ESPN released its annual list of the top 100 players in Major League Baseball heading into the 2020 season.
And there’s certainly a New York feel to it.
Five members of the Mets and seven Yankees made the cut, including four players in the top-20.
The Yankees’ shiny new $324 million signing in pitcher Gerrit Cole ranked second in ESPN’s top 100 while Mets ace Jacob deGrom was one spot behind at No. 3.
Cole parlayed a monster season with the Houston Astros last season into that record-setting contract with the Yankees, going 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts.
In Queens, deGrom won his second-straight National League Cy Young Award with a 2.43 ERA and 255 strikeouts. Over the past two seasons, he’s been one of the most untouchable pitchers in baseball with a 2.05 ERA in 421 innings pitched.
Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout naturally took the No. 1 spot for the seventh-straight year.
Despite dealing with a broken rib and missing a combined 110 games over the past two seasons, Aaron Judge came in at No. 15. The 27-year-old has yet to reach the heights of a 52-home-run rookie season in 2017, but he’s still one of the game’s top power hitters when healthy.
Five spots beneath him is the newest slugger in New York, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who broke Judge’s MLB rookie record for most round-trippers in a season with 53 last year.
Another young face within New York’s baseball landscape — Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres — is ranked 32nd after he socked 38 home runs lin 2019. Only Alfonso Soriano hit more home runs as a regular second baseman or shortstop in franchise history.
Infielder DJ LeMahieu and closer Aroldis Chapman were placed next to each other at Nos. 57 and 58 while catcher Gary Sanchez wasn’t far behind at No. 63.
Despite his chaotic string of injuries, Giancarlo Stanton also made the list at No. 82.
As for the Mets, Noah Syndergaard dropped 26 places from last season following a disappointing 2019 campaign. He now ranks 51st.
Meanwhile, Jeff McNeil’s All-Star season in which he developed into one of the smoothest hitters in baseball earned him the No. 76 spot. The now-injured Michael Conforto, fresh off a career-high 33 home runs, just squeaked in at No. 100.
