What are the most stacked positions in baseball?
Spring Training is the time for position battles. But here in this annual exercise, we’re going to pit the positions … in a battle against each other.
Following MLB Network’s ranking of the Top 10 Players Right Now at each position (https://www.mlb.com/news/top-10-mlb-players-at-each-position-for-2026), let’s take a look at which spots on the field are the deepest going into the 2026 season and which could use a pick-me-up from a comeback player, rising star or fresh prospect.
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Here’s our rank of positions, from strongest to most vulnerable. (And we’ll include the MLB Network rankings, via “The Shredder,” at each position as a frame of reference.)
- SHORTSTOPS
MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Now: 1. Bobby Witt Jr., KC; 2. Corey Seager, TEX; 3. Francisco Lindor, NYM; 4. Gunnar Henderson, BAL; 5. Mookie Betts, LAD; 6. Geraldo Perdomo, AZ; 7. Trea Turner, PHI; 8. Jeremy Peña, HOU; 9. Elly De La Cruz, CIN; 10. Zach Neto, LAA
That top 10 is pretty stacked, but it runs much deeper. Last season, there were 19 shortstops who accrued at least three wins above replacement (WAR), per Baseball-Reference. That was a new record for a season! So if a team didn’t get at least solid regular production from its shortstop position last year, it was in the minority.
The position continues to trend upward with Jacob Wilson (ATH) and Colson Montgomery (CWS) both finishing in the top five of the AL Rookie of the Year voting.
And get this: Seven of the top 10 and each of the top five players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list are full- or part-time shortstops that could debut this year. That list includes the Pirates' Konnor Griffin (No. 1), the Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle (2), the Brewers’ Jesús Made (3), the A’s Leo De Vries (4), the Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt (5), the Rangers’ Sebastian Walcott (7) and the Mariners’ Colt Emerson (9). They won’t all stick at short, of course, but you get the point: The golden age of shortstops will not be stopping short anytime soon.
- THIRD BASEMEN
Top 10 Right Now: 1. José Ramírez, CLE; 2. Max Muncy, LAD; 3. Alex Bregman, CHC; 4. Matt Chapman, SF; 5. Manny Machado, SD; 6. Junior Caminero, TB; 7. Bo Bichette, NYM; 8. Isaac Paredes, HOU; 9. Eugenio Suárez, CIN; 10. Austin Riley, ATL
With the top five on the Shredder list all in their 30s, the amazing emergence of the 22-year-old Caminero (45 homers, 28 doubles) last season takes the hot corner star pool to a new generation, and Bichette is bringing his adept bat to a new position in the infield. Interestingly, via FanGraphs, third base has more projected three-plus WAR players than any position player spot other than shortstop.
There is a shortage of real third-base stars beyond what is listed above, and some contending clubs have found the position difficult to fill this winter. Regardless, that’s a strong top 10. And the Mariners will be an especially intriguing team to watch here this season, as they’ve added All-Star Brendan Donovan (who is on the second base list) as a third-base option and also have their top prospect Emerson on the cusp of his big league arrival.
- RIGHT FIELDERS
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Aaron Judge, NYY; 2. Juan Soto, NYM; 3. Kyle Tucker, LAD; 4. Corbin Carroll, AZ; 5. Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL; 6. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD; 7. Seiya Suzuki, CHC; 8. George Springer, TOR; 9. Mike Trout, LAA; 10. Wilyer Abreu, BOS
The Shredder list was formulated before the Mets revealed this week that Soto will play left field. Taking a generational talent out of the mix affects the right-field ranking on this list, though the fact that players as talented and accomplished as Acuña and Tatis were only ranked fifth and sixth speaks to the relative strength of this position right now.
