Top 100 MLB Players: 75-100

Author: Steven Chase

Editor: Brian Symons

75. Buster Posey

After a poor 2019, and missing out on the entirety of the 2020 season, Buster Posey has come back to the lineup with thunder. Offensively, he has a .411 wOBA and a 166 wRC+, to add to his 2.7 FRM and 50.1% strike framing rate. Since 2018 as a whole, Posey has 11 runs saved from framing, 15.0 FRM, a .331 wOBA and 109 wRC+. Overall, Posey is a complete catcher.

76. Jose Abreu

Abreu is a solid player, but he is not quite the player the people make him out to be. He is often overrated because of his high RBI count, which is a bad stat to look at since a hitter has no influence on the situations they are put in, and the amount of at bats they get. Abreu has a solid bat overall, with a 122 wRC+ and .349 wOBA since 2018. But, he’s a mediocre fielder with a -4.7 UZR and 0 DRS since 2018. Overall, Abreu is pretty good, but nowhere close to being a top two second baseman.

77. Tommy Pham

Once Tommy Pham saw regular playing time in 2017 he became a very solid hitter. Since 2018 he has a 122 wRC+ and .348 wOBA, which is almost identical to Jose Abreu (someone who many consider to be elite). Defensively, he is decent with 3 DRS since 2018, but even with that considered he is a very good overall player.

78. Mike Yaztremski

Yazstremski has been great offensively since he came up the the big leagues in 2019; he has a .363 wOBA and 129 wRC+ in that span. He has been a big part of the veteran resurgence in San Francisco in 2021, and will be good for the foreseeable future.

79. Gio Urshela

I originally had Urshela lower, but after looking at the numbers I realized how good he is. Since coming to the Yankees Gio has a 125 wRC+, .356 wOBA, and 9 DRS. It is clear that he is a complete player, and one of the better third baseman in the game.

80. Edwin Diaz

The second reliever on the list is Edwin Diaz. Ever since he began to locate his slider better in 2020, his traditional stats went back to normal. Since 2018, Diaz has a 2.50 xFIP, 2.20 SIERA, and a 32.7 K-BB%. It is clear that Diaz is elite and one of the best relievers in the game.

81. Brandon Lowe

Lowe has been very solid for these Tampa Bay Rays teams who do a lot with a little. Lowe has a career 124 wRC+, .348 wOBA, and 7 DRS. Despite batting .205 in 2021, Lowe has put together a decent offensive year with a .340 xwOBA. I would expect his numbers to pick up a little bit this year, as he is underperforming his x stats. Overall, Lowe is a very solid player.

82. Austin Meadows

Although due to poor fielding Meadows has turned into a DH, his overall value as a hitter is very high. Since 2018 Meadows has a 126 wRC+ and .353 wOBA. Him and Lowe have been the two best bats in the Tampa Bay lineup for the past few years and I don’t expect that to change.

83. Jack Flaherty

Flaherty has done a great job as the ace of the Cardinals. A 3.69 SIERA and 3.65 xFIP are very respectable numbers, considering that he has maintained them for over three years. I personally see him as the 14th best starting pitcher in baseball.

84. Dom Smith

In 2021 Dom has been hitting into some bad luck, as he has a .344 xwOBA and a .296 wOBA, which is why his numbers are down. But since 2018 as a whole, Smith has a 118 wRC+ and .341 wOBA. Smith has also been playing out of position in 2021, moving from first base to left field, and his defense has not suffered from it.

85. Aroldis Chapman

Chapman has been fantastic throughout his career. From 2018-2021, Chapman has a 2.71 SIERA, 2.61 xFIP, and a 40.9 K%. Although he walks a lot of hitters, Chapman has been one of the more dominant relievers for over a decade.

86. Lucas Giolito

Since 2019 Giolito has been a very effective pitcher, with a 3.55 xFIP and 3.59 SIERA. These numbers put Giolito amongst the top 15-20 pitchers in the game, and I think of him to be the ace of the White Sox staff (even though Rodon is having a better 2021 alone).

