more often, with its usage increasing from 14% in 2023 to 24% in 2024. Using his full arsenal worked well for him last year, as none of his main off-speed pitches were hit hard. With minimal innings under his belt so far in his career, King could be in line for a big payday as he potentially hits free agency next winter. (He has a mutual option for 2026.)

Season prediction: After getting the Opening Day nod, King will pick up where he left off last year. He'll throw 190 to 200 innings and get that big payday. -- Rogers

59. Oneil Cruz, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates

For the Pirates -- a franchise that hasn't spent much money on position players to complement an uber-talented starting rotation -- the 6-foot-7 Cruz is crucial to their success. Now a full-time center fielder after moving from shortstop in August, Cruz is an elite athlete with a cannon for an arm and speed to wreak havoc on the bases. In the batter's box, he hits baseballs harder than anybody in the sport (he was third in the majors in average exit velocity in 2024 and hit the hardest ball of the season at 121.5 mph), but he has been plagued by the strikeout.

The 2025 season is about taking the next step forward after slashing .259/.324/.449 with 21 home runs and 181 strikeouts last season. If Cruz does that, the Pirates offense could be just good enough to compete in the NL Central.

Season prediction: Cruz cuts down on his strikeouts and improves his production across the board: .270 batting average, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs and an .820 OPS. -- Castillo

60. Roki Sasaki, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

Sasaki is one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in recent memory. He has been throwing 100 mph since high school and features a mind-bending splitter that is already considered one of the most effective secondary pitches in the world, but he's also just 23 years old and never once reached even 130 innings in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He is certainly not a finished product, as his rough MLB debut outing reminded us, but his ceiling is just about as high as anyone's. The Dodgers would like to see Sasaki get his fastball velocity back up after it fell off a bit in 2024 and, perhaps even more importantly, develop a consistent third pitch so he doesn't have to overuse the splitter.

Season prediction: About 140 innings -- with a break at some point around midseason so that he's more fresh going into October -- to go along with one of the sport's highest strikeout rates, but also one of its highest home run rates. Sasaki allowed just three homers in 202 innings for the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2023 to 2024, but the hitters he'll now face are much better at handling high velocities. -- Gonzalez

61. Pete Alonso, 1B, New York Mets

Alonso's first stint as a free agent didn't play out as he expected. He waited and waited for a long-term contract, exasperating the Mets in the process -- to the point that owner Steve Cohen went public with his frustration. The long-term deal never came -- teams proved reluctant to invest that much in a 30-year-old first baseman with declining numbers over three years -- but Alonso landed where he wanted to, back in Queens (for at least one more year), completing an offense that should light up the scoreboard. Alonso will look to improve upon his worst season as a major leaguer -- he set career lows in slugging, OPS and home runs for a full season in 2024 -- before likely reaching free agency again. Hitting behind Soto should help.

Season prediction: A motivated Alonso bounces back to bang 40 home runs with 110 RBIs and an .860 OPS, putting himself in position to sign a long-term contract in the winter. -- Castillo

62. Carlos Correa, SS, Minnesota Twins

Just when you count Correa out, he produces in a big way -- except that he did it in just 86 games last year due to plantar fasciitis. His batting average was 80 points higher in 2024 than the year before, and he made the All-Star team for the third time in his career. If he can repeat his .388 OBP for a full season, he'll score a lot of runs for Minnesota. He says he's healthy now, which is good news for a team that needs him in the lineup as much as anyone. If Correa can return to being a 5-WAR player, the Twins will have a good shot at making the postseason.

Season prediction: Having just turned 30, Correa is still in his prime. He was on his way to a 20-home run season last year before the injury. If he stays healthy, he'll hit around 25 this year. -- Rogers

63. William Contreras, C, Milwaukee Brewers

Contreras proved in 2023 that his 2022 breakout in Atlanta would hold up in a full-time role. Last season, he validated that by doing it all again, only for more games this time around. The end result was a 4.9-bWAR season for Milwaukee while earning pre-arbitration money. Contreras' contract is getting nominally more expensive -- $6 million this season, with a $12 million club option for 2026 -- but his production is worth all of that and more. A legit middle-of-the-order hitter, he was able to pair 119 starts behind the plate with 34 additional starts at DH with little difference in production between roles. People noticed: Contreras finished fifth in NL MVP balloting.

