Who will be the best player of the 2021 MLB flavor?

With Opening Day nearly upon us, information technology's time to pause downwardly how baseball game's aristocracy stack up.

To create our annual MLB Rank list of the top 100 players in the sport, we presented our panel of ESPN baseball game experts with multiple pairings of the biggest names in the game and asked only, "Which player volition be better in 2021?"

This concluding portion of our list -- the top 25 -- features Cy Young Honor winners, MVPs, veterans already building Hall of Fame résumés and breakout megastars primed to dominate the sport for years to come. Just which one is No. 1?

Alongside each actor below, y'all'll find a relevant stat or storyline to put his position on the listing in context.

On Monday, we revealed Nos. 100-51, featuring rising stars similar the reigning National League Rookie of the Year and a trio of young hitters in Chicago who help make the White Sox one of the American League'due south virtually exciting teams. On Tuesday, information technology was Nos. 50-26, featuring seven shortstops in what is truly a gilded age for the position.

Today, nosotros determine the No. ane histrion overall in the game, pitting names like Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr. against each other and helping to settle -- or add more fuel to -- positional debates similar who is MLB's best starting bullpen.

Watch: Baseball This night MLB Rank special, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2

More: 100-51 | 50-26 | Who'south side by side? | Snubs, debates | 2020 list

25. Bryce Harper, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

2020 rank: 25

Why he'southward hither: Harper enters his 3rd season with the Phillies after a strong 2020 campaign in which he hitting .268/.420/.542 with 13 homers. The right fielder is yet just 28 years old, which seems nearly impossible given how long he'southward been on the minds of baseball fans, simply he has yet to win his commencement playoff series as a major leaguer, something Philadelphia undoubtedly envisioned when it signed him to a 13-twelvemonth, $330 meg deal. -- Joon Lee

24. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees

2020 rank: fifteen

Why he's hither: This will be a critical season for Guess, who turns 29 in April. Fans have been waiting three years for a glimpse of a flavor like Guess's monumental 52-homer Rookie of the Year entrada in 2017. But since the showtime of the 2018 season, Judge has played in but 242 games out of the scheduled 384. -- Marly Rivera

23. Trevor Story, SS, Colorado Rockies

2020 rank: 30

Why he'south hither: With the offseason trade of Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals, Story has become a i-man act for the Rockies. And with the two-way standout shortstop heading into a walk year, Story's act might be a limited-run performance. If Colorado falters every bit the projections propose, Story volition be a hot article on the in-season merchandise market. But Francisco Lindor and Xander Bogaerts have compiled more fWAR amidst shortstops over the past three years, and Story may be a amend all-around performer than them both. -- Bradford Doolittle

22. Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 78

Why he's hither: Given a total season to recover from hip surgery -- and build a strong enough base so that his mechanics didn't waver through the rigors of a season -- Seager returned to the superstar form he displayed in his early years, batting .307/.358/.585 with 28 actress-base hits in 52 games during the regular season. He then won NLCS MVP and Globe Series MVP. Now he'll head into his free-agent year looking to cement his place among the game'due south nigh valuable players. -- Alden Gonzalez

21. Max Scherzer, SP, Washington Nationals

2020 rank: seven

Why he'south here: 7 years accept gone fast as Scherzer is entering the final season of his contract in Washington in 2021. After years of ERAs in the 2.00s, his ballooned to 3.74 in 2020, hardly a huge cause for concern merely a drop-off yet. Is Scherzer entering the "simply skilful" stage of his career, or is he still elite? -- Jesse Rogers

20. Manny Machado, 3B, San Diego Padres

2020 rank: 50

Why he's here: Afterward an uneven first flavour in San Diego, Machado was terrific in 2020. He striking .304/.370/.580 with 16 home runs, provided his usual proficient defense (although it'southward impossible to win a Gold Glove in a league with Nolan Arenado) and finished tertiary in the NL MVP voting. His value has fluctuated with his batting averages, which accept gone .294, .259, .297, .256 and .304 since 2016. If he hits effectually .300, he's clearly a top-xx player. If he hits around .250, he slides into the back half of the top 100. -- David Schoenfield

