Up this week are my mostly-for-fun 2023 player rankings. I’ve done my best to list players where they’ll be 20-game eligible next year, and the free agents-to-be are listed without teams. Players with options for next year are still listed with their current teams if those options have a legitimate chance of being exercised. Those players are noted with asterisks.
Click to see other other preliminary 2023 rankings:
Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH
Relief pitcher rankings
| 2023 | RP | Team | 2022 | July |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Hader | Brewers | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Edwin Diaz | 5 | 2 | |
| 3 | Liam Hendriks | White Sox | 1 | 8 |
| 4 | Emmanuel Clase | Guardians | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | Ryan Helsley | Cardinals | 130 | 12 |
| 6 | Jordan Romano | Blue Jays | 8 | 5 |
| 7 | David Bednar | Pirates | 15 | 13 |
| 8 | Kenley Jansen | 7 | 10 | |
| 9 | Raisel Iglesias | Angels | 3 | 4 |
| 10 | Camilo Doval | Giants | 16 | 15 |
| 11 | Craig Kimbrel | 6 | 6 | |
| 12 | Clay Holmes | Yankees | 68 | 7 |
| 13 | Jhoan Duran | Twins | 86 | 24 |
| 14 | Ryan Pressly | Astros | 11 | 11 |
| 15 | Aroldis Chapman | 10 | 18 | |
| 16 | Jorge Lopez | Orioles | 128 | 14 |
| 17 | Andrés Muñoz | Mariners | 107 | 77 |
| 18 | Devin Williams | Brewers | 23 | 28 |
| 19 | Scott Barlow | Royals | 13 | 22 |
| 20 | David Robertson | 20 | 16 | |
| 21 | Seranthony Domínguez | Phillies | NR | 29 |
| 22 | Daniel Bard | 124 | 27 | |
| 23 | Alexis Diaz | Reds | NR | 79 |
| 24 | Gregory Soto | Tigers | 19 | 17 |
| 25 | Mark Melancon | Diamondbacks | 21 | 26 |
| 26 | Taylor Rogers | 12 | 9 | |
| 27 | Paul Sewald | Mariners | 25 | 20 |
| 28 | Giovanny Gallegos | Cardinals | 9 | 21 |
| 29 | Michael Fulmer | 38 | 32 | |
| 30 | Jonathan Hernández | Rangers | NR | NR |
| 31 | Alex Lange | Tigers | NR | 86 |
| 32 | Kyle Finnegan | Nationals | 50 | 52 |
| 33 | Corey Knebel | 22 | 30 | |
| 34 | Rafael Montero | 117 | 40 | |
| 35 | John Schreiber | Red Sox | NR | 31 |
| 36 | Will Smith | Braves* | 42 | 43 |
| 37 | Dany Jiménez | Athletics | NR | 35 |
| 38 | Pete Fairbanks | Rays | 70 | 74 |
| 39 | A.J. Minter | Braves | 57 | 41 |
| 40 | Evan Phillips | Dodgers | NR | 57 |
| 41 | Felix Bautista | Orioles | NR | 69 |
| 42 | A.J. Puk | Athletics | NR | 59 |
| 43 | Diego Castillo | Mariners | 41 | 36 |
| 44 | Jason Adam | Rays | NR | 46 |
| 45 | Daniel Hudson | 79 | NR | |
| 46 | Tyler Kinley | Rockies | NR | NR |
| 47 | Michael King | Yankees | NR | 56 |
| 48 | Anthony Bender | Marlins | 17 | 64 |
| 49 | Blake Treinen | Dodgers* | 33 | NR |
| 50 | Brad Hand | 43 | 39 | |
| 51 | José Leclerc | Rangers* | 144 | 71 |
| 52 | Josh Staumont | Royals | 72 | 49 |
| 53 | Joe Barlow | Rangers | 32 | 25 |
| 54 | Brusdar Graterol | Dodgers | 75 | 68 |
| 55 | Ken Giles | Mariners* | 37 | 44 |
| 56 | J.P. Feyereisen | Rays | NR | NR |
| 57 | Seth Lugo | 40 | 51 | |
| 58 | Yimi García | Blue Jays | 56 | 62 |
| 59 | Kendall Graveman | White Sox | 92 | 33 |
| 60 | Penn Murfee | Mariners | NR | 61 |
| 61 | Wil Crowe | Pirates | NR | 42 |
| 62 | Steven Wilson | Padres | NR | NR |
| 63 | Trevor Stephan | Guardians | NR | 66 |
| 64 | Zach Pop | Marlins | NR | NR |