Season prediction: More the same. Contreras is just at his prime, and the only question is how much, if any, of his workload will shift toward DHing as he ages -- because his bat is too good to keep out of the lineup for long. -- Doolittle

64. Michael Harris II, CF, Atlanta Braves

After winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2022, Harris has seen his offense slide the past two seasons, dropping from a 133 OPS+ that season to 116 to 99 in 2024. A back strain caused him to get off to a slow start in 2023, and then he missed two months with a hamstring strain last season, but the biggest concern is whether his high chase rate -- third percentile in 2024 -- ultimately limits his offensive potential. The other tools remain intact: plus defense in center field, a good arm and a hard-hit rate in the 82nd percentile. If the swing decisions improve, he has All-Star upside.

Season prediction: The chase rate improves, though not enough to turn Harris back into a .290 hitter. But he does go 25/25 and makes his first All-Star team. -- Schoenfield

65. Wyatt Langford, LF, Texas Rangers

Langford went fourth overall out of Florida in the summer of 2023, blitzed through the Rangers' system in his first two months of professional baseball, tore it up in his first spring training the following year and cracked the 2024 Opening Day roster. The expectations could not have been higher. Then, Langford experienced just how difficult it is to hit in the major leagues. By the end of August in his rookie year, he was slashing .241/.309/.366 with eight home runs in 108 games. September, though, offered encouragement. He slashed .300/.386/.610 over the regular season's final month, equaling his home run output in just 26 games.

Season prediction: Langford wasn't just good in September -- he was really good in June, too. But April, July and August were a struggle. It's clearly in there; he just needs to tap into more consistency. And he'll do just that, finishing with an OPS of about .790 -- 50 points higher than last year. -- Gonzalez

66. Matt Chapman, 3B, San Francisco Giants

If you like WAR, then Chapman is your guy. He produced his third 7.0-plus-bWAR season of his career in 2024, parlaying it into a long-term extension with San Francisco that he signed in September. He's now a de facto leader on a team striving for more than mediocrity -- and no matter what he does at the plate, he still has his glove to fall back on. Having said that, his 27 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 2024 came in handy while playing in pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, and his 111 OPS+ at home might be a reason he signed long term there. Most of his home/road splits (outside of his home run numbers) were pretty even, though.

Season prediction: It's the easiest prediction in baseball: Chapman will win a Gold Glove again, his third straight and second with the Giants. Overall, that would give him four in the AL and two more in the NL. -- Rogers

67. Shane McClanahan, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

McClanahan hasn't taken the mound in a big league game since Aug. 2, 2023, and he's coming off his second elbow surgery. This ranking, if perhaps a bit optimistic, is a testament to where McClanahan stood before he was injured. Simply put, his raw stuff and the verve with which he offered it made him one of the must-watch players in the majors. His high-90s heater zipped, often with an arm-side movement to it that made it look unhittable. His changeup left hitters flailing at empty space. His big curveball rendered you speechless. His delivery, with that literal hop off the mound after pushing off from the rubber, is mesmerizing.

As McClanahan opens the 2025 season on the IL -- he missed the Opening Day start he was slated for due to nerve irritation in his triceps -- let's hope all of that returns sooner rather than later.

Season prediction: Thankfully, McClanahan's spring training nerve issues appear to be more a setback than a major problem. Still, it's likely that, at least for 2025, he's handled very carefully, so don't expect a big innings count. We'll take what we can get. -- Doolittle

68. Jose Altuve, LF/2B, Houston Astros

The nine-time All-Star turns 35 in May, but he can still swing the bat, hitting .295 with 20 home runs in 2024 as he played 153 games, his most since 2017. There were some signs of age, however: Altuve's .439 slugging was his lowest since 2013 (other than the COVID season of 2020), his walk rate the lowest since 2015, and he showed declining range at second base. Then the Astros announced in March that Altuve would be their primary left fielder this season -- a position he had never played. Without Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, the Astros need Altuve to keep producing at a high level, but this ranking suggests that's not a sure thing.

