Mookie Betts leads MVP Power Rankings after scorching hot April

1. Mookie Betts, Dodgers SS

Starting in the Korea Series and running all the way through the end of the month, Mookie Betts has been the best all-around player in baseball. He leads the league by a wide margin with a 1.118 OPS, including the best batting average (.377) and on-base percentage (.479), but it’s honestly the two letters before his name on this list that mark his greatest accomplishment.

Yes, Mookie Betts, a six-time Gold Glove outfielder, has successfully become a bona-fide major league shortstop at the age of 31. He has exactly zero outs above average at the position, making him 100% average by Statcast’s defensive measurements. And when you’ve been the best hitter in the league, league-average defense at shortstop is incredibly valuable.

There’s a conception that “average” actually means “bad” in most situations, but in this case, Betts is holding his own while allowing the Dodgers to put their best offensive lineup on the field and for that reason, he’s at the top of the MVP power rankings.

2. Marcell Ozuna, Braves DH

Yes, it’s a little bit of a crime that Marcell Ozuna is ranked ahead of Shohei Ohtani here. If we’re projecting over the course of this full season, there’s a good chance Ohtani ends up with the best offensive stats in all of baseball. But in April alone, Ozuna has been better.

In a month where Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Austin Riley have all been underwhelming, Ozuna has put the Braves’ offense on his back. His 31 RBIs lead MLB and his 1.055 OPS is second only to Betts. It’s been difficult to grapple with Ozuna’s surge these past couple of years because of his checkered past and the awkwardness of highlighting his on-field accomplishments won’t go away anytime soon. But when he’s been in the batter’s box this season, he’s been superb.

3. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers DH

Coming into a new environment, and dealing with a huge scandal affecting his personal life, it’s easy to see how Shohei Ohtani might have struggled in the month of April. Instead, he ignored all the outside noise and led the league in doubles, hit the two hardest balls by any player all season and ranks third in MLB in OPS. Ho-hum, Shohei.

With no pitching to focus on this season, it’s realistic to think Ohtani really might lap the entire league offensively. As good as he’s been, there have been times it seems like Ohtani’s swing hasn’t fully been grooved yet and when he’s locked in, there’s no more fearsome hitter in the game. The ball comes off his bat with different force than anyone else at the moment and if he channels that all season, he could challenge for his third MVP in four years.

4. Alec Bohm, Phillies 3B

Each of the past few seasons, Alec Bohm continued to improve in small increments, tantalizing the Philadelphia Phillies with hot stretches that showcased his pure hitting abilities in small doses. But in his fifth season, at age 27, Bohm appears to finally be reaching his stratospheric ceiling, earning a spot in the MVP power rankings.

Bohm ranks second in MLB in both batting average (.364) and RBI (29) and third in OPS (1.046). He’s doing so without hitting a ton of home runs (just four), which means there’s still another dimension to his offensive game waiting to be unlocked. He’s also playing the best defense of his career, with zero OAA at third base in 2024 compared to -5 in 2023. It’s possible Bohm is spearheading the rarely seen fifth-year breakout and Phillies fans are very much here for it.

5. Elly De La Cruz, Reds SS

It was down to CJ Abrams and Elly De La Cruz for the fifth spot here and on statistics alone, Abrams is probably the choice. But what De La Cruz is doing for a Reds team looking to take a step forward and make the playoffs is incredible and he’s becoming a power-speed threat the likes of which we may never have seen before.

With eight home runs and an MLB-leading 18 stolen bases, De La Cruz is on pace for a 45-homer, 101-steal season. Obviously expecting those numbers is untenable, but could he chase down 40-75? 40-80, even? After watching Ronald Acuña Jr. go 40-70 a season ago, it’s hard to imagine anyone topping the reigning NL MVP so soon. But Elly just may be the man for the job.

American League

1. Juan Soto, Yankees RF

If there were any concerns about Juan Soto being able to adjust to playing under the bright lights in the Bronx (ridiculous premise to begin with), those are long in the past already. Soto is having the best start to a full season of his career, carrying the Yankees’ offense while other stars, namely Aaron Judge, have struggled. For that reason, he narrowly edges out a competitive field at the top of the AL MVP power rankings.

Soto has the best on-base percentage in the American League at .429, is tied for fifth in MLB with 24 RBI and is in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity at 95.1 mph. He continues to prove he’s a generational left-handed bat and is somehow still just 25 years old, despite the fact that he’s been in our lives the same amount of time as TikTok has been popular.

2. Gunnar Henderson, Orioles SS

On a team of young superstars, Gunnar Henderson still stands head and shoulders above the pack. The second-year phenom has taken his game to new heights in 2024, hitting his tenth home run Monday night against the New York Yankees to tie Mike Trout for the MLB lead.

Still two months shy of his 23rd birthday, there’s no telling how high Henderson can climb as he continues to mature. He’s already one of the ten best hitters in the sport, playing an above-average defensive shortstop and quietly becoming one of the most valuable baserunners in the game too, even if his six stolen bases aren’t quite league-leading material. There’s nothing Henderson can’t do on a baseball field and the O’s would be wise to lock him up for a long, long time.

3. Jose Altuve, Astros 2B

In the worst month for the Houston Astros since he was 24 years old, Jose Altuve has been the best second baseman in baseball by an enormous margin. His 1.011 OPS is over 100 points better than everyone else at the position and he leads the Astros in OPS, batting average, hits, runs and total bases.

To be 34 and still putting up MVP-type numbers is impressive for anyone, but for a 5-foot-6 second baseman, it’s historic. We’ve seen countless others of Altuve’s stature break down once they got to their 30s, most recently Dustin Pedroia, who played the game too hard for his body to keep up. Altuve, conversely, seems to be getting better with age and as disappointing as the season has been for the Astros on the whole, they have to be thrilled with the production they’re getting from Altuve.

4. Salvador Perez, Royals C

William Contreras was the runaway best catcher in baseball for most of April, but he got chased down late in the month. Salvador Perez now leads all catchers in WAR, home runs, RBI and OPS and somehow, at age 33, he’s also playing the best defense behind the plate of his entire career.

The presence of Perez as captain and former World Series champ has done wonders for the young Royals as they’ve found their identity early on. He’s handling a pitching staff shocking the world with top-five run prevention and spearheading a dynamic offense that hits for power and average. In the stage of his career that will likely determine whether he one day earns a bust in Cooperstown, Perez is showing the world he’s still at the top of the game.

5. Kyle Tucker, Astros OF

How have the Astros been so terrible despite two of their players being slam-dunk choices for the MVP power rankings? Kyle Tucker has been sensational, in spite of all that’s gone wrong in Houston. His .948 OPS and his 1.6 fWAR rank second behind Soto among all outfielders, while quietly putting up 80th percentile defense in right field.

The unsung star of this era of dominance in Houston, Tucker is once again showing why his “King Tuck” moniker holds true to form. He’s setting himself up to get a huge contract in one of the next two off-seasons, but the question remains whether the Astros will be the team to give it to him.