Who has been the best of the best across Major League Baseball during the 2024 season?

That's the question we set out to answer each month with our position-by-position player rankings, casting aside previous production and future expectations to focus solely on production during the current season.

This is the first version of these rankings this year, so all we have to go off of is what each player did during April.

Will stars off to slow starts turn things around? Will unexpected breakout players maintain their production going forward? We shall see in the coming months, but for now this is a rundown of the 10 best at each position so far this year.

Let the fun begin.

Catchers

Top 10 Catchers

1. Salvador Pérez, KC
2. William Contreras, MIL
3. Will Smith, LAD
4. Ryan Jeffers, MIN
5. Travis d'Arnaud, ATL
6. Adley Rutschman, BAL
7. Willson Contreras, STL
8. Cal Raleigh, SEA
9. Connor Wong, BOS
10. Patrick Bailey, SF

Notes

-Coming off a down year at the plate, Salvador Pérez is proving he still has plenty left in the tank in his age-33 season. The eight-time All-Star is hitting .355/.415/.598 for a 186 OPS+ with seven home runs and 26 RBI, and he leads the AL in batting average and RBI.

-After hitting .235/.288/.385 with nine home runs and 36 RBI last season, Connor Wong has been an offensive revelation for the Red Sox. The 27-year-old is batting .343/.366/.582 and showing more pop with five home runs and 13 RBI.

First Basemen

Top 10 First Basemen

1. Josh Naylor, CLE
2. Christian Walker, ARI
3. Freddie Freeman, LAD
4. Ryan Mountcastle, BAL
5. Pete Alonso, NYM
6. Bryce Harper, PHI
7. Jake Cronenworth, SD
8. LaMonte Wade Jr., SF
9. Michael Busch, CHC
10. Connor Joe, PIT

Notes

-Josh Naylor is a player who does not often receive the attention he deserves on a national level, but after back-to-back strong seasons at the plate in 2022 and 2023, he has taken things to another level this year. The 26-year-old has a 163 OPS+ with seven doubles, seven home runs and 24 RBI, and he has already delivered multiple clutch hits.

-Connor Joe has shown flashes of his offensive potential the last two seasons, and he is finally seeing regular playing time for the Pirates. He is hitting .292/.370/.483 for a 144 OPS+ with 11 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 100 plate appearances while splitting his time between first base and right field.

Second Basemen

Top 10 Second Basemen

1. José Altuve, HOU
2. Ketel Marte, ARI
3. Brice Turang, MIL
4. Marcus Semien, TEX
5. Ozzie Albies, ATL
6. Andrés Giménez, CLE
7. Edouard Julien, MIN
8. Luis Rengifo, LAA
9. Nico Hoerner, CHC
10. Luis Arraez, MIA

Notes

-In case anyone was wondering, Jose Altuve can still flat-out rake. The 33-year-old is hitting .345/.414/.597 for a 190 OPS+ with nine doubles, seven home runs and 22 runs scored as one of the few early bright spots on a struggling Astros team.

-Defense is what kept Brice Turang in the starting lineup last season, as he hit just .218/.285/.300 for a 62 OPS+ in 448 plate appearances as a rookie. The 2018 first-round pick is hitting .312/.375/.441 with eight extra-base hits and 14 steals this year, and his 1.5 WAR has almost matched the 1.6 WAR he logged in 137 games last year.

Third Basemen

Top 10 Third Basemen

1. Alec Bohm, PHI
2. Jordan Westburg, BAL
3. Ryan McMahon, COL
4. Isaac Paredes, TB
5. Ke'Bryan Hayes, PIT
6. Max Muncy, LAD
7. Josh H. Smith, TEX
8. Rafael Devers, BOS
9. Josh Rojas, SEA
10. José Ramírez, CLE

Notes

-Alec Bohm looked like a potential perennial 30-homer. 100-RBI threat when he was selected No. 3 overall in the 2018 draft, but it has taken him some time to fully tap into his offensive potential. He is hitting .366/.438/.598 for a 193 OPS+ with 12 doubles, four home runs and 30 RBI in 31 games and looks like a classic age-27 breakout player.

-With Josh Jung sidelined following wrist surgery, Josh H. Smith is thriving as the Rangers starting third baseman. The former Yankees prospect is hitting .317/.417/.500 with 11 extra-base hits in 96 plate appearances and has racked up 1.5 WAR in 29 games.