Season prediction: Altuve looked shaky in left field in spring training, and while we've learned never to bet against him, let's predict that he ends up playing more games back at second base than left field -- and the Astros scramble for an outfielder at the trade deadline. -- Schoenfield

69. Hunter Greene, SP, Cincinnati Reds

For someone who was drafted and developed with so much hype surrounding him, Greene's excellent 2024 season surprisingly flew under the radar amid the Reds' disappointment. The hard-throwing right-hander registered a 2.75 ERA with 169 strikeouts across a career-high 150 innings and made an All-Star team for the first time in his age-24 season. He missed over a month into late September with elbow inflammation -- a scare for someone who has undergone Tommy John surgery -- but he avoided a major injury and returned to log seven innings over two starts to finish 2024.

Season prediction: Greene will continue his ascent, if he avoids injury, with a 2.80 ERA and 180 strikeouts over 170 innings in his second All-Star season. -- Castillo

70. Jacob deGrom, SP, Texas Rangers

There are two possibilities here. DeGrom will either shoot up these rankings next year based on his performance in 2025 or fall further down (or maybe miss the list entirely) if he gets injured. There's seemingly no in-between for the 36-year-old, who entered his third season with the Rangers having pitched a total of nine games for them. (He did look good in his first start this season, which yielded five innings of two-hit ball.) DeGrom has hinted at being less about velocity as he moves forward in his career. He'll be a good test for pitchers: Can you back off and still be effective? Odds are yes, when your stuff is as good as his.

Season prediction: This is a bold one: DeGrom will make at least 20 starts for Texas in 2025. -- Rogers

71. Lawrence Butler, RF, Athletics

There's no way, even well into last season, that you would have expected Butler to wind up in this top 100. A sixth-round pick by the A's in 2018 out of an Atlanta area high school, his improvement while moving through the minors, and even during his early days in the majors, was steady but gradual. Then all at once he exploded. The explosion had a specific date -- July 14, 2024, the final game before last season's All-Star break. At that point, Butler was hitting .205/.259/.346 over 105 career games. That night, he clubbed three homers in Philadelphia. Butler never looked back, hitting .305/.348/.588 the rest of the way and even posting a second three-homer game. It took about six years for Butler to become an overnight sensation.

Season prediction: In addition to his 22 homers, Butler went a perfect 18-for-18 on the basepaths -- a 25/25 season in 2025 seems like a good bet. The A's are believers, inking Butler to a seven-year, $65.5 million extension during the offseason. -- Doolittle

72. Riley Greene, OF, Detroit Tigers

Greene has steadily improved from his rookie season in 2022, hitting 24 home runs last season and finishing with 5.4 WAR. Considering he's just 24, there is perhaps more improvement to come. A big key was increasing his average launch angle from 6.6 degrees to 12.2, but the tools are all here for even more power and production: bat speed (85th percentile), hard-hit rate (83rd percentile), plate discipline (85th percentile chase rate). He had an underrated season last year and there's top-10 MVP potential if he can cut down on his strikeouts (20th percentile).

Season prediction: You don't want to overproject given Comerica isn't the easiest home run park, and Greene needs to avoid the leg problems that popped up the past two years, but 35 home runs wouldn't be a shock. -- Schoenfield

73. Mason Miller, RP, Athletics

Miller has had issues staying healthy as a starter throughout his pro career, but a move to the bullpen has proved to be magical. His fastball averaged nearly 101 mph, his wipeout slider played up even more so, and Miller established himself as one of the game's most dominant relievers in his first full season in 2024. He put up a 2.49 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP, registered 104 strikeouts against just 21 walks in 65 innings, and wound up saving 28 games for an A's team that accumulated just 69 wins. The A's decided against stretching Miller back out as a starter, uncertain what that type of workload might do to his arm. They'll settle for employing one of the game's best closers at age 26.

