00:00It is the start of the regular season in Major League Baseball this week,
00:03so it's preview time here on Couch Potato Diary, and the start of the season
00:07is a good time to take a wide look at the league and just see who's the best.
00:11So here is the top 10 list for me, for anyway, for the best players in Major League Baseball.
00:24It is another season and another chance to go over who we think are the top players in all of
00:32Major League Baseball.
00:33So let's get right into it. We will start at number 10, and he's high up there on a lot
00:40of lists,
00:40but I don't know if I've seen him on a few of these, but for me, it's Yoshinobu Yamamoto from
00:45the LA Dodgers,
00:46when you can almost single-handedly come in and shut down a team in a World Series,
00:51that's some pretty high-level stuff, and it just felt like that's what happened with him
00:55against the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series, and you can obviously tell that's not something that I enjoy
01:01saying,
01:01but he was so dominant in that playoff run for the Dodgers,
01:05and then to come in and shut that game down after throwing 96-95 pitches the night before in Game
01:127
01:12was truly spectacular, and that earns him the spot on this list here at number 10.
01:17At number 9, it's Garrett Crochet. This is, surprisingly, and honestly, I was thinking about this,
01:22this is about as pitcher-heavy this top 10 has been in the four or five years that we've been
01:27doing this here
01:27on Couch Potato Diary. We're starting to get that point where marquee pitching matchups and aces are back,
01:35and it's a really exciting place to be, and so with that, number 9 is Garrett Crochet from the Boston
01:40Red Sox.
01:41I think you could have made a case that he could have been the Cy Young winner in the American
01:44League last season,
01:45given how Tarek Scooble kind of stumbled down the stretch for the Tigers,
01:49but another season of just pure dominance here with the Red Sox,
01:53and this guy moves into a different echelon, I think, but for now, a very, very good year,
01:58and I think well-deserving of being number 9 on this list.
02:02At number 8, it's Juan Soto. Probably has the skills to be a little bit higher up here,
02:07but this is more a statement on where everyone else is at than Soto.
02:10Still, one of the, if not the most, probably not, but one of the most feared hitters in Major League
02:16Baseball,
02:16so you just, you have to put him on here.
02:20Defense, eh, not the fastest dude, but in terms of just being a pure all-around hitter,
02:25this guy is very scary.
02:27At number 7, it's Vlad Guerrero Jr., and maybe I'm overcompensating,
02:31because I didn't want to be a homer, again, you can see,
02:34but I think when we do this list again next year, this guy is going to be significantly higher on
02:41here.
02:41I really do think that between the incredible playoff run,
02:44starting with just dismantling the New York Yankees,
02:47on through the Mariners series with that picturesque home run,
02:50with the sun setting and everything like that,
02:53and then into the World Series,
02:55this guy leveled up, and then he carried that into the World Baseball Classic.
03:00If he can keep that going now through most of 162,
03:03and then another playoff run for the Blue Jays,
03:05then we're talking about one of the best players in baseball.
03:08We are already, but I think he moves up a tier if he can do that again this season.
03:12At number 6, it's Cal Raleigh, Cal Raleigh, sorry, from the Seattle Mariners.
03:17MVP candidate last season, 60 home runs, doing it all.
03:21Just again, one of the more feared hitters in all of Major League Baseball.
03:24The only question is, can he do it again?
03:27At number 5, it's Bobby Witt Jr.
03:30I thought he was the best player in the WBC with what he was able to do defensively.
03:35It just felt like he took away basically an entire half of the diamond to himself.
03:40And so, just defensively, he deserves to be on here.
03:43But then you factor in the speed, the batting, and everything else that he can bring to the table.
03:47And this is truly one of the best players in all of MLB.
03:51We'll get to the top half here in just a second,
03:54but just want to remind you that if you haven't already, hit the subscribe button.
03:57If you're watching this on YouTube, and hit that like button,
04:00let me know where you guys disagree with me as we go through this list.
04:04At number 4, it is Tarek Skubal from the Detroit Tigers.
04:07It's insane to me that this guy is at least entering the season,
04:10as we're recording this today, in a contract year after some weird stuff with his arbitration
04:16with the Detroit Tigers.
04:17This is one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB.
04:20And yeah, it kind of went a little sideways toward the end of last season.
04:24I don't think that's going to be an issue here.
04:25He is obviously taking the season very seriously,
04:27and is very deserving of being on this list.
04:31At number 3, another starter.
04:33It's Paul Skeens.
04:35Just plain and simple, the best pitcher in baseball.
04:37And if not for two superheroes ahead of him,
04:40could very much be on the top of this list.
04:42Just consistency, dominance, everything that you've got.
04:46You want from a starter, he's that.
04:49And then, number 2, Aaron Judge.
04:52Defensively, it took a bit of a turn last year,
04:54but he was dealing with some elbow issues and everything like that.
04:57Made a couple nice sliding catches in the WBC.
05:00And a good throw as well.
05:03But hitting-wise, there's no one like him.
05:06Best hitter in baseball right now,
05:07and just incredibly feared until championship games.
05:10And number 1, forever and always,
05:12is Shohei Otani starting pitching.
05:15Apparently, there's some talk that he's gunning for a Cy Young.
05:19And when he gunned for 50 stolen bases a couple years ago, he got it.
05:22So, we'll see what he can do on the mound as a hitter.
05:24Just absolutely incredible.
05:26When you just factor in the hitting,
05:28he's probably 1 or 2 on this list.
05:31And then you throw in a starter
05:32that they trusted in Game 7 of the World Series,
05:35and it really shows you the entire range of capabilities that this guy has.
05:41So, where did I screw up?
05:42Let me know in the comments.
05:44I can't imagine.
05:45I went 10 for 10.
05:46So, did I miss anyone?
05:47Or is the order shifted a little bit?
05:49Let me know in the comments.
05:51And, if you're enjoying this from Couch Potato Diary,
05:54but you want it with you wherever you go,
05:55well, we have that.
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