Shortstops

Top 10 Shortstops

1. Mookie Betts, LAD
2. Gunnar Henderson, BAL
3. Elly De La Cruz, CIN
4. Bobby Witt Jr., KC
5. CJ Abrams, WAS
6. Trea Turner, PHI
7. Willy Adames, MIL
8. Anthony Volpe, NYY
9. Masyn Winn, STL
10. Jeremy Peña, HOU

Notes

-Mookie Betts has made 22 starts at shortstop and 10 starts at second base as he transitions to being a full-time infielder, and his offensive game has not missed a beat. He leads the NL in batting average (.368), on-base percentage (.477), OPS (1.101), OPS+ (209), hits (46), walks (26), runs scored (29) and WAR (3.1) through 32 games.

-An impressive wave of young shortstops has arrived in the majors in recent seasons, and Masyn Winn looks like the latest to join that group. After looking overmatched at the plate in his debut last season, he is hitting .304/.380/.405 through 94 plate appearances while continuing to flash Gold Glove potential on defense.

Left Fielders

Top 10 Left Fielders

1. Colton Cowser, BAL
2. Riley Greene, DET
3. Steven Kwan, CLE
4. Jurickson Profar, SD
5. Brandon Marsh, PHI
6. Jesse Winker, WAS
7. Daulton Varsho, TOR
8. Alex Verdugo, NYY
9. Spencer Steer, CIN
10. Evan Carter, TEX

Notes

-Who would have guessed Colton Cowser would overshadow fellow Orioles rookie Jackson Holliday over the first month of the season? The No. 5 overall pick in 2021 is hitting .303/.372/.632 with seven doubles, six home runs and 18 RBI, and he has taken full advantage of Austin Hays being sidelined with a calf strain.

-After hitting on their buy-low addition of Jeimer Candelario a year ago, the Nationals appear to have found another nice reclamation project in Jesse Winker. The 2021 All-Star is hitting .265/.381/.418 for a 134 OPS+ in 118 plate appearances after hitting .199 with a 60 OPS+ in 61 games with the Brewers last year.

Center Fielders

Top 10 Center Fielders

1. Mike Trout, LAA
2. Brenton Doyle, COL
3. Michael Harris II, ATL
4. Jackson Merrill, SD
5. Aaron Judge, NYY
6. Blake Perkins, MIL
7. JJ Bleday, OAK
8. Cedric Mullins, BAL
9. Cody Bellinger, CHC
10. Jacob Young, WAS

Notes

-With an MLB-leading 10 home runs in 29 games, Mike Trout takes the No. 1 spot among center fielders for the time being, but he will now be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee that will require surgery.

-The Brewers entered the season with an impressive collection of young outfield talent, yet Blake Perkins has still managed to push his way into a regular role by posting a 129 OPS+ with three doubles, three home runs and three steals in 93 plate appearances. The 27-year-old has also posted strong defensive metrics (3 DRS, 15.8 UZR/150) in center field.

Right Fielders

Top 10 Right Fielders

1. Juan Soto, NYY
2. Tyler O'Neill, BOS
3. Kyle Tucker, HOU
4. Adolis García, TEX
5. Teoscar Hernández, LAD
6. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
7. Mike Tauchman, CHC
8. Wilyer Abreu, BOS
9. Starling Marte, NYM
10. Amed Rosario, TB

Notes

-It was a brilliant first month in Yankee pinstripes for Juan Soto, who hit .325/.438/.581 for an AL-leading 190 OPS+ with six doubles, eight home runs, 25 RBI and 25 walks in 144 plate appearances. That price tag just keeps climbing with free agency looming this offseason.

-The Rays signed Amed Rosario to a one-year, $1.5 million deal during the offseason that is shaping up to be one of the best bargains of the winter. He is hitting .307/.327/.436 for a 121 OPS+ in 104 plate appearances, and he has started multiple games at right field (16), second base (5) and shortstop (3).

Designated Hitters

Top 10 Designated Hitters

1. Marcell Ozuna, ATL
2. Shohei Ohtani, LAD
3. Justin Turner, TOR
4. Mark Canha, DET
5. Yordan Alvarez, HOU
6. Ryan O'Hearn, BAL
7. Joc Pederson, ARI
8. Giancarlo Stanton, NYY
9. Brent Rooker, OAK
10. Bryan De La Cruz, MIA

Notes

-Slugger Marcell Ozuna hit .301/.373/.647 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI after the All-Star break last season, and he has picked up right where he left off as one of baseball's most productive hitters. The 33-year-old is batting .327/.400/.636 with nine home runs and 31 RBI in 120 plate appearances.

