Ranking top 25 players of 2025 MLB playoffs: Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Kyle Schwarber and more

Ted Hyman, CBS Sports

The 2025 Major League Baseball postseason field has been set, and highest-of-high-stakes playoff baseball is upon us. To help set the scene for the month-long dramatics that will determine who wins both belt and title, we're here to rank the top players who will be participating in these playoffs. Specifically, we're about to rank the top 25 players chosen from the 12 teams making the 2025 postseason. So that's 25 in '25, you see.

As for the criteria, excellence in the current season and whether or not said excellence seems sustainable in the near term is the leading consideration. It's also about the current value at this moment in time. Effectively, that means players whose "counting stats" may have taken a hit because of injury earlier in the season but are now healthy and in prime form will be on here despite some cumulative deficits. As such, these rankings are more about who's primed and skilled up enough to put up big numbers in October (and possibly November).

On that point, it's worth noting that a number of elite performers on these 12 teams won't be here because of current injury woes. That, of course, includes Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who will miss these entire playoffs. It also includes the likes of Bo Bichette of the Blue Jays, Will Smith of the Dodgers, Brandon Woodruff of the Brewers, Roman Anthony of the Red Sox, Cade Horton of the Cubs, and Bryan Woo of the Mariners -- all of whom are varying degrees of uncertain for the early rounds of the playoffs.

As well, you're not going to find two names below who under normal circumstances would probably be in the top 10: Trea Turner of the Phillies and Kyle Tucker of the Cubs. Turner came back in time for game 162 from a significant hamstring strain and did so after just 20 days on the injured list. It's fair to wonder whether he's truly 100%, and it's fair to wonder that even with the Phillies having a first-round bye. As for Tucker, hand and finger injuries probably had something to do with his prolonged power slump earlier in the season, and mere days ago, he returned from a calf strain that cost him more than two weeks. As with Turner, it's not unreasonable to wonder whether Tucker might be compromised to some degree. Again, both of these top-shelf talents would be on this list and high on this list under normal circumstances, even though this is a highly competitive fray (playoff teams tend to have lots of good players, you know). Things are what they are, though; Turner and Tucker are the two most painful omissions. Now for those who did make the cut …

