Cody Snavely
A new year means a new list, which is no different from MLB Network as they released their annual Top 100 Players Right Now before the start of the 2025 Major League Baseball season, which includes nine Los Angeles Dodgers, the most of any team in baseball.
Shohei Ohtani #1 (#4 in 2024)
To no one’s surprise, the best player in Major League Baseball for the 2025 season is two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who, after being an exclusive designer hitter for the Dodgers last season, will now return to the mound in May.
The Dodgers inked Ohtani to a massive 10-year, $700 million deal last winter. His first season in Dodger Blue could not have gone any better as the Japanese superstar had a clean sweep in the BBWAA awards, winning his third Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger, and Hank Aaron Award, along with creating the 50/50 club en route to the Dodgers winning their eighth World Series title.
While Ohtani’s lack of pitching in 2024 led to his rank being reduced three spots compared to 2023, with the two-way star set to retake the mound this season, it was a no-brainer to give Ohtani this honor.
Mookie Betts #5 (#2 in 2024)
Mookie Betts had arguably his best season as a Dodgers during the 2023 year, where the 2018 American League MVP finished runner to Ronald Acuña Jr. in that year’s MVP race, all while splitting time between shortstop, second base, and right field.
However, entering 2024, Betts showcased his value even more by becoming the Dodgers’ full-time shortstop. He was on pace to have another top-three MVP finish until a hit-by-pitch in June forced the all-star to miss multiple weeks with a fractured wrist.
Despite the missed time, Betts showcased his value to the Dodgers and remained a humble leader within the organization, changing positions and even giving up his lead-off spot to Ohtani.
For the second year in a row, the Dodgers and Betts will give the shortstop position a try, and while he now ranks as the number five best player in baseball compared to number two last season, he still is expected to have an excellent year.
Freddie Freeman #8 (#5 in 2024)
Like Betts, Freddie Freeman missed extended time in the second half of the regular season this past year and played through multiple injuries, which led to a decline in his overall offensive numbers.
Freeman, or should we say, Iron Man, showcased his excellence during the Fall Classic last season. He won World Series MVP after putting on a historic five-game performance, which was highlighted by his historic Game One walk-off grand slam.
Despite Freeman entering his age 35 seasons, he is among the best all-around hitters in the sport and plays above-average defense at first base on a team surrounded by stars continuing himself. We should still expect a massive season from Freeman in year four with Los Angeles.
Blake Snell #36 (#30 in 2024)
Lost in the Dodgers’ crazy 2025 offseason was their first significant signing, two-time Cy Young Award winner lefty Blake Snell, who is set to solidify the front end of the Dodgers’ starting rotation.
The 31-year-old lefty’s 2024 season can be a tale of two halves. During the Giants’ first half, Snell was a shell of himself, posting a then career-high 6.31 ERA and being placed on the 15-day injured list with a groin issue. However, once Snell returned, he was his old dominant self.
In the second half of the 2024 regular season, Snell posted a 1.45 ERA in 68.1 innings pitched. This led Southpaw to test the free agent market for the second time in two seasons, opting to join the Dodgers.
Teoscar Hernández #52 (NR in 2024)
One of the best storylines in baseball last season was that of Teoscar Hernández betting on himself with a 1-year, $23.5 million deal last winter. Hernández rebounded in his first season as a Dodger, making the National League all-star team, winning the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, and being an instrumental part of the Dodgers clubhouse and offense.
The Dodgers and their fans knew that Teo could not leave in free agency, and after a few months of debate, the two sides reached an agreement on a new multi-year contract. Despite the lackluster defensive numbers, Hernández still remains one of the best offensive corner outfielders in the sport and will be set up with having three MVPs in front of him in the lineup.
Will Smith #60 (#45 in 2024)
Despite a subpar second half for Will Smith during the 2024 regular season, he remains one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball, backed up by his Top 100 placement.
Offensively, Smith has been one of the better hitters in the Dodgers lineup since his debut during the 2019 season, with a career .822 OPS and 124 OPS+. However, Smith took a massive step in his defense last year, becoming a more well-rounded catcher.
Last season, Smith ranked in the 100th percentile in Caught Stealing Above Average and a respectable 65th percentile in catcher pop time. Now, it’s up to Smith not only to stay healthy but also to balance the workload of an everyday backstop.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto #63 (#61 in 2024)
In an effort to fix their starting rotation last winter, the Dodgers inked top Japanese righty to the largest deal for a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball history, a 12-year, $325 million contract. Yamamoto’s first season had some growing pains after that disastrous first start in Seoul, Korea.
However, after that first start, Yamamoto had a 7-1 record with an ERA of 2.68 and ninety-eight strikeouts in sixteen appearances, and despite missing a significant chunk of the second half of the regular season, returned just in time to help the Dodgers win their eighth World Series including pitching a win-or-go-home Game Five against the San Diego Padres.
If Yamamoto can stay healthy for an entire season with around thirty starts, he’ll be a top-ten starter by season’s end.
Tyler Glasnow #71 (#74 in 2024)
One of the prized acquisitions for the Dodgers last offseason was right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. However, despite a great first half of the season, the Dodgers could not use Glasnow in October due to another injury.
Prior to the injury, Glasnow was having a career year in Los Angeles, setting a new career-high in innings (134.0) while also posting a 3.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a career-high in strikeouts (168) across twenty-two starts.
Glasnow avoided offseason surgery, revealing at DodgerFest that it was just right elbow tendonitis. If Glasnow can stay on the mound and the Dodgers ensure he gets enough rest in between starts with their six-man rotation, expect big things for Los Angeles.
Roki Sasaki #100 (NR in 2024)
Rounding out the Top 100 Right Now list from MLB Network is newly acquired 23-year-old Japanese starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, who was also ranked as the new number one overall prospect per MLB Pipeline.
Sasaki’s tenure in Japan was elite, with a record of 30-15 and a 2.02 ERA in 414.2 innings pitched in his four seasons in the NPB. He got a taste of major league talent when he helped Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Sasaki is led by two nasty pitches in the fastball (70-Grade) and splitter (80-Grade), along with an above-average slider that should translate well from Japan. And with the Dodgers having plenty of depth around him, the righty should be in for a great rookie season.
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