Ohtani conquers Hitter Power Rankings

Shohei Ohtani is the fifth player to reach the top of the Hitter Power Rankings this season. But he is definitely the first to do it the day after starting a game on the mound.

Ohtani’s two-way greatness may seem normal by now, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. And he just keeps adding incredible feats to his never-ending resume.

A panel of MLB.com voters considered track record, season-long excellence and recent performance in casting their ballots for the latest edition of the Hitter Power Rankings. This time, the choice was clear.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Angels (Last poll: not ranked)
This was a nearly unanimous selection by our panel. Ohtani had not appeared in the Hitter Power Rankings since mid-April, a situation he corrected by slashing a mere .377/.476/.884 over his first 18 games in June, with nine homers and 20 RBIs. Just like that, he entered Wednesday with at least a share of the MLB lead in homers (24), RBIs (58), total bases (175) and OPS+ (170).

2. Luis Arraez, Marlins (1)
It’s not that Arraez did anything to lose his grip on the No. 1 spot -- the .400 chase continues in earnest. And while Ohtani proved too much this time around, what Arraez is doing is special in its own right. In a league batting .248 with a 22.7% strikeout rate, he’s batting .398 with a 5.2% K-rate.

3. Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (2)
He will have to ramp up his power production to record the fifth 40-40 season in MLB history. But even if he doesn’t, Acuña is already on pace for the first 30-60 campaign.

4. Corbin Carroll, D-backs (not ranked)
Speaking of 40-40, Carroll is actually the top contender to reach that particular combo at present. The NL Rookie of the Year Award favorite -- and NL MVP Award candidate -- entered play Wednesday on pace for 35 homers and 42 steals. Despite his size and speed, the 22-year-old can slug with almost anyone.

5. Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres (not ranked)
Like Carroll, Tatis is making his first appearance in the Hitter Power Rankings. It took the 24-year-old a little time to get back to full speed after missing the first 20 games of the season to finish serving his suspension. In June, however, we’ve seen the return of Peak Tatis: .400/.488/.814 with six homers and seven steals over his first 18 games through Tuesday.

6. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (3)
You can pretty much set your watch by Steady Freddie. This is his eighth straight season batting at least .295 with an OBP of .388 or higher and a slugging percentage above .500, and he’s on track to lead the NL in doubles for the fourth time in that span.

7. Corey Seager, Rangers (not ranked)
If a left hamstring strain hadn’t cost Seager 31 games earlier this season, we might be talking about him as an AL MVP favorite. He had a 1.008 OPS in 11 games before the injury, then posted a 1.101 mark over his first 31 games since returning. That includes five games with at least three hits so far in June.

8. Jorge Soler, Marlins (not ranked)
Soler’s career has been a rollercoaster, and right now the arrow is pointing up -- way up. After a highly disappointing first season in Miami, the slugger is mashing again, ranking in the top five in the Majors with 21 homers. Along with Arraez, he’s a big reason the Marlins sit in playoff position.

9. José Ramírez, Guardians (not ranked)
It’s a bit surprising that it’s taken J-Ram this long to crack the Hitter Power Rankings for the first time in 2023, but the switch-hitter didn’t get off to his hottest start. The tide seems to be turning now, though. His three-homer game on June 8 against the Red Sox kicked off a 10-game burst in which he slashed .400/.440/.844 with 13 RBIs.

10. Juan Soto, Padres (not ranked)
Soto is well on his way to leading the Majors in walks for the third straight season. He’s still never posted an OBP below .400. The bigger question these days is the power, but Soto is slugging .573 since April 29 and ranks in the 86th percentile in Statcast’s expected slugging percentage metric overall.

Others receiving votes: Yandy Díaz (Rays), Nolan Arenado (Cardinals), Bo Bichette (Blue Jays), Marcus Semien (Rangers), Elly De La Cruz (Reds), Eddie Rosario (Braves), Ryan McMahon (Rockies), Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals), Randy Arozarena (Rays), Austin Hays (Orioles), Gunnar Henderson (Orioles), Adolis García (Rangers)

Voters: David Adler, Brett Blueweiss, Paul Casella, Doug Gausepohl, Thomas Harrigan, Sarah Langs, Travis Miller, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Brian Murphy, Sweeny Murti, Manny Randhawa, Efrain Ruiz, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon, David Venn