Ranking top 24 players in 2024 MLB playoffs: Yankees duo in top five, Aaron Judge ahead of Shohei Ohtani

The 2024 Major League Baseball postseason field has been set, and high-stakes playoff baseball is here. To help set the scene for the month-long dramatics that will determine who wins both belt and title, we're here to rank the top players who will be participating in these playoffs. Specifically, we're about to rank the top 24 players chosen from the 12 teams making the 2024 postseason. So that's 24 in '24 for those slow on the uptake. 

As for the criteria, excellence in the current season and whether or not said excellence seems sustainable in the near-term is a leading consideration. It's also about current value at this moment in time. Effectively, that means players whose "counting stats" may have taken a hit because of injury earlier in the season but are now healthy will be on here despite some cumulative deficits. 

This, again, is about likely levels of production heading into the playoffs, and players who missed significant time back in the spring or earlier in the summer can still force their way into the rankings because of how things stand right now. As such, these rankings are more about who's primed and skilled-up enough to put up big numbers in October (and possibly November). 

Your objections are always welcome so long as those objections are manifested in complete and utter silence. Just to preempt one of them, no, Chris Sale will not be ranked because his status is uncertain moving forward. Were he guaranteed to pitch in the postseason, then he'd be quite high on this list. He deserves to win the NL Cy Young, after all. Now let's jump in.