Season prediction: The major league lead in saves, accomplished with enough dominance for a top-10 Cy Young finish. -- Gonzalez

74. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, New York Yankees

Chisholm was an outstanding trade deadline pickup for the Yankees last season, slashing .273/.325/.500 with 11 home runs and 18 steals in 46 regular-season games while shifting to a new position on the fly. Chisholm was more than adequate at third base, but he returns to second base this season, where he began his major league career. With that -- and a full year of Yankee Stadium's short porch -- Chisholm could have his best season in 2025.

Season prediction: Continuing his red-hot start to the 2025 season, Chisholm cracks a career-high 25 home runs (he hit 24 last season) with 35 steals, an .800 OPS and a career-best 4.5-fWAR. -- Castillo

75. Tyler Glasnow, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers traded for Glasnow in December 2023, then signed him to a five-year extension worth close to $140 million. The 2024 season, they thought, was the one when Glasnow, 31, would finally stay healthy and put it all together. It was starting to look that way, as Glasnow took his turn the first 22 times through the rotation, putting up a 3.49 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 134 innings -- then elbow issues popped up. Glasnow was ultimately shut down for good with an elbow sprain in mid-September, sitting out his team's World Series run. The good news: Follow-up MRIs over the offseason, according to Glasnow, didn't reveal anything more than tendinitis.

Season prediction: If he's healthy for six months -- and that's a big if, given his history -- Glasnow will finish top 10 in the NL Cy Young voting. -- Gonzalez

76. Shota Imanaga, SP, Chicago Cubs

Imanaga burst onto the scene last year with less fanfare than his countryman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but was simply a better overall pitcher. Based on 2024, it doesn't make a ton of sense that Imanaga sits 34 slots lower than Yamamoto. Then again, these rankings are about 2025, and Yamamoto does have much better stuff. In any case, Imanaga was aided by the weather at Wrigley Field last year, which favored pitchers. He also sneaked up on teams, never facing the same team twice until very late in the season. His rising fastball did its job, but it was his split that caused confusion in the batter's box.

Season prediction: Water will find its level in 2025, as Imanaga will give up around 25 home runs -- he's a fly ball pitcher -- but with his usual savviness on the mound. He'll be the Aaron Nola of the Cubs, producing a solid 3.50 ERA despite those home runs. -- Rogers

77. Josh Hader, RP, Houston Astros

Teams that steadfastly refuse to overcommit to relievers in free agency might be tempted to point to Hader's first season in Houston. Certainly, it wasn't his best. Hader's ERA was up, he gave up 12 homers and in general just allowed more hard contact than in years past. But it's not like the bottom fell out. Hader remains one of the hardest pitchers in the game to hit, and his walk rate was actually better in 2024. The homer issue could be a fluke but, then again, he's a lefty fly ball pitcher working half of his games in front of the Crawford Boxes. This will be a pivotal season for Hader -- and the club that gave him that five-year, $95 million deal.

Season prediction: Hader will be the same guy, perhaps deployed with a little more discipline than 2024, and his numbers will be better. It's just the nature of working in a small-sample line of work. -- Doolittle

78. Marcell Ozuna, DH, Atlanta Braves

Ozuna was the one consistent elite hitter for the Braves in an otherwise nightmare 2024 season for their position players. The designated hitter played in all 162 games, batting .302 with 39 home runs and a .925 OPS -- good enough to finish fourth in the NL MVP race. Ozuna was instrumental in Atlanta somehow winning 89 games and reaching the postseason despite terrible injury luck. A regression in his age-34 season is possible, but Ozuna is in the final year of his contract. Free agency has a way of motivating players.

