At the top of the list, you don't find too many surprises, with Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Tarik Skubal, Juan Soto, and Paul Skenes rounding out the first six spots. I think you are just objectively wrong if those aren't your top six in some order.
It almost seems unfair to include Ohtani on this list. At times, it feels as if he belongs in a category all his own. He has claimed four MVPs in the past five seasons, all of them unanimously. And now, somehow, the thought is that Ohtani can elevate to an even higher level.
The objective of this exercise is to identify the best players for the 2026 season, not who might be best in five years or over their career. Who will be the best pitchers to take the mound this season? Who are the game's most powerful hitters in 2026? And how do marquee positions like shortstop and center field shake out?