87. Yu Darvish

While Snell has tanked his first year in San Diego, Darvish has remained solid. He has a 3.27 SIERA in 2021 alone, and has become the ace of that staff. But since 2018, Darvish has a 3.46 SIERA and 3.44 xFIP, which is good but not quite Blake Snell level yet. If Darvish maintains the pace that he has been on since 2020, he will rise up this list fast.

88. Nick Anderson

Although an injury has postponed Nick Anderson’s start to the season, he has been elite since being called up in 2019. Anderson has a 2.14 SIERA and 2.56 xFIP in this span, which puts him up with players such as Edwin Diaz and Aroldis Chapman. Due to a smaller sample size, he is not quite as good as those players, but can be in the future.

89. Eloy Jiminez

Eloy’s situation is almost identical to Nick Anderson, as he got called up in 2019, and has been injured in 2021. But from 2019-2020, Jimenez has a 123 wRC+ and .353 wOBA, which would strengthen an already good White Sox lineup.

90. Teoscar Hernandez

When combining Hernandez’s 2020-21 it is clear that he has entered his prime. He has a .372 wOBA and 135 wRC+ in this span. If he can maintain this for the next few years he will rise on this list.

91. Jake Cronenworth

Cronenworth has had a very successful start to his career. He is very versatile defensively, while posting a 129 wRC+ and .358 wOBA offensively. Cronenworth has the potential to be an all-star for a number of years.

92. Kyle Tucker

Tucker has put up very solid numbers since 2019. Although he is pretty mediocre defensively, he has a .347 wOBA and 124 wRC+, which is great considering he is the seventh best hitter on his team.

93. Liam Hendricks

Hendricks has been one of the best closers in baseball over the past few years, which is why he earned a big contract to play for the White Sox this season. He has a 2.54 SIERA and 3.10 xFIP since 2018, which shows how good he is.

94. Ramon Laureano

Besides a down year in 2020, Laureano has been great since getting called up in 2018. He has a 123 wRC+, .348 wOBA, and 6 DRS for his career. This conveys how Laureano has immense value overall, and how he is an all-star level player.

95. Max Stassi

Stassi finally has some offensive consistency, with a 135 wRC+ and .368 wOBA from 2020-2021. The most essential part of Stassi’s game is his 30.6 FRM and 19 framing runs since 2018. Overall, he is one of the best catchers in the game, and if he maintains this offense he will be a top 30-40 player at least.

96. Sean Murphy

Murphy is a very solid all-around player with a 120 wRC+, .341 wOBA, and 7.1 FRM since being called up in 2019. He has complimented the Oakland A’s very well, as he adds a solid bat to the lineup, and strengthens the elite bullpen with stellar framing.

97. Gary Sanchez

Although Gary is average at best defensively, his offensive ceiling is very high. We saw him maintain a 143 wRC+ from 2016-2017, but had never gotten back to that since. Finally, in 2021 he broke out. In 2019-2021 combined, Gary has a .333 wOBA and 109 wRC+, but these numbers are on the rise, as he has a 128 wRC+ and .360 xwOBA in 2021 alone.

98. Carlos Carrasco

Due to injuries Carrasco has missed some time, but his numbers from 2018-2020 are fantastic. He has a 3.32 SIERA and 3.19 xFIP over this span, which ranks him very high amongst other starters. Due to his injury in 2021, and 3.91 SIERA in 2020, I moved him down a little, but I expect him to rise back up.

99. Starling Marte

I think many analytical nerds (like myself) often underrate Starling Marte. He plays very solid defense, and has a 117 wRC+ and .346 wOBA since 2018. He is a very solid player overall, and has been the best bat in the Miami Marlins lineup, if that means anything.

