MLB Network recently ranked the Top 100 players in Major League Baseball, and it's no surprise the Philadelphia Phillies are well represented on the list. These rankings can often be controversial as some players are obvious snubs, but MLB mostly got this one right.
While pre-season superlatives are an interesting gauge of where a player is in their career, at the end of the season the numbers tell the full story. Still, it's great to see five Phillies players ranked among the best players in MLB right now.
Our guys in the Top 100 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uuruHkK6p0
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 23, 2024
Five Phillies are considered Top 100 players in MLB's rankings
Bryce Harper narrowly missed out on cracking the Top 10 with a No. 11 ranking on this list. The former two-time National League MVP will enter the 2024 season fully healthy for the first time in two seasons and could easily be considered higher next year when MLB puts together its 2025 rankings. Harper was previously ranked No. 17 in 2023.
Trea Turner is the next Phillie to make the list with a No. 16 ranking. Turner, who had an up-and-down first season in a Phillies uniform, certainly gets respect for past performance on this one. It seems most baseball insiders view Turner's 2023 season as an outlier in a relatively consistent career. Turner previously ranked No. 17 when this list was last put together in 2023.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler cracks the top 30 while being ranked the 28th-best player in MLB right now. Wheeler, who was also ranked the third-best pitcher in the National League in a separate MLB poll, was previously ranked No. 35 on this list last season.
J.T. Realmuto slides from 29 on the 2023 ranking to No. 46 on MLB's updated list. Realmuto showed some moderate decline offensively and defensively last season. Still, the backstop's ranking within the top 50 on this current list is indicative of Realmuto's status as one of the best all-around catchers in the game today.
Kyle Schwarber is the last Phillie to crack the Top 100 on MLB's ranking of best players. The slugger previously ranked No. 44 in 2023 but slides down to 57 in this year's rankings. While Schwarber again put up elite power numbers last season, his .197 batting average and league-leading 215 strikeouts likely contributed to his fall in this ranking.
Notable snubs on this list include Aaron Nola, Nick Castellanos, and Bryson Stott, who all failed to be ranked within the Top 100. These lists are subjective, but perhaps we'll see all three ranked higher when the next list is released in 2025.