- FIRST BASEMEN
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Freddie Freeman, LAD; 2. Nick Kurtz, ATH; 3. Matt Olson, ATL; 4. Bryce Harper, PHI; 5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR; 6. Rafael Devers, SF; 7. Yandy Díaz, TB; 8. Pete Alonso, BAL; 9. Michael Busch, CHC; 10. Willson Contreras, BOS
- RELIEF PITCHERS
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Aroldis Chapman, BOS; 2. Mason Miller, SD; 3. Edwin Díaz, LAD; 4. Cade Smith, CLE; 5. Andrés Muñoz, SEA; 6. Garrett Whitlock, BOS; 7. Matt Strahm, KC; 8. Adrian Morejon, SD; 9. Josh Hader, HOU; 10. Jason Adam, SD
- LEFT FIELDERS
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Jarren Duran, BOS; 2. Roman Anthony, BOS; 3. Cody Bellinger, NYY; 4. Riley Greene, DET; 5. James Wood, WSH; 6. Ian Happ, CHC; 7. Yordan Alvarez, HOU; 8. Kyle Stowers, MIA; 9. Jackson Chourio, MIL; 10. Brandon Marsh, PHI
- CATCHERS
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Cal Raleigh, SEA; 2. William Contreras, MIL; 3. Will Smith, LAD; 4. Drake Baldwin, ATL; 5. Alejandro Kirk, TOR; 6. Gabriel Moreno, AZ; 7. Yainer Diaz, HOU; 8. Sean Murphy, ATL; 9. Iván Herrera, STL; 10. Shea Langeliers, ATH
- SECOND BASEMEN
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Ketel Marte, AZ; 2. Jazz Chisholm Jr., NYY; 3. Nico Hoerner, CHC; 4. Brendan Donovan, SEA; 5. Marcus Semien, NYM; 6. Jose Altuve, HOU; 7. Gleyber Torres, DET; 8. Xavier Edwards, MIA; 9. Brandon Lowe, PIT; 10. Brice Turang, MIL
- STARTING PITCHERS
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Tarik Skubal, DET; 2. Paul Skenes, PIT; 3. Zack Wheeler, PHI; 4. Chris Sale, ATL; 5. Cristopher Sánchez, PHI; 6. Garrett Crochet, BOS; 7. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD; 8. Hunter Brown, HOU; 9. Max Fried, NYY; 10. Hunter Greene, CIN
- DESIGNATED HITTERS
Top 10 Right Now: N/A
MLB Network doesn’t rank the DHs, but we feel pretty safe in assuming Shohei Ohtani (LAD) would front that particular list and Kyle Schwarber (PHI) would be second.
Former MVPs Mike Trout* (LAA), Christian Yelich (MIL), Giancarlo Stanton (NYY) and Andrew McCutchen (free agent) have all shifted to DH duties, as has postseason hero George Springer (TOR). So the position is fulfilling its promise to extend careers (viva the DH!). A healthy season from Yordan Alvarez* (HOU) and another big one from the likes of Brent Rooker (ATH) and Yandy Díaz* (TB) would further ensure it lives up to its billing.
*Trout, Alvarez and Díaz were all primarily DHs last year, though they appear at positions on the field on the Shredder lists.
Still, there’s no denying the move to the universal DH has watered down the crop some. Last year, DHs produced a .756 OPS -- a slight increase from 2024 (.742) but still one of the lowest this century.
- CENTER FIELDERS
Top 10 Right Now: 1. Julio Rodríguez, SEA; 2. Wyatt Langford, TEX; 3. Byron Buxton, MIN; 4. Jackson Merrill, SD; 5. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC; 6. Andy Pages, LAD; 7. Trent Grisham, NYY; 8. Daulton Varsho, TOR; 9. TJ Friedl, CIN; 10. Oneil Cruz, PIT
Returns to All-Star standing for both Rodríguez and Buxton last year, as well as the All-Star breakout of Crow-Armstrong, were welcome developments in center field last year. It should surprise no one if Merrill shakes off some sophomore struggles/injuries to assert himself as he did in his triumphant 2024 rookie year. And as mentioned above and shown in the rankings, Langford figures to get more time in center this year, if not move there outright, and he’s a star in the making. Jakob Marsee (MIA) made a huge impact in the season’s last two months.
But center field is short on depth and consistency. The seven center fielders with three-plus WAR seasons last year (Harrison Bader, Buxton, Crow-Armstrong, Grisham, Pages, Ceddanne Rafaela and Rodríguez) made for the lowest full-season total since 1962, when there were 10 fewer teams!
