With another regular season in the books and another wild postseason about to reach its climax, it’s time for my annual All-MLB team, which features my picks for the best players at each position. For the second year in a row, only one player from the previous year’s team was a repeat winner, and once again it was the incomparable Shohei Ohtani, who is expected to become the highest-paid player in baseball history this winter.

Ohtani is always the exception, but even for the game’s elite, it’s so difficult to deliver the best season at a position two years in a row. That just speaks to all the talent in our great game. Among teams, the Braves led the way with three players selected this year.

As always, I also included my choices for top manager, general manager and owner. But let’s start with the players, a group highlighted by Ronald Acuña Jr., Corey Seager and Gerrit Cole. Without further ado, here is my 2023 All-MLB team. Let me know in the comments section what you think I got right and wrong, and why.

Note: Selections were made shortly after the regular season ended; postseason performance was not considered. WAR figures are according to Baseball Reference. MLB advanced stats and percentiles are according to Statcast. 

PlayersAdley Rutschman, 25, is already one of the best catchers in baseball. (Tommy Gilligan / USA Today)

Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Orioles

WAR: 4.3 OPS+: 128

Adley Rutschman slashed .277/.374/.435 with 20 home runs, 84 runs scored and 80 RBIs while mostly hitting second or first in the order for Baltimore. He made his first All-Star team. He finished tied for third in the American League in walks with 92, two behind league leader J.P. Crawford. He threw out 22 percent of base runners trying to steal, an above-average mark in the first year of the challenging new rules for catchers. He ranked in the 85th percentile in blocks above average, the 79th percentile in framing and the 81st percentile in pop time. His xwOBA was in the 92nd percentile. Jonah Heim of the Rangers finished a close second and impressed by ranking in the 97th percentile in framing and the 89th percentile in caught stealing above average. However, Rutschman’s bat gave him a slight edge.

First base: Matt Olson, Braves

WAR: 7.4 OPS+: 162

This one came down to Matt Olson or Freddie Freeman and I went with Olson, who slashed .283/.389/.604 while leading the majors in home runs (54), RBIs (139) and slugging percentage (.604). He made his second All-Star team and graded out ahead of Freeman defensively. Olson finished in the 96th percentile in xwOBA and Barrel% and in the 99th percentile in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity.

Second base: Marcus Semien, Rangers

WAR: 7.4 OPS+: 122

Marcus Semien made his second All-Star team this season as he batted .276/.348/.478 with 40 doubles, 29 home runs and 100 RBIs while leading the AL in runs (122) and hits (185), setting the table for a strong Rangers offense out of the leadoff spot. He ranked in the 98th percentile in range (outs above average) and in the 84th percentile in sprint speed. Semien beat out Ozzie Albies by a gnat’s eyelash because of his better on-base percentage. Luis Arraez, who led the majors in batting average, was also given serious consideration.

Shortstop: Corey Seager, Rangers

WAR: 6.9 OPS+: 170

If it weren’t for Shohei Ohtani, Corey Seager would get my “vote” for AL MVP, and I believe he’ll finish as the runner-up. Seager slashed .327/.390/.623 with 33 home runs, 88 runs scored and 96 RBIs. He ranked in the 98th percentile in xwOBA and xSLUG and in the 96th percentile in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate. His overall batting run value was in the 98th percentile. Seager has my favorite left-handed swing in the sport with the cleanest mechanics: short, simple, and right to the ball. Defensively, he makes the routine plays at shortstop thanks to solid jumps and direct angles to the ball, which make up for his below-average range.

Third base: Austin Riley, Braves

WAR: 5.9 OPS+: 128

Austin Riley led all third basemen with 37 home runs, 117 runs scored and an .861 OPS while slashing .281/.345/.516. He finished in the 93rd percentile in average exit velocity and in the 89th percentile in xwOBA, Barrel% and hard-hit rate. Rafael Devers, Isaac Paredes and José Ramírez all received serious consideration here.

Ronald Acuña Jr. racked up 73 stolen bases, best in the majors. (Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)

Right field: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves

WAR: 8.1 OPS+: 168

Ronald Acuña Jr. is the front-runner to win the National League MVP Award and in my opinion was the second-best player in the sport, behind Ohtani, this year. Acuña slashed .337/.416/.596 and became the first member of the 40-70 club, finishing with 41 home runs and 73 stolen bases. He led the NL in plate appearances, runs scored, hits, stolen bases, on-base percentage, OPS, OPS+ and total bases, and made his third consecutive All-Star team. Acuña ranked in the 100th percentile in batting run value, xwOBA, xBA, xSLG and average exit velocity. Defensively, he was in the 96th percentile in arm value and in the 98th percentile in arm strength. He’s the full five-tool superstar package. Mookie Betts finished a close second, slashing .307/.408/.579 with 39 home runs, 126 runs scored, 107 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. Betts ranked in the 98th percentile in xwOBA and Sweet-Spot%.

Center field: Julio Rodríguez, Mariners

WAR: 5.3 OPS+: 128

Julio Rodríguez got off to a slow start as he slashed .249/.310/.411 in the first 87 games of the season, but he took off over the next 68 games, batting .308/.363/.578 with 19 home runs and 54 RBIs. He finished the year at .275/.333/.485 with 32 home runs, 102 runs scored, 103 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. Rodríguez became the fourth player in major-league history to join the 30/30 club at age 22 or younger, joining Alex Rodriguez, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr. He ranked in the 96th percentile in sprint speed, the 97th percentile in outs above average and the 90th percentile in arm strength. Offensively, he was in the 91st percentile in batting run value, the 96th percentile in base running value and the 91st percentile in fielding run value. A superstar in the making.