Season prediction: Ozuna's production declines some, but he still churns out another All-Star-caliber season, with 35 home runs and an .875 OPS to set himself up for another multiyear contract this winter. -- Castillo

79. Cristopher Sanchez, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Can Sanchez follow a breakout season with ... another breakout season? Sanchez has steadily been increasing the velocity on his sinker: 92.1 mph in 2023 and 94.5 mph in 2024 -- when he went 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA -- and 97 mph in spring training. That made him one of the most talked-about pitchers in March, and he was stellar in his regular-season debut. Sanchez had an excellent 2024 even though batters hit .345 against the sinker, which tells you how good his changeup and slider were. If the sinker becomes a little more effective with the added velo, watch out.

Season prediction: The hype is real. Remember when the Curtis Mead-for-Sanchez trade was panned when Mead developed into a top prospect for the Rays? No longer. Sanchez finishes in the top five of the Cy Young voting. -- Schoenfield

80. Will Smith, C, Los Angeles Dodgers

Smith, who turned 30 last week, has established himself as one of the game's best catchers. Still, his 2024 season was confounding. It featured drastic splits (home-road, left-right) and major highs and lows offensively. April was great; May, July and September were solid; June, August and October were brutal. More confusing was the shape of his defense. Smith tied for the major league lead with 32 caught-stealings, but by some metrics he was also the worst pitch-framer in the sport -- far worse than he had been previously. He also led a staff that cycled through 40 different pitchers and still put up an ERA above league average.

Season prediction: Smith's OPS has dropped in each of his first four full seasons -- from .860 in 2021 to .807 in 2022 to .797 in 2023 to .760 in 2024. He's too good a hitter for that to continue. His OPS will settle back into the .800s this year. -- Gonzalez

81. Kyle Schwarber, DH, Philadelphia Phillies

One of the best parts of Schwarber's offensive game is his ability to simply take a walk. It shouldn't be downplayed, considering his other ability: to hit a ball a mile. Schwarber is entering a contract year after mashing 131 home runs in his first three seasons with the Phillies, which also came with 318 free passes. That gives Schwarber even more value in the lineup as the Phillies are going to try some different batting orders based on the opposing pitcher. He might not bat leadoff against lefties anymore -- or at least for the moment -- but with a .342 OBP against them last year, it wouldn't be the worst thing.

Season prediction: Schwarber is going to Schwarber -- meaning he'll hit his usual 30 to 40-plus home runs, but he'll also set a career high in RBIs after landing on previous highs of 104 the past two years. After all, it's a contract year. -- Rogers

82. Dansby Swanson, SS, Chicago Cubs

Swanson has remained a reliable player for a long time now, with superb defense and enough power to make him useful at the plate. He lost his two-year Gold Glove reign to Ezequiel Tovar, but his defensive metrics remained strong (including 99th percentile in range via Statcast). The seven-year, $177 million deal Swanson signed with the Cubs in 2023 initially looked like an overpay, but so far he has been worth it, with 5.2 WAR in 2023 and 3.9 WAR last season.

Season prediction: No reason to get goofy here. At 31, he's not going to suddenly improve. He could win a Gold Glove, but that's tough in a league with Tovar and Masyn Winn. The Cubs will be happy with another 4-WAR season. -- Schoenfield

83. Seth Lugo, SP, Kansas City Royals

The Padres turned Lugo into a starter in 2023 and he did well. Still, you'd be hard-pressed to have seen what he would do in 2024. When the Royals landed him via free agency, it felt like a coup for a Kansas City club coming off 106 losses. But it was much more than that. Lugo became one of the best stories of the season, breaking out at age 34, winning 16 games over 206 innings and finishing as the runner-up to Skubal in Cy Young balloting.

He is a maestro on the mound, thriving without a hefty strikeout rate by deploying baseball's deepest well of offerings. Statcast credited him with throwing nine different pitches last season, and he throws variations on many pitch types. He's a one-of-one pitcher, in style and approach. Most important for the Royals, though: He's also really good.

