On Monday August 11, 2025, ESPN released a midseason list of the 2025 Top 50 players in Major League Baseball, compiled by “17 MLB experts”, and somehow didn’t include San Francisco Giants superstars Robbie Ray and Rafael Devers.
Ray, 33, has been a top-10 pitcher in baseball this season. He has a stellar 2.85 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 142 innings. He was also on the 2025 National League All-Star team.
Devers has been one of the best players in baseball since 2019. He’s a three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner and 2018 World Series Champion.
He was also No. 25 in ESPN’s preseason Top 100 players list in April.
He’s struggled a little at the plate since his trade to San Francisco, but has turned it around as of late and is on pace to finish with better offensive numbers than last season. Plus, he’s become a more valuable player as someone who can play serviceable first-base defense.
So how in the world did ESPN come to the conclusion that neither Devers nor Ray are a Top 50 player in baseball?
ESPN also put 0 relief pitchers on the list. Don’t even get me started on that.
Players That Devers, Ray Should Have Made it Over
Of course, the argument that Rafael Devers and Robbie Ray should have made the Top 50 list only works if there are players on the list that each of them are clearly better than.
The most egregious player Devers should have made it over is his replacement on the Boston Red Sox, third baseman Alex Bregman, who is No. 49 on ESPN’s list.
“Bregman could hit .300 for the first time in his career,” ESPN insider Buster Olney wrote. “He’s 31 years old and there are no signs that his peak years are waning.”
Peak years? Before this season, Alex Bregman hadn’t made an All-Star Game since 2019. He has less career home runs, RBI, and a worse batting average in his career than Devers.
And hitting .300? Bregman has played in only 74 games! That will hardly play in the batting title race. You could argue that Bregman is a better defender, which he is, but Devers’ recent history at the plate is worlds better than Bregman’s. Half of an injury-plagued season doesn’t seem worthy of vaulting Bregman above Devers in the rankings.
As for Ray, he’s been better than New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried, who is No. 30 on ESPN’s list. He has a better ERA, more strikeouts, and a better bWAR than Fried. What metric puts Fried above Ray? The fact that he has more wins? More innings pitched by two?
It’s likely actually just because he has a NYY on his hat.
Giants That Did Make the List
It wasn’t all bad news for Giants players in the ESPN rankings. Two players managed to get the respect they deserved, and a place on the Top 50 list.
All-Star starting pitcher Logan Webb came in at No. 38. Webb is a beacon of consistency. He always makes every start, throws more innings than anybody, and keeps his era in the low 3.00s.
Webb also currently has the highest strikeout rate of his career, at 9.8 K/9 thus far. In his age 28 season, the Rocklin, CA native is showing no signs of slowing down.
Matt Chapman also squeaked onto the list as the No. 50 player. Chapman’s numbers are down after missing some time with injury, but he has still been an elite defender and productive power hitter with a good eye. He should have several more productive years ahead of him for the Giants.
Giants fans, what do you think of ESPN’s Top 50 list? Should Rafael Devers and Robbie Ray have been included?
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