19. DJ LeMahieu, 2B, New York Yankees

2020 rank: 57

Why he's here: Re-signing LeMahieu was arguably the all-time move made in the AL this offseason. In two years with the Yankees, LeMahieu has twice finished in the pinnacle five in MVP voting and led the majors in batting average in 2020. While other players might see a turn down at 32, LeMahieu's versatility in the field and subject area at the plate continue to set a gold standard. -- Rivera

eighteen. Walker Buehler, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 19

Why he's hither: Buehler took some time off when the 2020 season initially shut downward and was thus tedious to build up when MLB restarted midsummer. But Buehler was at his all-time when information technology mattered most, allowing just five runs and hit out 39 batters in 25 innings during the postseason. He's but 26 and has already established himself equally one of the game'south best big-game pitchers -- and information technology seems as if the best is all the same to come. -- Gonzalez

17. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland

2020 rank: 47

Why he's here: He'southward a lilliputian undersized, merely all this guy does is hit, hit for power and steal some bases. In the past iv years, he has finished 3rd, third and second in the MVP voting, sandwiched around a subpar (for him) 2019 season. He was a vii WAR player in 2017 and 2018 and was on footstep for 6.4 War in 2020. -- Schoenfield

16. Trevor Bauer, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: 88

Why he's here: Bauer, the NL's reigning Cy Immature winner, parlayed a sterling truncated season with the Reds into what is substantially a three-year, $102 one thousand thousand contract with baseball'southward reigning champions. While eyes volition be stock-still on how well he meshes with a guild packed with established stars, of more tangible interest will exist Bauer'due south quest to repeat his award-winning showing for Cincinnati. Coming off a season in which he posted a one.73 ERA, in that location would seem to be nowhere to go merely down. Then once again, few players in MLB today have a greater penchant for cocky-comeback than Bauer. -- Doolittle

15. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Los Angeles Angels

2020 rank: 13

Why he'south here: Making contact has never been more difficult than it is now for hitters, and over the past four years, Rendon has struck out but 24 more times than he has walked. In that stretch, he batted .307/.399/.550 while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense force and accumulating 22.6 FanGraphs WAR, trailing only Trout and Betts. -- Gonzalez

14. Shane Bieber, SP, Cleveland

2020 rank: 40

Why he'due south here: Bieber emerged equally ane of the game's best pitchers over the by two seasons and put together a remarkable 2020 entrada. He posted a one.63 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 12 starts and was in the hunt for the American League MVP laurels for much of the year in addition to the Cy Young he eventually won. -- Lee

13. Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros

2020 rank: 12

Why he'due south hither: Bregman is coming off a forgettable 2020 season in which, perhaps more than than any other fallen Astro, his on-field swagger appeared to wane amid the barrage of derision that roughshod on Houston. The telltale metric was that Statcast credited Bregman with only five barrels on 128 batted assurance a flavor ago. As Bregman eases into his prime seasons, he'll look to return to hit rockets, and if he does, he'll remind anybody why he was second in AL MVP voting during our concluding full flavour. -- Doolittle

12. Cody Bellinger, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: vi

Why he's here: Bellinger is a naturally gifted fielder with a plus arm, elite speed and majestic ability. When he gets the timing of his intricate load and swing right, he's one of the game's greatest players, as he showed through well-nigh of his MVP flavor in 2019. Only sometimes, every bit was evident throughout the shortened 2020 season, his mechanics go amiss, necessitating frequent maintenance. Bellinger was never quite in sync last year, batting .233/.329/.455 if you include the postseason. -- Gonzalez

xi. Nolan Arenado, 3B, St. Louis Cardinals

2020 rank: 9

Why he's here: Arenado played through shoulder pain (AC articulation) for virtually of 2020, which led to a career-worst .253/.303/.434 over 48 games. Many question whether his numbers will transfer outside of mile-high Denver, but the 29-year-old claims he is "ripping" the brawl with no problems this spring, and that'south good news for the Cardinals. In Colorado, Arenado twice led the league in both homers and RBIs, and he was a four-time Silver Slugger Honour winner. Arenado's eight Gilded Gloves will also bring an upgrade at the hot corner to an already talented defensive infield. -- Rivera

ten. Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets

2020 rank: ten

Why he's here: This will be a crucial year for the two-time Golden Glove shortstop and iv-time All-Star. "Mr. Smile" is coming off a downward last season in Cleveland in which he hit a career-depression .258 with eight habitation runs. At present he volition need to continue his contract negotiations from being a distraction as he dons a Mets compatible and takes center stage in New York. -- Rivera

9. Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

2020 rank: four

Why he's hither: Of all the players who struggled in 2020, Yelich might take made the fewest excuses. He'southward at present playing with a bit on his shoulder, and Brewers managing director Craig Counsell is positive he'll render to class. Before posting a .786 marker last season, he led the National League in OPS his get-go two seasons in Milwaukee. -- Rogers

viii. Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres

2020 rank: 41

Why he's hither: He has played only a full flavour's worth of major league games and has already secured a 14-yr, $340 million contract while being considered the new face of baseball game. Why? Well, that 1-season sample (143 games, 629 plate appearances) included a .301/.374/.582 slash line, 39 homers, 27 stolen bases, 8 triples and a 7.0 Baseball-Reference State of war -- all before turning 22. No player has ever accumulated more Baseball-Reference WAR within his first 150 games. -- Gonzalez

seven. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves

2020 rank: 17

Why he'due south here: Information technology'due south going to be almost impossible for Freeman to match the .341/.462/.640 line that won him MVP honors in 2020, but maybe he can do it again. He had more walks than strikeouts in 2020, with career-best rates in both categories. Having fewer strikeouts leads to a college average and OBP, and he didn't cede whatever ability in cutting down the K'south. -- Schoenfield

half dozen. Jacob deGrom, SP, New York Mets

2020 rank: 3

Why he'southward here: He wasn't far from a tertiary consecutive Cy Immature Award in 2020, finishing third behind Trevor Bauer and Yu Darvish. With deGrom'south velocity upwardly this spring and an improved lineup around him, Mets fans tin expect more deGrom dominance -- and more than than probable some improve run support -- in 2021. -- Rogers

5. Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees

2020 rank: ii

Why he'due south here: Baseball'south best pitcher admitted to being afflicted past the terminate-and-start nature of last year's pandemic-shortened season. Cole withal lived up to his ace billing, going vii-3 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 regular-season starts in 2020, with 94 strikeouts over 73 innings. But the Yankees' $324 million right-hander does have to clean up his propensity to serve up abode runs, as his xiv homers allowed was the 2nd near in the majors. -- Rivera

4. Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves

2020 rank: 8

Why he's here: It'due south so easy to forget that Acuña is nonetheless just 23 years erstwhile, given how quickly he has established himself as ane of the sport's most feared hitters, belting fourteen homers and posting a .250/.406/.581 line in 46 games final year. Given the astronomical fourteen-year, $340 million contract given to Fernando Tatis Jr., Braves fans should feel lucky that the team has locked upwards the superstar outfielder to an eight-twelvemonth, $100 million bargain. -- Lee

three. Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals

2020 rank: xi

Why he's here: No, information technology'southward not foolish to compare Soto to Ted Williams. Williams hit .344/.442/.594 every bit a 21-yr-one-time. Soto hit .351/.490/.695. Granted, Soto did it in merely 47 games and Williams and then hit .406 as a 22-year-erstwhile, but the point is Soto has the same superstar power and plate subject equally Williams. If y'all're picking the player well-nigh likely to exist the best hitter in the game in 2021, information technology'due south Soto. --Schoenfield

ii. Mookie Betts, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

2020 rank: five

Why he's hither: Dodgers players and coaches knew Betts was good before he joined them last year. They only didn't realize how good. After sharing the aforementioned uniform for i flavor, they came away amazed by how sharp he was defensively, how well he worked counts, how forcefully the ball jumped off his bat and how perfectly he ran the bases. Betts is a five-tool role player in every sense of the word. His 38.4 FanGraphs War from 2015 to 2020, topped by merely Mike Trout, backs that up. -- Gonzalez

i. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

2020 rank: 1

Why he'south hither: Terminal season was Trout's worst since his cup-of-coffee debut a decade agone. His batting percentages were down across the board. He stole just 1 base and posted poor defensive metrics. He also deservedly finished in the elevation five of AL MVP voting for the ninth flavor in a row. If you can judge a player'southward greatness by his worst seasons, with Trout, you tin can see at a glance why he's every bit much in a race with the likes of Babe Ruth and Willie Mays for historical supremacy equally he is with Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. for the best-right-now throne that remains his, and his lone. -- Doolittle