Season prediction: Repeating last season's career numbers will be tough, but Lugo has been largely consistent throughout his career. The way he has been used has varied a lot more than his actual performance. Expect another 180-inning season with an ERA in the low 3s as a starting point. -- Doolittle

84. Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees

Is this the year Volpe breaks out? The shortstop's defense is already top-notch; he won a Gold Glove as a 22-year-old rookie in 2023. But his bat has lagged behind. Not that Volpe has been a disaster as a hitter. He went 20/20 in his rookie year before opting for more contact in 2024, improving his batting average from .209 to .243. Plus, he has missed just five games in his two seasons. But Volpe showed more promise in the minors, and the Yankees hope his October performance carries over. Volpe significantly increased his swing speed in the postseason and the adjustment worked: He slashed .286/.407/.408 with four extra-base hits, including a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series.

Season prediction: Volpe takes the next step at the plate and solidifies himself as the franchise cornerstone the Yankees projected. He bats .275 with 21 home runs and 30 steals, nearly making the All-Star team in a deep field of AL shortstops. -- Castillo

85. Carlos Rodon, SP, New York Yankees

It somehow flew under the radar amid all that went on in Yankee Land last year, but Rodon recovered from a brutal debut season in the Bronx in 2023 to put together a really solid 2024. It wasn't quite the dominant form he displayed in 2021 or 2022, but Rodon made a career-high 32 starts, accumulated 175 innings and posted a 3.96 ERA, nearly three runs lower than the prior year. The Yankees have since added Max Fried to their rotation, but Gerrit Cole will spend the year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil will spend at least a couple of months recovering from a lat strain. The Yankees desperately need more of the 2024 version of Rodon.

Season prediction: The 2024 version of Rodon seems very realistic for his age-32 season in 2025, so let's go with 170 innings, a 4.00 ERA, a 26% strikeout rate and a 7% walk rate, which is also right around where the major projection tools have him. -- Gonzalez

86. Cal Raleigh, C, Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have often felt somewhat anonymous during the Jerry Dipoto years, given the high degree of turnover on the roster. Certainly the arrival of Julio Rodriguez started to change that, and his contract should keep him in a Mariners uniform for a long time to come. But Raleigh is also becoming a Seattle institution. Drafted by the Mariners in 2018, he has spent his entire career in the organization and has become one of the best backstops in baseball. After just three seasons as Seattle's primary catcher, Raleigh is already in the conversation about the franchise's best ever behind the plate. Now that he has signed a six-year extension, that conversation will soon be over.

Season prediction: Raleigh is what he is. He'll hit for a low average with lots of three true outcomes, while providing Gold Glove-level defense. The Mariners haven't exactly flooded the roster with high-level DH types, so Raleigh will again be used there often enough to keep his overall games played number high. -- Doolittle

87. Matt McLain, 2B, Cincinnati Reds

McLain was sensational as a rookie in 2023. He compiled 3.1 fWAR in just 89 games by batting .290 with 16 home runs, 23 doubles, 14 steals and an .864 OPS. His second season, however, ended before it started after surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. McLain, 25, is now healthy, and nothing suggests the second baseman won't pick up where he left off in 2023 if he can stay on the field.

Season prediction: McLain returns to give the Reds one of the best middle infield pairings alongside Elly De La Cruz. He slashes .280/.345/.490 with 28 home runs as the Reds win the NL Central for the first time since 2012. -- Castillo

88. Hunter Brown, SP, Houston Astros

Brown is a candidate to make a leap in the rankings after quietly putting together a good sophomore season last year. If he takes a similar step forward in 2025, the Astros might have an ace in the making. Brown's hits per nine innings dropped from 9.1 in 2023 to 8.3 in 2024, and he only got better as the season wore on. Brown saw his ERA drop two points from the first half to the second, while lowering his WHIP and HR rate as well. Brown's arrow is pointing up.

Season prediction: Brown's next leap will be a Cy Young one. He'll garner some votes this season -- but not necessarily win it. -- Rogers

89. J.T. Realmuto, C, Philadelphia Phillies

Realmuto missed about six weeks last season after knee surgery, making his value evident: The Phillies went 62-37 when Realmuto started and 33-30 when he didn't. You could write that off as a one-year thing, except the Phillies went 74-56 when he started in 2023 and 16-16 when he didn't. In 2022, it was 72-60 and 15-15. Realmuto still projects as an average to above-average hitter, and if he gets back to his 2022-23 workload, when he led the majors both seasons in innings caught, the Phillies' chances of winning the division go up.

