Just Baseball’s Top 10 Hitter Power Rankings: August 2024

The summer portion of the MLB schedule is moving fast. Can you believe it’s already time for Just Baseball’s August hitter power rankings?

As we play through the final stretch run of the 2024 season, let’s check in on the hitters who have been lighting up the stat sheets and making headlines as of late, starting with No. 10…

All stats are as of August 18, 2024.

10. Tyler Fitzgerald (Previously: Not Ranked)

2024 stats: 204 plate appearances, .316/.370/.616, 14 HR, .415 wOBA, 173 wRC+

We have to give a shoutout to Fitzgerald, the San Francisco Giants rookie shortstop who has been mashing in 62 games played at the MLB level this season.

He’s been so good, in fact, that he captured NL Rookie of the Month honors for July – even though he only played 16 games that month. He hit .321 with eight home runs and a 235 wRC+.

On the season, his 14 home runs in 204 plate appearances are pretty ridiculous, too.

How much longer will Fitzgerald-mania last? That’s anyone’s guess, but it’s a matter of when, not if it will start to die down. His 28% strikeout rate and the 74-point differential between his actual wOBA (.415) and expected wOBA (.341) are key regression indicators. But we’ll enjoy the ride, for now.

9. Ketel Marte (Previously: N/R)

2024 stats: 500 plate appearances, .298/.370/.560, 30 HR, .389 wOBA, 151 wRC+

Marte was under consideration for some of the prior editions of these hitter power rankings, but with his name now firmly in National League MVP discussions, it’s time for him to get his due here.

I’ll leave it to my colleague Cameron Zunkel to explain Marte’s season at the plate:

“As for personal performance, Marte is having the best season of his career, considering all of his stats. He has already hit 30 home runs, which is just two shy of his career-best mark. He could easily reach 40 home runs if he stays hot through the end of the season.”

8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Previously: N/R)

2024 stats: 535 plate appearances, .317/.388/.547, 25 HR, .400 wOBA, 164 wRC+

What a second half Guerrero is having for the Toronto Blue Jays.

It’s not so much that his first half was bad. In fact, he was solid (133 wRC+, 14 HR). But he has significantly elevated his output since the All-Star break, with a 278 wRC+ and 11 home runs in about a quarter of the games played (96 versus 27).

Guerrero’s .391 on-base percentage (OBP) also jumps off the page, as that figure would be his highest since 2021 when he finished with a .401 OBP.

Maybe, just maybe, “La Plakata” is back.

7. José Ramírez (Previously: N/R)

2024 stats: 518 plate appearances, .277/.331/.539, 32 HR, .366 wOBA, 140 wRC+

Try finding a more consistent hitter in MLB than José Ramírez. It’s tough to do.

The Cleveland Guardians’ All-Star third baseman always finds his way onto these lists one way or another. He’s never quite on the level of Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge. Yet, he’s always right in the thick of MVP chatter when it’s all said and done. And he’ll always put up respectable numbers.

Hard not to love that.

6. Rafael Devers (Previously: 7)

2024 stats: 480 plate appearances, .299/.378/.592, 27 HR, .399 wOBA, 156 wRC+

2024 continues to be a career season for Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, who is also our first returning member from the July hitter power rankings. He moves up one spot in August.

Across the board, Devers is pacing to finish with single-season bests in multiple statistical categories, including on-base percentage, home runs, wOBA and wRC+. It all adds up considering he’s entering his prime at age 27, and we shouldn’t expect Devers to slow down anytime soon.

Assuming he finishes the season as strong as he started it, you’ll see Devers on these rankings again in September.

5. Gunnar Henderson (Previously: 4)

2024 stats: 555 plate appearances, .288/.374/.562, 33 HR, .397 wOBA, 162 wRC+

We’ve made it to the top five and guess who? It’s Gunnar Henderson, again!

There’s nothing more Henderson can do to enhance his standing at this point: He’s already an elite hitter at his position, not to mention in all of MLB, despite having turned just 23 years old in late June. The sky is truly the limit for the Baltimore Orioles shortstop.

Would it be insane to suggest the Orioles have their next Cal Ripken Jr. in Henderson? Perhaps it’s early for such a declaration, but it seems like we’re headed that way.

4. Shohei Ohtani (Previously: 2)

2024 stats: 559 plate appearances, .290/.377/.613, 39 HR, .411 wOBA, 169 wRC+

The Los Angeles Dodgers have never had a player finish with a 40-40 season (40 home runs, 40 stolen bases) in their celebrated history, if you can believe that. So, it’s fitting that Shohei Ohtani is tracking to be the first one to ever reach that milestone with L.A.

Among other accolades Ohtani is likely to earn in 2024 (National League MVP, most prominently), carving out his own place in Dodgers history in his first year with the team is something special.

We don’t need to explain the offensive output: Ohtani is what generational talent looks like.

3. Bobby Witt Jr. (Previously: 5)

2024 stats: 547 plate appearances, .350/.400/.617, 25 HR, .427 wOBA, 176 wRC+

Witt keeps improving with each passing day. He’s already the complete package, with a lethal power-speed combination that accentuates his ability to make contact at a high level, as demonstrated by his league-leading .350 batting average.

Forget about numbers, though. He very well could be the most ‘valuable’ player in MLB right now, even if he doesn’t take home MVP honors this season.

If nothing else, though, his Kansas City Royals could be a playoff team in 2024, and Witt would be the driving force behind it all.

2. Juan Soto (Previously: 6)

2024 stats: 552 plate appearances, .300/.432/.601, 34 HR, .438 wOBA, 189 wRC+

Juan Soto is our biggest riser in the August hitter power rankings, jumping four spots from six to two.

The reason for such a large jump? He’s been on a tear in the second half, clocking in with a .498 wOBA and a 231 wRC+ since the All-Star break. He also has 11 home runs in just 26 games played since then.

There’s a case to be made for 2024 being Soto’s best season yet, and with mere months to go until he hits free agency, we’d say this is all perfect timing for the 25-year-old.

He seems to love playing in New York, for what that’s worth.

1. Aaron Judge (-)

2024 stats: 546 plate appearances, .331/.463/.703, 44 HR, .481 wOBA, 218 wRC+

And then there was one. The one.

Aaron Judge is still the best hitter in MLB and subsequently takes the top spot yet again in our hitter power rankings.

The regular season feels like a formality at this point: Judge has the American League MVP secured, barring injury.

The only questions now are whether he’ll eclipse the 60-homer mark (again) and if he can somehow surpass Bobby Witt Jr. in the batting average category to add a hitting Triple Crown (leading in batting average, home runs, and RBIs) to his already decorated resume.