| 65 | Reynaldo Lopez | White Sox | 151 SP | 63 |
| 66 | Scott Effross | Cubs | NR | 48 |
| 67 | Collin McHugh | Braves | 39 | 55 |
| 68 | Tyler Rogers | Giants | 47 | 50 |
| 69 | Jordan Hicks | Cardinals | 117 SP | NR |
| 70 | Drew Pomeranz | Padres | 77 | NR |
| 71 | Tanner Scott | Marlins | NR | 37 |
| 72 | Johan Oviedo | Cardinals | NR | NR |
| 73 | Luke Weaver | Diamondbacks | 153 SP | NR |
| 74 | Griffin Jax | Twins | NR | 81 |
| 75 | Dominic Leone | 141 | 75 | |
| 76 | Codi Heuer | Cubs | NR | NR |
| 77 | Jonathan Loáisiga | Yankees | 36 | NR |
| 78 | Robert Stephenson | Rockies | 104 | NR |
| 79 | Luis Frias | Diamondbacks | NR | NR |
| 80 | Ryan Tepera | Angels | 60 | 72 |
| 81 | Robert Suarez | Padres* | 54 | NR |
| 82 | Dillon Tate | Orioles | 52 | 82 |
| 83 | Erik Swanson | Mariners | 99 | 88 |
| 84 | James Karinchak | Guardians | 74 | NR |
| 85 | Alex Colome | 26 | 87 | |
| 86 | Yerry De Los Santos | Pirates | NR | NR |
| 87 | Jake Cousins | Brewers | 67 | NR |
| 88 | Alex Reyes | Cardinals | 58 | NR |
| 89 | Connor Brogdon | Phillies | 97 | NR |
| 90 | JT Chargois | Rays | 61 | NR |
- Some of these guys are getting traded in the next few weeks and many will be free agents at season’s end, so probably even more so than any other position ranking, this list will change a great deal prior to the start of next season.
- Relievers who could make big jumps prior to Opening Day:
Andrés Muñoz (No. 17): Looks incredibly dominant right now. Just waiting for an opening.
Devin Williams (No. 18): He’s probably sixth or seventh here if Josh Hader gets traded.
Seranthony Domínguez (No. 21): Potentially in the top 10 if the Phillies let him establish himself.
Alex Lange (No. 31): Gregory Soto is a trade candidate, and Lange might overtake him next year anyway.
Rafael Montero (No. 34), Daniel Hudson (No. 45), Dominic Leone (No. 75): Modestly priced closing options as free agents this winter.
- The Mets are unrepresented here, since Edwin Diaz, Seth Lugo and Adam Ottavino are all free agents. Of course, they’re perfectly capable of re-signing those guys if they want to (and they’ll certainly want to bring back Diaz).
- With Tanner Rainey requiring Tommy John surgery, Kyle Finnegan is the only Nationals pitcher on the list, and, really, if I’m the Nationals, I’d be looking to flip him for a prospect before the deadline. For that reason, I’d really like to have had another National or two on the list. Still, Carl Edwards Jr. was pretty much the only guy that made sense to me and he’s another one who could be traded this month. Hunter Harvey always could stay healthy for a spell and enter the mix, but I’m skeptical. Perhaps Victor Arano could be a sleeper for next year; he had a 5.01 ERA in two months before going down with knee inflammation, but his peripherals were pretty great.
- I know I just wrote that I list pitchers as starters if they have much chance of starting, but Luke Weaver wasn’t making the cut there anyway and I’m somewhat intrigued with him as a reliever, particularly on a Diamondbacks team with a declining Mark Melancon in the closer’s role and not a whole lot else. Luis Frias also shows up here for Arizona; I’m not terribly high on him, but if his control comes along, there isn’t much standing in his way in that pen.