-With a 105 OPS+ to go along with five home runs and 15 RBI, Bryan De La Cruz has been one of the few productive offensive players on the Marlins roster. The 27-year-old had a 32-double, 19-homer, 78-RBI season last year.

Right-Handed Starting Pitchers

Top 10 Right-Handed Starting Pitchers

1. Zack Wheeler, PHI
2. Kutter Crawford, BOS
3. Tanner Houck, BOS
4. José Berríos, TOR
5. Ronel Blanco, HOU
6. Logan Gilbert, SEA
7. Corbin Burnes, BAL
8. Tyler Glasnow, LAD
9. Jordan Hicks, SF
10. Spencer Turnbull, PHI

Notes

-With Gerrit Cole injured, there is a case to be made that Zack Wheeler is the best pitcher in baseball based on his track record and current level of production. Through his first six starts, he has a 1.93 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 37.1 innings, and his 2.44 FIP is also the best in the National League.

-The Red Sox starting rotation has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball, and the one-two punch of Kutter Crawford (6 GS, 1.35 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 34 K, 33.1 IP) and Tanner Houck (6 GS, 1.60 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 41 K, 39.1 IP) has been a big reason for their success.

-The next 10 who just missed the cut were Javier Assad (CHC), Dylan Cease (SD), Sonny Gray (STL), Jared Jones (PIT), Reynaldo López (ATL), Seth Lugo (KC), Bryce Miller (SEA), Ryan Pepiot (TB), Freddy Peralta (MIL) and Luis Severino (NYM).

Left-Handed Starting Pitchers

Top 10 Left-Handed Starting Pitchers

1. Ranger Suárez, PHI
2. Tarik Skubal, DET
3. Shōta Imanaga, CHC
4. Tyler Anderson, LAA
5. Yusei Kikuchi, TOR
6. Reid Detmers, LAA
7. Carlos Rodón, NYY
8. Cole Ragans, KC
9. Chris Sale, ATL
10. Nick Lodolo, CIN

Notes

-With only 21 hits and five walks allowed in 41 innings, Ranger Suárez has posted a brilliant 0.63 WHIP over his first six starts to go along with a 5-0 record and an NL-leading 1.32 ERA. The 28-year-old would be an easy choice for NL Cy Young honors if the season ended today.

-Through his first five starts in a Braves uniform, Chris Sale has gone 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and a 33-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 31.2 innings. He has a chance to be a huge X-factor this season for one of baseball's best teams.

-The next 10 who just missed the cut were Andrew Abbott (CIN), Cody Bradford (TEX), Nestor Cortes (NYY), Marco Gonzales (PIT), MacKenzie Gore (WAS), Cole Irvin (OAK), Sean Manaea (NYM), Mitchell Parker (WAS), Martín Pérez (PIT) and Framber Valdez (HOU).

Relief Pitchers

Top 10 Relief Pitchers

1. Mason Miller, OAK
2. Robert Suarez, SD
3. Kirby Yates, TEX
4. Clay Holmes, NYY
5. Ryan Helsley, STL
6. Evan Phillips, LAD
7. Jason Foley, DET
8. Emmanuel Clase, CLE
9. Kyle Finnegan, WAS
10. Adam Ottavino, NYM

Notes

-Armed with a fastball that averages 100.8 mph and a slider that has generated a 51.6 percent whiff rate, Mason Miller has been virtually unhittable in his first season in the closer's role for the Athletics. The 25-year-old has converted all eight of his save chances while posting a 1.35 ERA and striking out 28 of the 51 batters he has faced.

-Five years removed from being an All-Star with the San Diego Padres, Kirby Yates has been lights-out pitching on a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Rangers. He has allowed just three hits over 12 scoreless innings while recording two wins, five saves and two holds in 11 appearances.

-The next 10 that did not make the cut were Jason Adam (TB), Fernando Cruz (CIN), Yimi García (TOR), Andrew Kittredge (STL), David Robertson (TEX), JoJo Romero (STL), John Schreiber (BOS), Justin Slaten (BOS), Gabe Speier (SEA) and Brock Stewart (MIN).