Top 24 players in 2024 MLB playoffs

24	Jackson Merrill San Diego Padres CF
The Pads' 21-year-old rookie phenom has not only put together a quality season with the bat, he's also adapted nicely to center field while in essence learning on the job for a contender. Merrill takes with him to the postseason 24 homers, 16 steals, and an OPS+ of 127 from an up-the-middle position.
23	Emmanuel Clase Cleveland Guardians RP
It's hard for a reliever to crack any list of top players by virtue of their limited roles. However, lockdown relievers take on more importance in the postseason, particularly given contemporary playoff strategies, and Clase stands alone right now. Armed with elite velocity and a fully commanded cutter-slider lead combo, Clase has suffocated opposing hitters in 2024. In 74 1/3 innings this season, he's permitted just five earned runs and 10 walks. Along the way, Clase converted 94% of his save opportunities.
22	Fernando Tatis San Diego Padres RF
Tatis missed more than two months with a stress reaction in his leg. However, since returning in early September, he slugged .579 with seven homers in 22 games. That's peak power form from one of best all-around players in the game.
21	Jurickson Profar San Diego Padres LF
The 31-year-old Profar has enjoyed a career year at the plate, and he's backed it up with the best quality-of-contact and plate-discipline indicators of his career. He's been a steady presence in a Padres lineup that's dealt with injuries and stretches of under-performance from many other spots.
20	Teoscar Hernandez Los Angeles Dodgers LF
Hernández gets a bit overlooked in L.A. thanks to the Ohtani-Betts-Freeman trio, but he's a rich power source in his own right. The two-time All-Star enjoyed a career campaign in 2024 with 33 homers and a 137 OPS+ in 155 games.
19	Yordan Alvarez Houston Astros DH
One of the best pure hitters in baseball keeps on doing what he does. Alvarez notched a career high in plate appearances this season, and over that span he had an OPS+ of 172 with more than 300 total bases. Among active players, only Aaron Judge and Mike Trout have a higher career OPS+ than Alvarez's figure of 166. He'd of course be much higher on this list if not for the knee sprain that caused him to miss the final games of the regular season and raises concerns he might not be at 100% or even available for the start of the postseason.
18	Freddie Freeman Los Angeles Dodgers 1B
Another year, another high-value campaign from Freeman. Normally, you might be concerned about a career first baseman in his mid-30s, but Freeman remains a top-line producer. This season, he's producing a bit north of career norms with oodles of plate discipline and good power numbers.
17	Anthony Santander Baltimore Orioles RF
The veteran slugger doesn't leap to mind when you think of the Orioles' best players, but Santander has been among them this season. He earned his first career All-Star selection in 2024 en route to hitting 44 home runs for Baltimore.
16	Marcell Ozuna Atlanta Braves DH
The veteran slugger keeps on slugging. Ozuna boasts an OPS+ of more than 150, he cracked 39 homers, and he breezed past 300 total bases for the year. He also played in 152 games for Atlanta. He's been a true force at the plate over the last two seasons.
15	Riley Greene Detroit Tigers LF
Greene blends pop and on-base chops with strong fly-catching in center field. He's also hit into just two double plays all year. That's a near-complete package of value. As will be the case with a certain Detroit ace to be ranked soon, the Tigers don't make their surprise playoff run without Greene's contributions.
14	Framber Valdez Houston Astros SP
Valdez has been one of the top starting pitchers in baseball over the last half-decade, and 2024 has been no exception. His excellence has been particularly essential to an Astros team that was hit hard by rotation injuries earlier in the year. This season, Valdez boasts an ERA+ of 136 with an FIP of 3.25 across a qualifying number of innings.
13	Bryce Harper Philadelphia Phillies 1B
The two-time NL MVP is still doing what he's done for more than a decade: getting on base and hitting for power. Harper in his age-31 season put up an OPS+ of 149 with 30 homers, 42 doubles, and 76 walks. He also looked strong with the glove in his first full season as a first baseman. He enters these playoffs with 16 career postseason home runs.
12	Corbin Burnes Baltimore Orioles SP
The Orioles' ace and pending free agent has lost a bit of strikeout oomph this season, but otherwise Burns continues to perform at a Cy Young level. He ended the regular season ranking fourth in the AL in ERA and third in innings pitched.
11	Zack Wheeler Philadelphia Phillies SP
With more than 200 strikeouts and an ERA in the mid-2.00s in a sizable number of innings, Wheeler has indeed been the Phils' ace this season. Atlanta's Chris Sale will almost certainly take NL Cy Young honors this season, but Wheeler figures to be a worthy second-place finisher in the balloting.
10	Mookie Betts Los Angeles Dodgers SS
In terms of overall value in 2024, Betts isn't quite up to his usual standards thanks to a hand fracture that cost him almost two months. On a rate basis, though, he's still among the tops in the game – a 145 OPS+ with 48 extra-base hits in 116 games. Betts was the Dodgers' primary shortstop before his injury, which speaks to his brilliance as a baseball player, but now he's back in his established position of right field.
9	Jose Ramirez Cleveland Guardians 3B
The relentlessly consistent Ramírez has turned in yet another standout campaign. This time around, he boasts, oh, 39 home runs, 39 doubles, 41 stolen bases, and as usual plus defense at the hot corner. Ramírez is still near peak at age 32, and he's looking like he'll have a compelling Hall of Fame case by the time he's done.
8	William Contreras Milwaukee Brewers C
The best-hitting catcher in baseball? It's hard to argue against Contreras for that honor. In 2024, he's put up a slash line of .281/.365/.466 with 37 doubles, while the average MLB catcher this season has a line of .234/.300/.379. That's a huge marginal advantage at the most grueling position on the field. As well, Contreras for the first time in his career topped 1,000 defensive innings behind the plate.
7	Francisco Lindor New York Mets SS
The Mets' best player and leading warrior-poet put up excellent offensive numbers, especially considering he's a slick-fielding shortstop. Lindor also added value on the bases, and his Monday home run against the Braves – one of 33 he hit in 2024 – may have been the biggest anyone hit during this regular season.
6	Tarik Skubal Detroit Tigers SP
The 27-year-old lefty has been the best pitcher in baseball this season, and without him the Tigers wouldn't be in the playoffs. In 31 starts, Skubal pitched to a 2.39 ERA and 2.49 FIP – both of which led all American League qualifiers. He also paced the AL in ERA+, and he led the majors in pitcher WAR, strikeouts, and wins. Yes, as you may have already surmised Skubal won the pitcher's Triple Crown this season.
5	Juan Soto New York Yankees RF
The pending best-in-class free agent enjoyed a standout season in the Bronx. Was this Soto's best campaign ever? Throw out the abbreviated 2020 season, and it's easy to make that case. He topped 40 homers and again managed to log more walks than strikeouts. For all he's accomplished, it's easy to forget that Soto is still just 25 years of age.
4	Gunnar Henderson Baltimore Orioles SS
Henderson's a defensive asset at short, and he's smacked 37 homers this season as a 23-year-old while also adding value on the bases. On that latter point, Henderson has seven triples and 21 steals in 25 attempts, and he hit into just two double plays all season. The Witt Jr.-Henderson debate figures to be a compelling and high-level one for the next decade-plus.
3	Bobby Witt Kansas City Royals SS
Not long ago, Witt Jr. became the first shortstop to have multiple 30-30 seasons, and he did that in his third big-league season as a 24-year-old. Hitting, baserunning, plus fielding at a premium position – Witt Jr. truly does it all on the diamond.
2	Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers DH
The singular Shohei Ohtani... He takes a year off from pitching so he can heal from Tommy John surgery, and to make up for the loss of his ace-level mound work he casually authors the first 50-50 season in MLB history and even makes a run at the Triple Crown. He's been the NL's best hitter this season, and he remains at peak form with the bat.
1	Aaron Judge New York Yankees CF
Judge's home run pace slacked off just a bit toward the end of the regular season, but his mega-elite combination of power and patience (plus his capacity to man center field) make Judge tops on this list in what's really an easy call. His sky-scraping OPS+ of 223 is tops in the majors by a whopping margin of 33 points. He also topped the majors in WAR by a comfy margin.