CLEVELAND, Ohio — Guardians third baseman José Ramírez earned the fifth spot on MLB Network’s Top 100 Players Right Now countdown, moving up four positions from his ninth-place ranking last year.
But the four-time American League MVP finalist was not the highest-rated player in the AL Central Division. That distinction went to Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr, who ranked third on the list.
Ramírez, a seven-time All-Star, finished ahead of Mets slugger Juan Soto and behind 2025 Major League Player of the Year Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners in the rankings revealed Thursday night. Ramírez’s teammate, Steven Kwan, also made the list at No. 75.
Analyst Cliff Floyd, a 17-year MLB veteran, praised Ramírez’s impact on the Guardians lineup.
“He is a one-man wrecking crew consistently when you look at this lineup,” Floyd said. “Yes, they can hit and yes, Stephen Vogt has these boys playing better than they think they are, but they need him and if he ever takes a day off you see it; if he ever gets on an IL stint you see it.”
The top five players according to MLB Network are Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Witt, Raleigh, and Ramírez.
The network rankings were based on performance over recent seasons with emphasis on 2025 and projected 2026 performance. A panel of evaluators considered accolades and positional value, including players returning from injury.
The Top 100 Players Right Now featured athletes with a cumulative 243 All-Star selections, 87 Silver Slugger Awards, 42 Gold Glove Awards, and 18 Most Valuable Player Awards, among other honors.
