Teammates go 1-2 in latest Hitter Power Rankings

Teammates go 1-2 in latest Hitter Power Rankings

May 2nd, 2024

The calendar has turned from April to May, but at the top of the Hitter Power Rankings, there is no change.

Each of our three polls so far this season has featured the same star at No. 1. But that doesn’t mean there is no movement. This week’s rankings feature a new No. 2 -- giving one of MLB’s top teams control of the top two spots -- and three sluggers who cracked the list for the first time in 2024.

Here are the latest Hitter Power Rankings, as voted on by our MLB.com panel, which considered track record, season-long success and recent performance. (All stats are through Tuesday’s games unless otherwise noted.)

1. , Dodgers (Last poll: 1)
While Betts performed extremely well in his first four seasons with the Dodgers -- the man was the NL MVP Award runner-up twice -- it was fair to wonder whether he would ever match the monster, MVP-winning campaign he put together in Boston in 2018. Clearly, there is a long way to go in 2024. But so far, Betts is on that sort of path. And he's 3-for-3 in leading our poll.

2. , Dodgers (4)
Remember when Ohtani was off to a bit of a slow start with his new team? Well, since a relatively quiet first eight games, he’s only hitting .367/.432/.714 with seven homers and 16 RBIs over his past 24 games. The only odd quirk of his season: His OPS is 1.281 with the bases empty, .775 with at least one baserunner and just .487 with runners in scoring position.

3. , Yankees (2)
Each year from 2021-23, Soto got off to a bit of a slow start, at least by his lofty standards, before recovering as the season went along. A repeat of that would have been extra tough in 2024, with Soto trying to craft a robust contract year in the Bronx pressure cooker. Instead, Soto came out of the gates at full speed and hasn’t let up since.

4. , Orioles (not ranked)
Just five years after Baltimore plucked Henderson out of an Alabama high school, it’s hard to believe that 41 players came off the board ahead of him in that 2019 Draft. Of course, one of those was teammate Adley Rustchman, at No. 1 overall, and those two may go down as one of the top Draft duos in the event’s history. At just 22 years old, Henderson is already one of MLB’s elite players -- and he may only be getting better.

5. , Astros (6)
It’s impressive how much Altuve has tailored his approach to Minute Maid Park, where he is batting .383/.439/.733 this season while aiming at the inviting left field Crawford Boxes. Only a few regulars have pulled the ball more often this season than Altuve (56.4% pull rate), who has picked up each of his 16 extra-base hits to the pull field. It should be noted, however, that Altuve ranks in the 78th percentile in barrel rate, so he isn’t just hitting cheapies.

6. , Brewers (10)
Contreras wasn’t a particularly hyped prospect coming up through the Braves system, but he certainly has made a name for himself over the past few seasons, first in Atlanta and now in Milwaukee. Since 2022, he leads all primary catchers in batting average (.292), OBP (.369) and OPS+ (134). At age 26, Contreras seems to be putting it all together in 2024.

7. , Reds (not ranked)
This is De La Cruz’s first Hitter Power Rankings appearance this year, but he may well become a regular here. The only question is whether his continued tendency to swing and miss will hold him back. But for now, it isn’t. Going back to April 8, when De La Cruz knocked his first two home runs of 2024, he is hitting .296/.412/.662 with eight homers and 13 steals over his past 21 games. A 40-40 season -- heck, a 40-80 season -- could be a realistic target.

8. , Royals (not ranked)
It’s nice to see a veteran turn back the clock, and that’s what Perez is doing so far in 2024, leading the AL with a .355 batting average and 26 RBIs in his age-34 season. The eight-time All-Star catcher has taken a beating over his career behind the plate, something that has hurt his performance with the bat at times. But right now, he looks rejuvenated as one of the leaders of a surprising Royals team.

9. , Phillies (not ranked)
It’s important to remember at this time of year how quickly things can still change. On April 19, Bohm came out of a Phillies off-day batting .242. But a .520 average over his next 12 games -- including nine multi-hit efforts -- raised his season line to .366/.438/.598 entering Wednesday. He now has the shiniest season-long numbers in a stacked Phillies lineup.

10. , Braves (8)
All Ozuna has done in the past year (since May 1, 2023) is slug .609, launch 47 home runs and drive in 129 runs, ranking among MLB’s top three in all three categories. That’s a rather stunning turnaround for a player in his 30s coming off consecutive tough seasons in 2021 and '22 before struggling through the first month of ‘23.

Others receiving votes: Freddie Freeman (Dodgers), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), Kyle Tucker (Astros), CJ Abrams (Nationals), Riley Greene (Tigers), Adolis García (Rangers), Trea Turner (Phillies)

Voters: Chris Begley, Jason Catania, Theo DeRosa, Daniel Feldman, Travis Miller, Brian Murphy, Sweeny Murti, Efrain Ruiz, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Ismail Soyugenc, David Venn, Tom Vourtsis, Andy Werle