Since we’re roughly through the halfway mark of the decade in terms of MLB games for the 2020s, it would be a good time to look at the 10 best hitters of this era. When ranking the players on the list, we’re looking at defense, baserunning, and offense to evaluate the top performers of the decade, and while some players on this list aren’t in the top 10 in WAR over that stretch, that’s usually due to missing time with an injury.
Volume does matter, but not to the point where this was going to be a ranking based solely on who had the most WAR in the sport since the start of the 2020 MLB season. We will not be projecting for the rest of the decade, and there will be an entirely seperate list done for pitchers so they will not be included here, although Shohei Ohtani’s pitching contributions will be factored into his ranking.
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10. Yordan Alvarez – DH
Injuries have eaten into Yordan Alvarez’s ability to put up big numbers since the start of the 2020 season, but when healthy, there are few players scarier than him. He has a 146 wRC+ during this decade while having 140 home runs in 571 games, and his postseason play over that stretch adds to the fear he brings to the table. The combination of elite contact abilities with 80-grade raw power makes Alvarez unstoppable, and the Astros’ trade with the Dodgers that sent Josh Fields to LA for the hulking slugger should go down as one of the greatest trades we have ever seen.
9. Kyle Tucker – OF
The quiet superstar, Kyle Tucker has had an .844 OPS since the start of the 2020 season, and while he doesn’t have an MVP to his name this decade, he has been incredible. His combination of elite defense in the outfield and excellent offensive contributions makes him a well-rounded player, and he is right in the middle of the National League MVP conversation in the first quarter of the 2025 season. Tucker is 12th among qualified players in Defensive Runs Saved (34) and 10th in wRC+ (143), and he should get a hefty payday this upcoming winter as a result.
8. Bryce Harper – OF/1B
Bryce Harper is the definition of a superstar, becoming the face of a Phillies team that has been in the postseason in each of the last three seasons. The 2021 NL MVP has a 148 wRC+ and 124 home runs during the decade, hitting bombs and getting on-base at a ridiculously high clip. Harper has transitioned wonderfully from the outfield to first base since undergoing Tommy John Surgery, and few players on the planet are better in big games. A future Hall of Famer without a shadow of a doubt, the left-handed slugger will be the face of baseball since 2010.
7. Jose Ramirez – 3B
Jose Ramirez is the beacon of consistency in this game; he’ll give you a 140 wRC+ with 30 home runs and over 20 stolen bases, which makes him a truly elite player. Ramirez has become the consensus best third baseman in the game thanks to his extremely well-rounded game, as with all of his offensive prowess, his defensive abilities fall under the radar. He has +10 DRS and +10 OAA since 2020, and the Guardians were extremely lucky that he took less than his market value to stay. A superstar who is Cooperstown-bound, Jose Ramirez has become the face of Cleveland baseball.
6. Francisco Lindor – SS
Few active players in baseball will go down with the career resume that Francisco Lindor has, being one of the best defensive players of the decade while also being an elite hitter relative to the shortstop position. According to FanGraphs, Lindor is the second-most valuable defensive player in baseball this decade, and he is in the middle of his best season ever after having a career year in 2024. The improved play in big games is a nice cherry on top of a brilliant shortstop, as Francisco Lindor could go down as the best shortstop of the 21st Century when he retires.
5. Mookie Betts – OF/2B/SS
Mookie Betts has shuffled around the diamond during the decade, but he has been one of the best players in the game despite those positional changes. Betts hasn’t been able to take home an MVP with the Dodgers, but his 145 wRC+ and elite defense and baserunning have made him an MVP candidate every season. A premium defender in the outfield who has +3 OAA and +2 DRS at shortstop this season, he could transition from a Gold Glove right fielder to a Gold Glove shortstop this season. He can win games for you in every facet of the game at a level no one else can match.
4. Freddie Freeman – 1B
Freddie Freeman signed a six-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he’s one of the best signings of the decade, in my opinion. He was set to make $162 million over the entirety of his contract, and according to FanGraphs, Freeman has already been worth $166.6 million since signing the deal. The 2020 NL MVP has been second in fWAR (28.5) and 6th in wRC+ among qualified hitters since the start of the decade, and Cooperstown is a forgone conclusion at this point. He has two World Series titles, an MVP, and a World Series MVP to start the decade; that’s pretty awesome.
3. Juan Soto – OF
No one has gotten on base at a higher rate than Juan Soto (.425) this season, as he’s the second-best hitter of the decade when looking at wRC+ (162). He has consistently been an MVP candidate every year he has played this decade, and now he’s on a first-place New York Mets team that should contend for the next 15 years. This is a superstar who comes around once in a lifetime; he already has 37.4 fWAR in the middle of his age-26 season, and when October comes around, he finds a new gear. Soto is a superstar to the highest degree, and no one has the contact and power combination he has.
2. Shohei Ohtani – DH/SP
Shohei Ohtani has won the MVP award in 2021, 2023, and 2024, being the only player to record three MVPs during the decade. His 160 wRC+ and 198 home runs make him one of the three best hitters of the 2020s to this point, and he’s also had Cy Young caliber seasons during that stretch. The fact that he has not pitched since 2023 does hurt his ranking a bit, but this is one of the greatest players we will ever see and certainly the most unique. You could argue that Ohtani is the best athlete of all time based on his ability to both hit and pitch, and he could have his fourth MVP by season’s end.
1. Aaron Judge – OF
No one is better than Aaron Judge at hitting, and no one is even remotely close right now. His 191 wRC+ over this stretch is nearly 30 points higher than second-place, and his 2022-2025 stretch is the most dominant we’ve seen since Barry Bonds was juicing and shattering home run records. Judge will go down as the greatest right-handed hitter of all time if he keeps this up, and with two MVPs in the decade already, he could be gearing up for his third in 2025. This is the best clean hitter since integration, and no one can even come close to what he’s done over the last 3.25 years.