5 Craziest Rankings in the MLB Top 100

MLB Network finalized its list of the Top 100 players in baseball on Thursday, and there were plenty of placements to debate. A list with no shortage of cheating Astros and an abundance of new faces near the top, there's bound to be some debate as who the MLB's best players are. There were five rankings we thought were ridiculous.

5. Noah Syndergaard Not in Top 100

Tampa Bay Rays SP Tyler Glasnow / Bob Levey/Getty Images

Noah Syndergaard somehow was not featured in MLB's Top 100. Across five seasons in Queens, Thor has a career ERA of 3.31, and that takes into account his rough 2019 campaign. One poor season should not drop Syndergaard from 79 (his ranking last year) to off the list entirely. Despite an inflated ERA, Syndergaard still whiffed 202 batters last season. His overall body of work warrants a spot on the list.

4. Ketel Marte Above Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres has been a top infielder for the past two years with the New York Yankees. / Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Ketel Marte had an uncharacteristically great year for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019, hitting .329 with 32 home runs. However, that was his first season hitting over .260 since 2015. While he certainly warrants a spot in the Top 50, perhaps No. 25 was a bit generous. Especially when you consider Gleyber Torres, who has been mashing for the past two seasons was ranked at No. 31. Torres avoided a sophomore slump, ripping 38 homers with a .871 OPS in 2019. Marte is outstanding, as he showcased last year, but his play doesn't overshadow what Torres has produced in back-to-back years.

3. Gerrit Cole Ahead of Jacob deGrom

New York Mets SP Jacob deGrom / G Fiume/Getty Images

No. 7 Gerrit Cole's AL Cy Young Award winning year for the Houston Astros in 2019 is nothing to scoff at, but the fact that his NL counterpart, Jacob deGrom, had a better ERA and WAR in 2019, but is ranked one spot lower on MLB Network's list is blasphemous. deGrom has never had a season with an ERA over 3.53, while Cole, in his seven seasons has had three such years. MLB Network even put deGrom ahead of Cole in its Top 10 Starting Pitchers list, so the fact they swapped it on this list is questionable.

2. Alex Bregman Still Being Top 5

Alex Bregman is a top-tier player, but MLB Network should take his stats with a grain of salt. / Elsa/Getty Images

While the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal is still the hot topic around the league, there's question as to whether or not the players would have performed as well without the tactics. There's no doubt that Alex Bregman is an elite baseball player, but would he produced at the same level without being tipped off on what pitch was being thrown? He has always shown All-Star potential, even from his days at LSU, but MLB Network really should think about the fact that the Astros cheated their way to success, and maybe consider the idea that Bregman did too and shift him down to a spot just outside the Top 10.

1. Austin Meadows Ahead of Paul Goldschmidt

Paul Goldschmidt dropped from 16 to 45 in the MLB Top 100. / Scott Kane/Getty Images

At No. 45 on the list, Austin Meadows' power popped off in 2019. He went from a .290 hitter that doesn't hit for power in 2018, to a .290 hitter that hits 30+ home runs and almost 90 RBI. However, Paul Goldschmidt, a perennial All-Star, has been doing that since 2013, yet dropped one spot below Meadows in the rankings. Goldschmidt hit .260 and didn't make the All-Star Game in 2019, but still hit 34 home runs with 97 RBI. His power and run production have remained consistent throughout his entire career, so why should a player with one good season overtake a player like Goldschmidt?