25	Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Toronto Blue Jays 1B
Inked not all that long ago to a $500 million contract extension, Vladdie put up another vintage season in which he hit for average, showed good pop, and answered the bell almost every day. He also logged almost as many walks as strikeouts.
24	Andrew Abbott Cincinnati Reds SP
The 26-year-old Abbott this season rode his fastball-heavy approach to a sparkling 159 ERA+ and a 3.47 K/BB ratio in a qualifying number of innings. He also averaged 5.7 innings per start versus an MLB average of 5.2. The Reds can't hit, but their rotation front is playoff-worthy and then some.
23	Ranger Suarez Philadelphia Phillies SP
The lefty Suárez just missed a qualifying number of innings, and over that span he registered a 3.20 ERA, a 3.21 FIP, and a 3.97 K/BB ratio. Suárez allowed only one unearned run in 26 starts this season.
22	Cody Bellinger New York Yankees LF
Was Bellinger the best trade addition by a contender last offseason? You can easily make that case. In 152 games for the Yankees this season, Bellinger had a WAR of 5.0 thanks to his power at the plate, useful baserunning, and plus fielding at all three outfield positions.
21	Pete Crow-Armstrong Chicago Cubs CF
Yes, some of the shine came off PCA's offensive game in the second half of the season, but he still wound up with a 30-30 campaign as a 23-year-old. Crow-Armstrong also put together one of the greatest defensive seasons ever by an outfielder.
20	George Springer Toronto Blue Jays DH
It's been one heck of a renaissance for Springer in his age-35 season. In 586 plate appearances, Springer slashed a robust .309/.399/.560 with 32 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts. He may be headed for a top 10 finish in the MVP vote for the first time since 2019.
19	Fernando Tatis Jr. San Diego Padres RF
He's a standout defender – maybe the best-fielding corner outfielder in MLB – and baserunner who this season put up an OPS of .814 (while playing half his games in run-suppressing Petco Park) and reached new heights in health and durability. It's been a balanced effort in San Diego this season, but no one has more to do with their success than Tatis Jr.
18	Max Fried New York Yankees SP
Fried turned out to be the ace the Yanks sorely needed after Gerrit Cole was lost to Tommy John surgery. In 32 starts and almost 200 innings, Fried pitched to a 142 ERA+ with a 3.07 FIP and a 3.71 K/BB ratio.
17	Alex Bregman Boston Red Sox 3B
Bregman's first (only?) season in Boston has gone swimmingly outside of the quad strain that cost him more than a month and a half. At the plate, Bregman put up customary numbers – i.e., very good numbers – and his plus fielding at third base helped stabilize what pre-Bregman had been a flawed Boston infield defense.
16	Nick Pivetta San Diego Padres SP
Pivetta's first season in San Diego turned out to be a career year. Across 31 starts, he boasted a sub-3.00 ERA and struck out 26.4% of opposing batters. Pivetta's ERA+ for the season checks in at an impressive 149, and he backs it all up with an FIP of 3.49. In a Padres rotation that also includes Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Yu Darvish, it's Pivetta who gets the nod in the playoff opener.
15	Nico Hoerner Chicago Cubs 2B
Hoerner remains one of the best defensive second basemen in the game today and a threat on the bases. This season, he's paired those skills with a career year at the plate. He's never going to be a home run threat, but Hoerner is among the best at making contact and hitting for average. As well, this season he's made major strides at pulling the ball in the air with increased frequency.
14	Blake Snell Los Angeles Dodgers SP
Shoulder woes carved four months out of Snell's 2025 but, to repeat the premise above, this is about value now and through October. And in that regard Snell looks primed to be a force at the front of the Dodger playoff rotation. Since he returned from injury in early August, the two-time Cy Young winner has put up an ERA of 2.41 with 68 strikeouts and 17 unintentional walks in 52 ⅓ innings.
13	Kyle Schwarber Philadelphia Phillies DH
One of the leading sluggers in the game is coming off a career year at the plate. He topped 50 homers and drew at least 100 walks for the third straight season. That's one heck of a walk year for the pending free agent, and he'll aim to keep the elite "take and rake" production going as the Phillies try to make a deep October run.
12	Brice Turang Milwaukee Brewers 2B
Turang is already an established needle-mover, what with his excellent defense at an up-the-middle position and his base-running. This season, though, he's found a higher tier offensively relative to past seasons. That's made him one of the most valuable players on MLB's best team. He's also made big strides in terms of quality of contact, so this new offensive level of his may be sustainable. We already know the fielding and speed on the bases are for real.
11	Yoshinobu Yamamoto Los Angeles Dodgers SP
Yamamoto's been healthy in this, his second season in MLB, and the results have followed. In 173 ⅔ innings, he authored an ERA of 2.49 with 201 strikeouts and a K% of 29.4. He also racked up 18 quality starts and gave the Dodgers a dose of stability in the rotation that greatly helped them fend off the Padres in the NL West.
10	Freddy Peralta Milwaukee Brewers SP
The most underrated starting pitcher in MLB? That's a subjective notion, of course, but it does feel like Peralta doesn't get enough attention. This year, he's been better than ever. In addition to topping 200 strikeouts for the third straight season, Peralta in 2025 has a sub-3.00 ERA, an ERA+ of more than 150, and a WAR of 5.6 that leads baseball's best team.
9	Jose Ramirez Cleveland Guardians 3B
The ruthlessly consistent Ramírez has turned in yet another stellar season. He played in 158 games and churned out an OPS+ of 137 with 30 homers, 44 stolen bases, and quality defense at the hot corner. This is what he does -- every year, it seems.
8	Hunter Greene Cincinnati Reds SP
A groin strain laid up Greene for more than two months, but he pitched like a true ace when healthy this season. Greene and his high-90s fastball put up a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts, and he had a 5.08 K/BB ratio and struck out 31.4% of batters he faced – the latter a figure that would've ranked second to only Tarik Skubal had Greene had qualifier status. He's a dominator.
7	Julio Rodriguez Seattle Mariners CF
In terms of WAR, Rodríguez is fresh off the best season of his four-year career. He enjoyed a nice rebound at the plate this season and played in 160 games while also remaining a standout defender in the critical position of center field and adding big value on the bases. He remains among the most well rounded players in baseball today.
6	Garrett Crochet Boston Red Sox SP
Crochet had major durability and stamina concerns when as a member of the White Sox he converted from a reliever to a starter in time for the 2024 season. The stuff was never in doubt, and neither was his capacity to dominate hitters. Well, this season Crochet kept up the dominance, and he also led MLB in innings pitched during the regular season. That's a true ace at the front of the Boston rotation.
5	Cristopher Sanchez Philadelphia Phillies SP
Sánchez has emerged as the playoff ace the Phillies need in the absence of Zack Wheeler. He may be the biggest threat to Paul Skenes in the NL Cy Young race, as Sánchez this season topped 200 strikeouts and 200 innings while posting a 2.50 ERA with a 2.55 FIP. That's elite, to state the obvious.
4	Tarik Skubal Detroit Tigers SP
Skubal is the best pitcher in the American League and the best pitcher in the postseason, and on his able shoulders the Tigers' playoff hopes rest. Over the last two seasons, Skubal has put up an ERA of 2.30 with 469 strikeouts in 387 ⅓ innings.
3	Cal Raleigh Seattle Mariners C
Raleigh's a durable catcher who frames pitches well and also tamps down on the running game. This season, though, he took his already impressive power game and elevated it to new heights. Raleigh now owns the single-season home run record for catchers and switch-hitters, and he even put some heat on Aaron Judge's American League record. What a season. A 60-homer catcher was wildly unthinkable until Raleigh's 2025 campaign came along.
2	Aaron Judge New York Yankees RF
The best hitter in baseball remains the best hitter in baseball. He's a strong candidate to repeat as AL MVP -- and win that particular piece of hardware for the third time in his career -- thanks to another dominant season at the plate. In 2025, Judge churned out another OPS+ north of 200 and the highest WAR in the majors.
1	Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers DH
It of course remains to be seen how the reigning champs deploy the two-way superstar in the playoffs. No matter how that plays out, Ohtani remains one of the leading power threats in the game -- he's the first to log consecutive 50-homer seasons since Sammy Sosa in 2000-01. The 2025 campaign also occasioned Ohtani's return to the mound after he didn't pitch at all in 2024 after he recovered from elbow surgery. He hasn't been quite his peak self as a pitcher, at least in terms of outcomes, but it won't be a surprise if he works important innings in October. We know what he's likely to do with the bat.