Season prediction: The aging curve is tough in today's game -- and not surprisingly, especially for catchers. Realmuto was worth 3 WAR last year in 99 games and will top that in 2025, which would make him just the third catcher in the past decade 34 or older to reach that total (Robinson Chirinos in 2019, Buster Posey in 2021). -- Schoenfield

90. Christian Yelich, LF, Milwaukee Brewers

Yelich wasn't back to his 1.000 OPS self from a few years ago in 2024 -- those days are long gone -- but he was enjoying a resurgent campaign before his season was cut short by a back injury. Now an elder statesman in a Milwaukee clubhouse that seems to keep getting younger, Yelich is no longer a franchise player, but when healthy he still offers a wide, balanced range of skills. For a player over 30 with back trouble, there are no sure things, but Yelich enjoyed a strong spring and looks like a full go.

Season prediction: An averaging of Yelich's two most-recent seasons is a solid baseline of expectation for his percentages -- .290/.382/.466. The column to watch for him at this point is, simply, games played. -- Doolittle

91. Anthony Santander, RF, Toronto Blue Jays

Coming off a 44-homer season with the Orioles, Santander lingered in free agency until the Blue Jays finally signed him in late January to a five-year, $92.5 million deal. An extreme fly ball hitter -- only new teammate Daulton Varsho had a higher average launch angle -- it will be interesting to see how Santander's power translates to Toronto. The switch-hitter hit 26 of his home runs last season on the road. He's a below-average corner outfielder and the fly ball tendencies lead to a lower average despite good contact rates, so his offensive value rests heavily on hitting home runs.

Season prediction: It's hard to bet on 44 again, but Santander has been a durable player the past three seasons while averaging 35 home runs. For a team that finished 13th in the AL in home runs, the Jays will take that. -- Schoenfield

92. Steven Kwan, LF, Cleveland Guardians

Kwan remained within the bottom 1% in hard-hit rate last year, but an increase in launch angle and a propensity for pulling pitches into the air -- the result of swinging more aggressively in advantageous counts -- led to a surprising increase in home runs. Kwan went from 11 homers in 305 games from 2022 to 2023 to 14 in 122 games in 2024. And because his bat-to-ball skills remained elite, he paired it with a .292/.368/.425 slash line and 131 weighted runs created plus.

Season prediction: A 20-homer season and, as a result, an OPS in the .800s, giving the Guardians the type of jolt around Jose Ramirez they desperately need. There's no reason last year's power increase can't be repeatable for Kwan. -- Gonzalez

93. Edwin Diaz, RP, New York Mets

Spring training stats are often meaningless, but Diaz's diminished velocity in Grapefruit League games can't be overlooked. The right-hander's fastball sat in the mid-90s, down from the 97.5 mph he averaged last season. It's a slight decrease, but slight decreases matter for a pitcher who has succeeded with pure stuff. Add a stint on the IL with a shoulder impingement and relative struggles (a career-worst 3.52 ERA and seven blown saves in 27 chances) last season, and there is reason for concern.

Season prediction: Diaz is better than last season, his first after missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL, but it's still not vintage Diaz. He saves 38 games with a 3.00 ERA. -- Castillo

94. Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B/DH, Kansas City Royals

Pasquantino has shown intermittent signs of turning into a star, but he missed 100 games in 2023 with labrum surgery and the final month in 2024 with a broken thumb. (He still drove in 97 runs, thank you, Bobby Witt Jr.) The good news: He's entering his age-27 season, the age when most players have their career year. With his contact ability and above-average hard-hit rates, there's more in the tank here, something like what we saw over his final 78 games last season when he hit .284 with 14 home runs.