100. Austin Hedges

We have finally reached number 100, and you probably think I put a backup catcher as a joke. But, if you really look at how good Hedges is defensively, he is too valuable to leave off of this list. In all of baseball, framing is the most important aspect in regards to defense. Framing plays a role in every single pitch of every game, which is why a good defensive catcher is so valuable to a team. And Hedges is just that; he has 36.6 FRM since 2018, he has also averaged a 12.53 CDA per season over that span, and has 48 framing runs. Even though he is arguably the worst hitter ever, Hedges adds so much value to your team.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Mets Need a Center Fielder

Author: Frank Caggino

Editor: Brian Symons

The month of May has been a challenging one for the Mets with all of the injuries they have suffered. The position that has the most injuries, is the outfield and in particular centerfield. New York’s starting center fielder Brandon Nimmo has been out for weeks and it is not clear when he will return. When Nimmo was playing rehab games, he suffered a setback. Other center field options have suffered unfortunate injuries such as Kevin Pillar getting hit in the face with a pitch. Albert Almora and Johneshwy Fargas got hurt running into the outfield wall on separate occasions. The Mets made a move for a center fielder by acquiring Cameron Maybin, who still has not gotten a hit yet. Center field was a position fans wanted the Mets to address, because they have not had a true center fielder for a long time.

The Mets tried to get George Springer in the offseason, but Toronto’s six year offer was difficult for the Mets to top for a player over 30 years old. The Mets knew that they still need a long term solution. They hope young prospect Pete Crow Armstrong can be the player they have been looking for, but he is out for the year following shoulder surgery. The Mets are fortunate to be in first place, despite all the injuries they have endured. All of their games have been tight because of how low scoring they are. This team can use a boost in the lineup in for order them to stay in first place with the tougher schedule coming up.

A very intriguing name is Byron Buxton because of how talented he is. However he is very injury prone, and that is the one thing the Mets have to avoid. Ramon Laureano is a good defensive center fielder who is competent offensively. Oakland is known for trading their players away and Sandy Alderson has an Oakland Athletics connection. Since the Mets have multiple injuries, a player with defensive versatility would be ideal.

With all of the injuries the Mets have, a player with defensive versatility would be ideal. Joey Gallo stands out because he is a very good defensive outfielder, and can also play the corner infield positions. This team has struggled with hitting for power, and Gallo has tremendous power. The downside is he strikes out a ton and would be another left handed bat. He might be attainable because of how poorly the Rangers have played. Kris Bryant would be another option, but the Cubs are playing too well for them to trade him right now. Another player worth mentioning is Ketel Marte who is a young switch hitter that has position versatility and is not on a great team.

Nonetheless, the Mets have to do something because they need to score more runs and Cameron Maybin is not getting the job done. The Mets will also need a two way center fielder for next year, especially if there is a universal designated hitter. Steve Cohen wants to win and hopefully the front office can find the right player who can perform in New York. It is unknown what player will be able to perform as a Met and all we can do as fans is hope the Mets front offie makes the right decision.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Wander Franco Card Sells for $200K

Author: Spencer Reyes

Editor: Brian Symons

Since the first set of baseball cards were made in 1886 by Goodwin Tobacco, sports fans have lined up to be a part of history. The idea of selling trading cards wasn’t exactly what it is today. Tobacco, cigarette, and chewing gum companies decided to include the top baseball players as a plus to buying their product. The card didn’t really mean too much, it was more like the toy a kid gets when his parents buy a box of cereal.

In today’s world, sports cards are a hot commodity, especially during the COVID pandemic. The sports card industry boomed during 2020 and now in 2021. Every store across the country had to keep buying more supplies to fulfill the consumer’s needs. Big names like Target, Walmart, Walgreen’s, and even small card shops had to adjust.

Many cards this past year have sold for a lot of money. The latest of the trading card buzz was this past week when a PSA graded 10 1st Bowman card of Wander Franco was autographed and bought for nearly $200,000.

He is the number one prospect according to MLB Pipeline for 2021. Franco hasn’t stepped foot on the MLB playing field but is already expected to be the next big thing. Last year he played at the single-A level, but this season he was already called up to AAA. At the age of 20, he already has multiple accolades from his minor league career and is batting .275 in 19 games this season. He has 14 total RBI’s and is continuing his 4-season streak of a 1.000 fielding percentage.

The Rays traded away his competitor, Willy Adames Jr., so Franco has a clear shot to the show, and you can definitely expect him to be called up this season, either within the next couple months or for September callups. Stay tuned to the Sport Universe for daily content and the next moves for Wander Franco!

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE