Best players from first half of 2025 MLB season, ranked

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Best players from first half of 2025 MLB season, ranked

Bailey Bassett · ClutchPoints

Tue, Jul 15, 2025 ·

12 min read

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The post Best players from first half of 2025 MLB season, ranked appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The MLB All-Star Week is here, so the baseball season is around halfway over. Some of the biggest-name superstars are still performing at an elite level, which has confirmed many of the rankings of the best MLB players article that ClutchPoints put out before the season.

However, tons of players have broken out and burst onto the scene this season, so it is worth re-ranking the best players in MLB. This ranking will only take into account what players have done in 2025, so performances and reputations from previous seasons, as well as expectations for what is to come, won't have any bearing on this list.

25. Will Smith , Los Angeles Dodgers , C

The Los Angeles Dodgers are no strangers to throwing money around. While the record-setting contract that they gave to Shohei Ohtani gets more attention, Will Smith did get a 10-year deal last year. Ohtani has overshadowed the catcher on the Dodgers roster this year, too, but there is no doubting that he is one of the best players in the league as well.

Smith is fourth in MLB in batting average (.323) and second in on-base percentage (.425). That kind of offensive production from a backstop is rare, and getting on base well over 40% of the time is incredibly impressive. Smith is the starting catcher in the All-Star Game for the National League.

24. Rafael Devers , San Francisco Giants , DH

Rafael Devers started the season with the Boston Red Sox before he was traded in a blockbuster deal to the San Francisco Giants. Devers has underwhelmed since being traded, but he was playing well enough in Boston to warrant a spot among the best MLB players during the first half of the 2025 season.

Devers is only batting .202 in San Francisco , but he belted 15 home runs earlier in the season with the Red Sox.

23. Manny Machado , San Diego Padres , 3B

The San Diego Padres have a deep roster, but their production has been limited because of injuries. Manny Machado's steady presence has allowed the team to maintain one of the best records in the sport, even in a stacked NL West.

Machado has 107 hits and has played excellently on defense at the hot corner. His 74 putouts and 19 double plays are both the most at third base this season.

If the Padres can get hot and stay healthy, they have the superstar talent to give anybody a run for their money, even the Dodgers. They are largely in a position to make a run because of Machado's production so far, though.

22. Eugenio Suarez , Arizona Diamondbacks , 3B

The 2025 season has largely been dominated by pitchers, but a handful of batters have stood out. Eugenio Suarez has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season. The Arizona Diamondbacks' third baseman has 31 home runs, which only trails players who rank inside of the top five on this list.

The Diamondbacks have underwhelmed in the season and a half since making the World Series. Their sub-.500 record could lead to Suarez being traded this year. It is unclear if Arizona will be trade deadline buyers or sellers, but Suarez will certainly be one of the most coveted players in the trade market if the Diamondbacks decide to load up for the future.

21. Pete Alonso, New York Mets , 1B

The New York Mets' Juan Soto got off to a slow start to the season, but more on that later. Pete Alonso carried the Mets during that early stretch. Alonso has continued to crush the ball all season long, though.

The first baseman has 77 RBIs and 192 total bases. While most known for his power, Alonso is also in the midst of a career-best season hitting for average. His .280 batting average is on pace to be his career high.

20. Junior Caminero , Tampa Bay Rays , 3B

Junior Caminero turned 22 years old just days ago, but he is already making a name for himself at the major-league level. Caminero, who ranks 10th in home runs with 23 long bombs, showcased his power-hitting prowess during a second-place finish at the Home Run Derby on Monday.

Caminero's bat speed is unmatched, and it could lead to him becoming just the third player to hit 40-plus homers in their age-21 season.

19. Jose Ramirez , Cleveland Guardians , 3

Year in and year out, Jose Ramirez produces. He is doing so once again with the Cleveland Guardians. In addition to batting .295 with 18 home runs, Ramirez already has 29 stolen bases, improving on an aspect of his game that he worked on last season.

18. Jacob deGrom , Texas Rangers , SP

Injuries limited Jacob DeGrom in each of his first two seasons with the Texas Rangers . In fact, Tommy John surgery kept the pitcher out of the World Series in 2023 and limited him to just 10.2 innings on the bump last season. DeGrom has returned to his ways as one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, though.

The Rangers' ace has an ERA of 2.32 and a 0.908 walks/hits per inning pitched rate. With nine wins, deGrom is atop the league in winning percentage, as he has won 81.8% of his decisions this year. When deGrom is pitching, the Rangers look like they can again win the World Series. They've struggled to a sub-.500 record otherwise, though.

17. Riley Greene , Detroit Tigers , OF

The Detroit Tigers have gone somewhat under the radar all season long, and the same can be said about Riley Greene, their best offensive player. The former No. 5 pick has helped the Tigers to the best record in baseball (59-38). With 24 home runs and 199 total bases, Green's statistics are entrenched alongside or above the consensus best players in MLB.

16. Corbin Carroll , Arizona Diamondbacks, OF

Corbin Carroll and the aforementioned Eugenio Suarez both narrowly edge out fellow Diamondback Ketel Marte on this list. Carroll was still arguably at his best during his rookie season, but he is once again racking up the triples.

Carroll led the National League in triples in each of the last two seasons, and he is already up to 10 triples this season. His rare speed/power combination makes him one of the best players in MLB.

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

Bobby Witt Jr. is a five-tool player, and he has demonstrated his versatility during the 2025 season. While Carroll has tons of triples, Witt has been king of the double. The Kansas City Royals star has 32 doubles already. He also has 25 steals and 112 hits, all while playing elite defense at shortstop.

14. Elly De La Cruz , Cincinnati Reds , SS

At his best, Elly De La Cruz is one of the most electrifying players in baseball. He has been playing like his best self as of late. De La Cruz can hit for average (career-best .284), for power (18 home runs), and he can succeed on the base paths (25 steals), all while making jaw-dropping plays on defense.

13. Kyle Schwarber , Philadelphia Phillies , DH

Kyle Schwarber is doing what he always does. He draws walks with a patient approach at the plate, and when he decides to swing, there is a high likelihood that the ball will soar over the outfield fence. Schwarber has 66 walks and 30 home runs, both of which rank inside of the Top 5 this season.

12. Max Fried , New York Yankees , SP

The New York Yankees lost in the 2024 World Series. Their big offseason get that could help them get redemption was Max Fried. The ex-Atlanta Brave is having his best season to-date. Fried has a 2.43 ERA, and his 11 wins are the most in baseball. Fried was forced to step up because of Gerrit Cole's injury , and step up he has.

11. Kyle Tucker , Chicago Cubs , OF

The Chicago Cubs traded for Kyle Tucker during the offseason to be their star outfielder. While another outfielder has emerged and will be discussed later, Tucker has lived up to the billing. The ex-Astro and former World Series champion gets on base 38.4% of the time, and he'd be firmly in the MVP race if he wasn't being outshined by a teammate.

10. Byron Buxton , Minnesota Twins , OF

The former No. 1 prospect in baseball was never quite able to live up to his potential because of injuries. Now in his age-31 season, Buxton is looking like the player the Minnesota Twins expected to get when they drafted him second overall behind current teammate Carlos Correa . In what is his second All-Star season, Buxton is on pace for career highs across the board.

Buxton is hitting .289 with 21 home runs and 56 RBIs, which is tied for his career high from last year. Buxton is also 17-for-17 on stolen-base attempts and has been successful on his last 23 attempts going back to last season.

9. Juan Soto, New York Mets, OF

The Mets lured Juan Soto from the Yankees with the biggest MLB contract ever . He actually got off to a slow start, but he has proven that he was worth the megadeal since May. Soto has a .396 on-base percentage, 23 home runs, and 77 walks.

8. Zack Wheeler , Philadelphia Phillies, SP

The coveted Cy Young award has narrowly eluded Zack Wheeler throughout his career, but he may finally be recognized as the best pitcher in the NL this season. Wheeler is only allowing 5.28 hits per nine innings, and his 4.8 WAR is the best mark for pitchers this year.

The Phillies' offense, outside of Schwarber, has been good but not as great as expected. The team is still atop the NL East because Wheeler and the rest of a stacked pitching staff have carried an extra burden this year.

7. Pete Crow-Armstrong , Chicago Cubs, OF

Again, Tucker hasn't been the best player on the Cubs this year. That honor belongs to Pete Crow-Armstrong. He is playing the more valuable center field position, whereas Tucker is a corner outfielder. Plus, PCA is a leading candidate is a leading candidate for an NL Gold Glove, if not a Platinum Glove for overall best defender.

He also has compiled some of the best numbers with a bat in his hand. Crow-Armstrong has 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. His 5.2 WAR only trails the No. 1 player on this list of the best MLB players so far through the 2025 season.

6. Garrett Crochet , Boston Red Sox, SP

Garrett Crochet only had one full season of starter production before the Red Sox traded for him , as he broke into the majors with the Chicago White Sox as a reliever. Crochet showed he was one of the best starters last season, and he has proven it since being traded for and extended.

Crochet has a league-high 129.1 innings pitched, so clearly he is comfortable starting. He also has 160 strikeouts and a 2.23 ERA, the former of which ranks first in MLB and the latter of which is second among pitchers.

5. Paul Skenes , Pittsburgh Pirates , SP

Paul Skenes only has a 4-8 record this season. That isn't his fault, though, as he has done everything in his power to put the Pittsburgh Pirates in a position to win. This is evidenced by his league-leading 2.01 ERA. Unfortunately, there just isn't much talent around Skenes. Even so, opponents haven't been able to figure out last year's NL Rookie of the Year.

4. Cal Raleigh , Seattle Mariners , C

Cal Raleigh is currently having one of the best offensive seasons by a catcher ever. The Home Runs Derby winner has belted more regular-season homers (38) than anybody else so far. He also ranks first in RBIs (82) and second in slugging percentage (.634) and OPS (1.011).

Raleigh can break a whole bunch of home-run records this season, including long balls by a catcher ( Salvador Perez , 48), homers by a switch hitter (Mickey Mantle, 54), and fence-clearing shots by an American Leaguer ( Aaron Judge , 62). Raleigh is on pace for 64 home runs, and he has already hit multiple homers in a game eight times.

3. Tarik Skubal , Detroit Tigers, SP

After winning the pitching Triple Crown and the Cy Young last season, Tarik Skubal has somehow gotten even better. Skubal's 2.23 ERA is better than it was last year, and he already has 10 wins and 153 strikeouts. Skubal is striking out 9.56 batters for every one that he walks. Only four qualified pitchers in MLB history have done better in that regard.

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

Shohei Ohtani had an excellent MVP-winning season as a designated hitter in 2024. Now, he is pitching again. Ohtani just recently returned to the bump, but he only has a 1.00 ERA, albeit in limited action as he builds up stamina. When it comes to the batter's box, Ohtani has 32 home runs and 91 runs scored. He is on pace to come close to averaging 1 run scored per game.

1. Aaron Judge , New York Yankees, OF

The top two players in MLB can be flipped back and forth, but Aaron Judge has an edge on Ohtani this season, although both could win MVP once again. Judge has 7.1 WAR, which is nearly two full wins above second place.

Judge is most known for his 6-foot-7 power, which has been prevalent (35 home runs). He has somehow been even better as an average hitter, though. Judge leads baseball with 125 hits and a .355 batting average. There is simply no way to pitch to Judge, and he punishes opponents almost anytime a baseball is in the zone.

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