Just Baseball’s Top 10 Hitter Power Rankings: June 2024
Just Baseball's hitter power rankings return for their second installment of the season. Who made the cut for the month of June?
It’s time for Just Baseball’s June hitter power rankings!
First things first: Much has transpired in MLB since our inaugural list was released in May. Therefore, be prepared to see significant changes this time around, including plenty of new names, as well as some movement among the incumbents.
So let’s get right into it: which hitters made the cut for the month of June?
(All stats through June 17, 2024)
10. Adley Rutschman (not ranked)
2024 stats: 300 plate appearances, .289/.333/.473, 14 HR, .349 wOBA, 130 wRC+
The Baltimore Orioles played 106 consecutive series without being swept by an opponent between May 2022 and May 2024.
Adley Rutschman debuted in MLB back in May 2022.
Coincidence? Not at all.
Rutschman isn’t just one of the best catchers in the league; he’s also one of its best all-around hitters. It was only a matter of time before he’d appear on our hitter power rankings this season.
9. Jurickson Profar (not ranked)
2024 stats: 300 plate appearances, .321/.421/.488, 10 HR, .399 wOBA, 166 wRC+
Better late than never for Jurickson Profar.
Once MLB’s top prospect while with the Texas Rangers, Profar never fulfilled his promise during his tenure in Arlington. A move to Oakland in 2019 didn’t prove fruitful, either.
Fortunately, the 31-year-old seems to have found his place with the San Diego Padres (with a forgettable stint as a Colorado Rockie in 2023 sandwiched in between), as evidenced by his 166 wRC+ and .399 wOBA this season.
Profar is well-positioned to make his first All-Star team in 2024 on the strength of his bat, yet probably gets overlooked considering the Padres’ star power and their gravitation towards big splashes.
8. Rafael Devers (not ranked)
2024 stats: 265 plate appearances, .282/.374/.555, 14 HR, .392 wOBA, 151 wRC+
Rafael Devers is in the midst of a career season in 2024, yet it’s not getting much play due to the middling nature of Boston Red Sox.
If his current pace holds over the remainder of the year, Devers would finish with his highest single-season wRC+ to date. And as a hitter with a career 125 wRC+ (well above average), that’s nothing to scoff at.
The third baseman appears to be right at home in the month of June as well, with a scorching hot .419 wOBA and 169 wRC+, improving upon his still solid April and May production (.384 wOBA, 145 wRC+).
7. Bryce Harper (not ranked)
2024 stats: 295 plate appearances, .282/.390/.520, 15 HR, .387 wOBA, 152 wRC+
Harper missed our last list, but he’s come alive for the first-place Philadelphia Phillies and takes the seventh spot in our hitter power rankings.
The 31-year-old is playing his first full season at first base and is more than embracing the typical offensive profile for that position. Really, Harper could play anywhere on the diamond and his stats would still look gaudy. That’s how elite he is.
And to top it all off, few players are as good at hitting in clutch situations as Harper. We could point to multiple examples of this over the years, but we’ve got a great one from the recent London series between the Mets and Phillies.
6. Bobby Witt Jr. (10)
2024 stats: 324 plate appearances, .327/.377/.551, 11 HR, .394 wOBA, 155 wRC+
After four new list entries, we have our first returning member of the hitter power rankings: Kansas City Royals’ shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Witt moves up four spots in the June rankings, a result of his continued ascent into becoming one of MLB’s premier shortstops.
The Royals’ new franchise player is tracking towards a career-best season in year three across the board. And his talent is a major reason why Kansas City has remained in the thick of the American League playoff race halfway through June.
5. Marcell Ozuna (4)
2024 stats: 296 plate appearances: .321/.392/.611, 20 HR, .427 wOBA, 178 wRC+
The best hitter in the Atlanta Braves’ lineup isn’t Ronald Acuna Jr. (injured), Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies or Austin Riley. It’s Marcell Ozuna.
Who saw that coming?
Ozuna placed fourth in our May hitter power rankings after a red-hot start to 2024. And because he’s almost single-handedly carrying a limping Braves lineup, he deserves to keep his top-five spot in June.
Don’t be surprised to see Ozuna at the All-Star game in Texas next month. Or when he potentially receives some down-ballot MVP votes when it’s all said and done.
4. Juan Soto (3)
2024 stats: 321 plate appearances, .315/.433/.592, 18 HR, .438 wOBA, 190 wRC+
Where would the New York Yankees be without Juan Soto? They almost found out after a forearm injury scare during a recent series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Bronx. (Spoiler: they wouldn’t be in a great place.)
We all know the kind of hitter Soto is: Disciplined, yet positively flamboyant. And the Yankees are a much different (improved) team with the 25-year-old in their batting order every night.
You only had to watch the Dodgers series to fully grasp that.
3. Shohei Ohtani (1)
2024 stats: 322 plate appearances, .314/.388/.601, 19 HR, .421 wOBA, 178 wRC+
Speaking of the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani drops two spots in our June hitter power rankings.
Take that with a grain of salt, though, because he moved from the top one into the more mortal top three.
Ohtani has been slumping if you can believe it – MLB.com writes that he had a .588 OPS between May 18 and June 9 – but that won’t last. And it hasn’t even affected his overall output, either, which speaks to the hitting abilities he possesses.
2. Gunnar Henderson (6)
2024 stats: 319 plate appearances: .274/.370/.588, 22 HR, .407 wOBA, 170 wRC+
Is it a stretch to call Baltimore Orioles’ shortstop Gunnar Henderson the best player at his position right now?
Henderson’s still only 22-years old, which is why some might still hold back on calling him the cream of his crop. But unless you’re going with the similarly young Bobby Witt Jr., there’s no reason why Henderson hasn’t earned that distinction as of now.
The stats speak for themselves, as Henderson leads all shortstops in many of the major offensive categories. And the scary part is that he hasn’t even hit the so-called “prime” of his career.
Exciting times at Camden Yards indeed.
1. Aaron Judge (not ranked)
2024 stats: 326 plate appearances, .299/.425/.686, 26 HR, .461 wOBA, 207 wRC+
Hard to fathom that Aaron Judge didn’t make our May list, right? Well, he’s more than earned his place in June.
We’re well aware of what Judge can do when he’s healthy and raking – 62 home runs in a season is his American League record alone. But a legitimate question to ask at this point might be this – does he have it in him to somehow be better this year than during that historic 2022 campaign?
By wOBA, the Yankee captain is slightly ahead of his 2022 mark (.462 in 2024 to .458 in 2022) and by wRC+, he’s nearly the same (207 wRC+ in 2024 compared to 209 in 2022). In addition, Judge’s 26 home runs halfway through June have him on a near-60 home run pace.
Another torrid stretch from the 32-year-old could very well do it.
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Seth is a passionate baseball fan and writer residing in the NYC area. He has years of experience covering the game for Just Baseball, FanSided and…