Season prediction: Let's go even higher: Pasquantino hits .300 with 25 home runs. -- Schoenfield

95. Cody Bellinger, CF, New York Yankees

Bellinger has a real shot to move up these rankings after spending this season at Yankee Stadium, where the wind is less of a factor and the short porch in right field is more of one. He didn't have those advantages at Wrigley Field last year, and he admittedly didn't have a great season. Bellinger isn't the MVP version of himself anymore, but he's still a very good player who keeps getting better at the finer points of hitting -- like going to left field or battling against a good left-handed pitcher. Still, he has always been known as a power guy, and he hasn't shown that as much the past few years. Hitting near Judge and in New York might change that.

Season prediction: Bellinger hits 30 home runs for the first time since 2019. -- Rogers

96. Willson Contreras, 1B/DH, St. Louis Cardinals

Contreras posted an .848 OPS in his second year in St. Louis, his highest mark since 2019, but forearm and middle-finger fractures limited him to 84 games. And so, in an effort to keep his bat in the lineup as often as possible, the Cardinals shifted him from catcher to first base. Contreras has embraced the move, seeing it as an opportunity to add more muscle and spend much more time focusing on the offensive portion of his game.

Season prediction: Contreras has bulked up since his move to first base, and it will result in the first 30-homer season of his career. By the end of the year, he'll be anchoring a bad Cardinals lineup that will be without Nolan Arenado. -- Gonzalez

97. Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox

Casas was fortunate to make the top 100 after an injury-plagued 2024 season sidelined him for all but 63 games. While healthy, his home run rate jumped to 5.3%, though his strikeout rate also increased, from 25% to 31%. However, that's all a small sample size -- so Casas is starting over in 2025. If he returns to his first-year form, when he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, then he'll make a leap back up the rankings. He has the tools. Now, he just has to stay healthy.

Season prediction: Casas will flirt with the 30 home run club as long as he plays a full season. -- Rogers

98. Bryce Miller, SP, Seattle Mariners

Miller came up after Logan Gilbert and George Kirby and wasn't as heralded as those former first-round picks, but the former fourth-round selection outperformed both in his first full season, going 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA in 180 innings. He relies heavily on a riding 95 mph fastball and sinker that combined were worth 28 runs above average via Statcast -- tied with Skubal for the best overall fastball value in the majors. He added a splitter that batters hit just .148 against. His fly ball tendencies play well in Seattle (1.96 ERA), so he needs to improve on the road.

Season prediction: If the cutter he worked on in spring training gives him another weapon against lefties, he could end up as the staff ace and post another sub-3.00 ERA. -- Schoenfield

99. Salvador Perez, C/1B, Kansas City Royals

This ranking is criminally low for a primary catcher coming off a season in which he posted a 119 OPS+ along with 27 homers and 104 RBIs, a showing that earned Perez his fifth Silver Slugger award. He isn't a perfect player, but even at 34, he was still evolving. The notoriously wild swinger walked a career-high 44 times in 2024 and cut his strikeout rate to its lowest since 2017. He got in 90 starts behind the plate but has become a surprisingly effective defender at first base, an option that makes him that much more playable as he ages.

More than anything, Perez is the heart and soul of his franchise, a player who spreads joy everywhere he goes. Hopefully, someday that will include Cooperstown.

Season prediction: With the team around him regaining relevance, Perez is hitting a late-career second wind. After nearly 1,300 games as a big league catcher, there has been little evidence of erosion in his skills. He's at 273 career homers. Expect him to crack No. 300 in September. -- Doolittle

100. Kodai Senga, SP, New York Mets

The Mets didn't acquire an ace during the offseason, but Senga could serve as a frontline addition if he replicates his rookie season after missing most of 2024. Senga was excellent in 2023, coming over from Japan to record a 2.98 ERA in 29 starts. But a shoulder injury last spring delayed his season debut until July 26. That night, after recording 16 outs, he suffered a high-grade calf strain that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He returned for the postseason in a limited capacity to give up seven runs over five innings. He now enters the 2025 season seemingly ready to give the Mets more than 5 regular-season innings.

Season prediction: Senga isn't an ace, but he's good in his second full major league season and finishes with a 3.30 ERA in 27 starts. -- Castillo