Ranking the top 10 hitters in the World Series

Ranking the top 10 hitters in the World Series

October 24th, 2024

The World Series of power hitting begins on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, featuring two teams stacked with MVPs, home run champions, Statcast sensations and likely Hall of Famers.

That sets us up perfectly for the World Series edition of our Hitter Power Rankings. Every two weeks throughout the 2024 season, a panel of MLB.com voters picked the top 10 bats of the moment, factoring in career track record, 2024 performance and recent success. The Dodgers and Yankees were all over those lists, especially at the top, with a batter from one team or the other ranking No. 1 in every single one. Now they will make up the entire list.

Here are the 10 Dodgers and Yankees hitters that our panel felt are most likely to make an impact in the World Series.

(One related note before we begin: Dodgers first baseman narrowly missed out on cracking the top 10 here, despite the sprained ankle that has hobbled him all postseason long, sometimes keeping him out of the lineup and other times simply hindering his production. Freeman has a .461 OPS in eight 2024 playoff games, but needless to say, he would be comfortably inside the top 10 if healthy.)

1. , Yankees
We could write a bunch of words here to tell you why our voters felt Soto belonged at the top of this star-studded list. Or we could simply point you to his 10th-inning at-bat in the Yankees’ ALCS Game 5 clincher, when he masterfully worked Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis until he got a pitch he could turn into a game-winning three-run homer. It was a stark reminder as to why someone will be handing Soto a massive check this offseason.

2. , Dodgers
Ohtani has gone from never sniffing the postseason with the Angels to making the World Series in Year 1 with the Dodgers. Not surprisingly, he has risen to the occasion, batting .286/.434/.500 over his first 11 MLB playoff games. While he didn’t light it up in the NL Division Series against the Padres, Ohtani had three multi-hit games in the NL Championship Series against the Mets, while also walking nine times in 31 plate appearances.

3. , Yankees
You would have expected Judge to be on top here, given that 1) He led each of the last nine regular-season editions of the Hitter Power Rankings, and 2) He is, in fact, playing in the World Series. Alas, Judge comes in at No. 3. That’s largely about the two superstars ahead of him here, but it can’t be ignored that Judge is now hitting .161 with a .704 OPS this postseason, and .203 with a .761 OPS over 53 career playoff games. That’s not what people expect from a hitter of his caliber, but as Judge showed with his tying homer off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase in ALCS Game 3, he remains as dangerous as anyone. Perhaps this series will be his time to shine.

4. , Yankees
On the flip side of Judge, we have Stanton. The slugger, who will turn 35 shortly after the World Series, still bashed 27 homers this season, but injuries limited him to 114 games, and he posted a .298 OBP and 115 OPS+ out of the DH spot. Once again, though, October Stanton has been a force. He is hitting .294/.385/.794 with five homers and 11 RBIs in nine games, further cementing his status as an all-time playoff performer (1.019 OPS, 16 homers, 35 RBIs in 36 games). And his big flies? There is still nothing else quite like them.

5. , Dodgers
The previous two postseasons ended far too quickly for the Dodgers, and Betts was one reason why. He went an uncharacteristic 2-for-25 across two NLDS losses. But let’s not forget: Betts has enjoyed plenty of October success in the past, on his way to rings with the 2018 Red Sox and 2020 Dodgers. And now he’s doing it again. Betts owns a .296/.404/.659 slash line this postseason, with four homers and 12 RBIs in 11 games. Another triumphant World Series would add even more luster to Betts’ eventual Cooperstown plaque.

6. , Dodgers
Don’t underestimate what the Dodgers lineup was missing when a right oblique strain sidelined Muncy for 80 games in the middle of the season. Before that point, the team had a .344 OBP. While Muncy was out, that dropped to .322. After he returned? .350. Over that latter span, Muncy posted a .405 OBP and .520 SLG, and he’s been even better this postseason (.468 OBP, .546 SLG). Few hitters in the game are better at working pitchers, and Muncy has the power to do serious damage, too.

7. , Yankees
Torres did not put together the type of contract year he wanted to in 2024, but the postseason provided a fresh opportunity, and he has taken advantage. While Torres has not produced a ton of power in October, he has done exactly what the Yankees need in the leadoff spot: Get on base ahead of Soto, Judge and Stanton. Torres is batting .297 with a .400 OBP this month and posted three multi-hit efforts in the ALCS. If he continues to set the table against the Dodgers, the Yankees will have a great chance at a ring.

8. , Dodgers
“There’s certain guys that are able to perform in certain moments, and he’s definitely one of them. He’s always been one of them.” That was Muncy talking about Hernández after the latter swatted his 15th career postseason homer in an NLCS Game 3 victory. Hernández almost certainly would not have been considered one of the 10 best hitters on these rosters headed into October. But whether or not you buy into the idea that some players possess a quality that allows them to raise their game on the biggest stage, there is no disputing that Hernández has done exactly that, both over his career and in 2024.

9. , Dodgers
On July 29, Edman was traded from the Cardinals to the Dodgers despite not having played all season due to wrist and ankle injuries. Less than three months later, Edman was named NLCS MVP for his new team, after batting .407 and slugging .630 with 11 RBIs against the Mets. In his team’s final two wins of the series, both against left-handed starting pitchers, the switch-hitter batted cleanup and drove in a combined seven runs. The lesson, once again: You never know who might become an October hero.

10. , Dodgers
If there’s anyone in the top 10 who could prove to be wildly under-ranked there, it could be the other half of the Dodgers’ Hernández-Hernández duo. Yes, Teoscar went 0-for-18 in the first five games of the NLCS (though he still drew seven walks). But he was excellent during the regular season, and in the NLDS, and then went 2-for-4 in the NLCS Game 6 clincher. If the Yankees pitch around the likes of Ohtani and Betts, Hernández will have his opportunities to make them pay -- and don’t be shocked if he does just that.

Others receiving votes: Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Andy Pages (Dodgers), Anthony Rizzo (Yankees), Anthony Volpe (Yankees), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Yankees), Will Smith (Dodgers)