MLB Star Rankings 2.0: Shohei Ohtani, Yordan Alvarez Lead Way, Cubs Enter Conversation

There have been some insane performances so far this season across Major League Baseball.

Apr 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez wears a hat in the dugout after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

There are some guys around the league putting together explosive seasons right now.

We're just about one month into the 2026 Major League Baseball season and unsurprisingly, we've seen a great campaign from Shohei Ohtani so far. That's the expectation at this point, but he has gotten even better somehow, specifically from a pitching standpoint. He has made four starts so far this season and has a 0.38 ERA across 24 innings pitched to go along with a 25-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Even if he wasn't an elite hitter, this pitching performance would be enough to get him on our list. But, he is among the league's best hitters as well. Go figure.

The point of this list is to break down and take a look at some of the best performances in the league so far and rank the top five players in the league based on how they are playing right now. It's a snapshot in time and will likely change a lot. In this week's edition, two of the top five weren't ranked last time. On the other hand, the top three are the same. This time, we've added an honorable mention category as well because there are more than five players having seasons worth talking about.

With that being said, let's take a look at some of the league's best.

Honorable Mention

Apr 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) celebrates with center fielder Everson Pereira (28) after hitting a two run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Munetaka Murakami has 10 homers and 19 RBIs in his first 24 games in the big leagues as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Andy Pages has come out of seemingly nowhere for the Los Angeles Dodgers and is slashing .353/.404/.576 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 24 games played. Who saw that coming? Jordan Walker has lived up to his lofty potential over with the St. Louis Cardinals and has eight homers and 16 RBIs in 23 games played while hitting .292. That'll play. Max Fried has a 2.40 ERA for the New York Yankees in six starts and pitched eight shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. Mike Trout might be back. The Los Angeles Angels superstar has eight homers and 17 RBIs in 25 games played.

No. 5: Nico Hoerner, Infielder — Chicago Cubs

Apr 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) hits an RBI sacrifice fly ball during the tenth inning against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Most Recent Ranking: Unranked

Now, onto the rankings. Hoerner comes in at No. 5 this week after being unranked last time. He's one of the best overall defensive players in the league. His bat has started to catch up and he's slashing .320/.393/.515 with four homers, 22 RBIs, seven stolen bases, 10 walks and 16 runs scored in 24 games played.

No. 4: José Soriano, Starting Pitcher — Los Angeles Angels

Apr 6, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano (59) delivers to the plate in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Most Recent Ranking: Unranked

Soriano is on the type of run that pitchers dream of. He has made six starts so far this season and has been the best starting pitcher in baseball. He has a 0.24 ERA in 37 2/3 innings pitched to go along with a 5-0 record. This is the lowest ERA mark for a pitcher through their first six starts of a season since earned runs became a stat in 1913, per MLB's Sarah Langs.

No. 3: Mason Miller, Closer — San Diego Padres

Apr 16, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller (22) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Most Recent Ranking: No. 3

You'd think Soriano would be higher on a list like this with that performance, but it just goes to show how good the other three have been as well, starting with Miller. Soriano may be the best starting pitcher in baseball right now, but Miller is the most dominant overall hurler. He has made 11 appearances for the San Diego Padres and has a 0.00 ERA and eight saves. That's not all, though. In 11 1/3 innings pitched, Miller has struck out 27 of the 38 batters that he has faced, while walking just two. He has allowed just two base hits as well. Miller has been as close to perfect as a hurler can be.

No. 2: Yordan Alvarez, DH/Left Field — Houston Astros

Apr 21, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) hits an RBI double against the Cleveland Guardians during the fifth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Most Recent Ranking: No. 2

There isn't a better offensive player in baseball right now than Alvarez. The Houston Astros star is slashing .347/.466/.779 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs in 26 games played. He is leading the American League in games played, hits, homers, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, rOBA, total bases and intentional walks. Alvarez's 11 homers in 26 games is a pace of 68 homers across 162 games. We're truly witnessing history.

No. 1: Shohei Ohtani, DH/Starting Pitcher — Los Angeles Dodgers

Apr 22, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Most Recent Ranking: No. 1

Alvarez should be No. 1. If you look at those numbers, it's hard not to have him at No. 1. But that just goes to show how well Ohtani is playing overall. Ohtani is 2-0 as a pitcher with a 0.38 ERA in four starts across 24 innings pitched to go along with a 25-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has allowed just one earned run. If he can pitch two more shutout outings, he'll be on par with Soriano through six starts.

On top of that, he's slashing .258/.382/.472 with five homers, 11 RBIs and 16 walks in 23 games played and just had a 53-game on-base streak snapped. If he weren't on the insane pitching run that he's on, Alvarez would be No. 1. But, alas, he has found a way to get even better.