There are really just 24 spots up for grabs on this list. Everyone knows who claims the No. 1 spot in the rankings of the 25 greatest baseball players under 25.
There won’t be any sightings of Madison Bumgarner or Giancarlo Stanton, as both of those standouts have already turned 25; however, there are tons of All-Stars who did make the cut.
The ranking process was thorough. The first step was to narrow the list down to approximately 50 players by looking at the 2014 league leaders for all big leaguers aged 24 and younger. Lists of top prospects from around the minor leagues were also consulted.
For position players, stats like batting average, on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging (OPS), steals, doubles, home runs and WAR were all taken into consideration. For pitchers, stats like ERA, strikeout rates, walk rates, saves, FIP and WAR were all part of the equation.
Of course, the rankings weren’t just about evaluating players based on their 2014 seasons but on their broader track records as well. As a result, players got credit for putting together multiple seasons of high-level production.
At the same time, a single season of greatness could send a major leaguer vaulting up the rankings. After all, the idea is to recognize the greatest of all, not just the really good.
Position players such as Yasiel Puig, Anthony Rendon and Salvador Perez dominate the top of the list, which marks a drastic change from a season ago when pitchers ruled the rankings. Meanwhile, no team is better represented than the Miami Marlins.