Now that MLB has released their top 100 players right now, I have just a few knee-jerk observations.
- Eleven (11) American-born Black players made this years list:
- James Wood (98)
- Masyn Winn (94)
- Lawrence Butler (90)
- Royce Lewis (82)
- Devin Williams (77)
- Hunter Greene (70)
- Byron Buxton (68)
- Michael Harris (67)
- Marcus Semien (62)
- Mookie Betts (5)
- Aaron Judge (2)
- 11% is slightly higher that the percent of Black Americans in MLB (roughly 6%).
- 11 players is slightly higher than the 8 players on the list in 2024.
- Judge (#2) and Betts (#5) are in the top 5, but after that the next the next Black player on the list is Marcus Semien at #62. That is a colossal 57 player gap.
- Four (4) new players debuted on the 2025 list: Wood, Winn, Butler, and Greene.
- Buxton is returning to the list after missing 2024.
- George Springer and JP Crawford fell off the list from 2024.
Overall, I don’t have major issues with the list. I think Betts at #5 and Soto at #4 could be reversed, but that is really nitpicky. Semien at 62 feels low. I would make the case that the 3X All-Star could be higher on the list. The 57 player gap is jarring, but I understand it. I think if a few players perform to their potential in 2025, there could be as many as 20 Black Americans on the list in 2026.