Left field: Juan Soto, Padres

WAR: 5.6 OPS+: 158

Juan Soto played all 162 games for the Padres and led the NL in walks with 132, which helped him finish with a .410 on-base percentage (tied for third in the majors). He hit 32 doubles and 35 home runs while scoring 97 runs and driving in 109 more. He also stole 12 bases. His batting run value and xwOBA were in the 97th percentile. His hard-hit rate was in the 99th percentile. His outfield range, per outs above average, was terrible, as he ranked in the 3rd percentile, but his arm value (80th percentile) helped make up for it. I still think if Soto walked less and focused on hitting for power more he could do more damage and perhaps even hit 50 home runs in a season someday. I also considered Yordan Alvarez (4.5 WAR, 31 homers, .407 OBP, 170 OPS+), but Soto was my pick in left field.

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Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Angels

WAR: 10.0 OPS+: 184

He’s the best all-around baseball player to ever play the game and he delivered another otherworldly season — despite it being cut short by injury. As a hitter, Shohei Ohtani slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, 95 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. As a pitcher, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA over 132 innings, striking out 167 and yielding just 85 hits. He made his third consecutive All-Star team and soon will win his second AL MVP in three years. An impending free agent, Ohtani is expected to land a contract of at least $400 million guaranteed this offseason.

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Gerrit Cole is likely to win the first Cy Young Award of his career. (Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)

Starting pitcher: Gerrit Cole, Yankees

WAR: 7.5 ERA+: 165

Gerrit Cole is the front-runner to win the AL Cy Young Award after going 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 0.981 WHIP. He struck out 222 in 209 innings. This would be his first Cy Young honor after finishing second twice and top 5 five times. Cole ranked in the 100th percentile in pitching run value and fastball run value and in the 96th percentile in breaking run value. In my book, he topped Blake Snell, the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award, as this season’s best starting pitcher. Snell went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA over 32 starts, striking out 234 in 180 innings. He was worth 6.0 WAR.

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Closer: Félix Bautista, Orioles

WAR: 3.0 ERA+: 280

Félix Bautista was the best closer in baseball before suffering a season-ending injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery. Bautista posted a 1.48 ERA and recorded 33 saves. He struck out 110 in 61 innings with 26 walks and 30 hits allowed (0.918 WHIP). He ranked in the 98th percentile in pitching run value and the 96th percentile in fastball run value. Devin Williams and Josh Hader were both in the running, but Bautista, 28, was the choice to represent baseball’s bullpens.

Front office and field staffBruce Bochy first season in Texas has been a huge success. (Kamil Krzaczynski / USA Today)

Owner: Steve Cohen, Mets

Steve Cohen backed his team with the highest payroll in baseball history at more than $343 million, which included agreeing to pay Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer $43 million apiece this year. When things didn’t work out in a disappointing season for the Mets, Cohen gave his baseball operations department the green light to trade both veteran starting pitchers and eat most of their contracts to be able to acquire several top prospects and build for the future. He also provided ample resources to improve the Mets’ analytics operation, player development and scouting. Late in the season he hired David Stearns to run baseball operations for the next five years. The Mets didn’t make the playoffs, but Cohen has set the club up for future success. No owner provided their organization with more resources, financially or intellectually. (It’s worth noting that this offseason is off to an unusual start for Cohen’s club, as the Mets have fired manager Buck Showalter, introduced Stearns, accepted the resignation of GM Billy Eppler, and come under investigation by MLB for improper use of the injured list.)

Executive: Alex Anthopoulos, Braves

Alex Anthopoulos was named MLB Executive of Year in 2015 with the Blue Jays and he should win it in 2023 with the Braves to become a rare multi-year recipient and the first to win it in both leagues. He’s my pick for his work overseeing the 104-win Braves as president of baseball operations. No one put together a better major-league roster this year and no one has done a better job of signing their club’s star players to long-term, below-market contracts.

Manager: Bruce Bochy, Rangers

After stepping away from the Giants after the 2019 season, Bruce Bochy returned to the dugout about three years later as the manager of the Rangers and immediately led the team to a 90-win season and a postseason berth (not to mention a run to the World Series). Bochy, a three-time world champion, did a masterful job of navigating the season with a pitching staff that endured injury after injury and struggled with inconsistent performances the entire season. He helped develop young stars such as Josh Jung and Evan Carter. Bochy’s calm, stoic approach works, and once again he’s among the best managers in baseball. He has won 2,101 regular-season games in 26 years as a manager and is a future Hall of Famer. He’s finished in the top 5 for NL Manager of the Year eight times and has a chance to become the eighth to win manager of the year in both leagues, joining Tony La Russa, Lou Piniella, Buck Showalter, Jim Leyland, Bob Melvin, Davey Johnson and Joe Maddon.

For comparison, here’s who made the cut last year.

Bowden’s 2022 All-MLB TeamPOSITIONPICKTEAMCatcherJ.T. RealmutoPhilliesFirst basePaul GoldschmidtCardinalsSecond baseJose AltuveAstrosShortstopCarlos CorreaTwinsThird baseManny MachadoPadresRight fieldAaron JudgeYankeesCenter fieldMike TroutAngelsLeft fieldSteven KwanGuardiansDesignated hitterShohei OhtaniAngelsStarting pitcherJustin VerlanderAstrosCloserEdwin DíazMetsOwnerPeter SeidlerPadresExecutiveAndrew FriedmanDodgersManagerTerry FranconaGuardians

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