Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rockets Up MLB Network's Top 100 Rankings

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was ranked as the No. 52 player in baseball heading into the 2024 season, but the Toronto Blue Jays superstar opens the 2025 rankings all the way up at No. 13.
Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) slides into home plate scoring a run against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre.
Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) slides into home plate scoring a run against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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Heading into a critical 2025 season, the hype around Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is as loud as it has ever been.

MLB Network rolled out its annual Top 100 Players Right Now list over the past few weeks, culminating in the No. 20 through No. 11 reveal on Wednesday and the No. 10 through No. 1 reveal on Thursday. As expected, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani came in at No. 1, but there were plenty of other superstars who earned heaps of praise.

Guerrero, for example, landed at No. 13.

The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman is coming off quite the bounce back campaign. After batting .264 with a .788 OPS and 2.0 WAR in 2023, Guerrero hit .323 with a .940 OPS and 6.2 WAR in 2024. He racked up 199 hits, 30 home runs, 44 doubles and 103 RBI, joining Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Whitt Jr. as the only players to reach all of those marks.

On top of making his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance, Guerrero won his second career Silver Slugger, made the All-MLB First Team for the second time and placed sixth in AL MVP voting. He entered last season at No. 52 on MLB Network's list, so it's fair to say he outperformed expectations.

Guerrero actually made the fifth-largest jump of any top-100 player by moving up 39 spots. Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz led the pack in that regard, going from No. 100 to No. 31, while Milwaukee Brewers catcher Williams Contreras, San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte also climbed 40-plus spots.

Prior to his dip in production in 2023, Guerrero was ranked as the No. 18 player in the sport. He was ranked all the way up at No. 8 in 2022, fresh off a runner-up finish in the AL MVP race in 2021.

Guerrero is set to hit free agency at the end of the 2025 season, and extension talks between him and the Blue Jays have generated buzz all offseason long. He is the highest-ranked player on MLB Network's top 100 on an expiring contract, although Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker isn't far behind at No. 14.

Between Guerrero and Tucker, there could be two big fish hitting the open market next winter. If they both produce at a top-15 level again this season, their respective paydays could break records.

The Blue Jays' only other player in the top 100 is new free agent addition Anthony Santander, who came in at No. 53.

Related MLB Stories

  • KIERMAIER BREAKS DOWN NEW ROLE: Kevin Kiermaier returned to the Blue Jays as a special assistant, aiming to serve as a guru for the team's outfielders. CLICK HERE
  • NO BICHETTE EXTENSION TALKS: All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette confirmed that he has not had any discussions about a contract extension with the Blue Jays so far. CLICK HERE
  • CANDAELE RETURNS TO BUFFALO: Casey Candaele is back as the manager for Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, and the franchise's all-time wins record is in his sights. CLICK HERE

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.