Ranking the top 100 players in Major League Baseball right now

We're picking the best players in baseball so far through the first two plus months of the season

Since we're roughly two months into the 2016 season, it's time to revisit the top 100 players in baseball.

When we did this coming into the season, the rankings were based upon reasonable expectations -- using things like age and recent performance history -- to make educated guesses at which players would provide the most value in 2016. Now, though, it's all about the season to date. As such, the rankings you're about to see reflect nothing more than who's been the best in 2016 so far. In coming up with these rankings, your scribe paid no heed to what may and may not be sustainable. Some of the names will be very much at home among the game's best, while others belong to players who have solidly over-performed. Although we'll provide a quick, thumbnail rundown of what the future may hold for these players, we're not worried about whether the performances will stick. It's all about what's happened thus far in 2016 and 2016 alone.

As for what matters, with position players it's a mix of batting, defense, and baserunning. On offense, we're not concerned with things like RBI. Getting on base and hitting for power matter above all, as do playing time, context of the player's home ballpark, and production relative to positional peers (e.g., the offensive bar is lower for shortstops and catchers than it is for first basemen and DHs). For pitchers -- and since this a backward-looking assessment of value provided -- run prevention and workload will be the drivers, but we'll also give some consideration to underlying fundamental indicators like strikeouts and walks. Again, this is all about the season to date, and the rankings suggest nothing about whether the player in question can maintain the current level of performance. As such, the next time you see this list, it'll probably look very different.

Also, we're going slap an "Outlook" label on each player that gives, in general terms, our best guess as to what the rest of 2016 will hold for the ranked baseball-ist in question. Here are the Outlook categories ...

Outlook: Should be even better - This player has already been quite good in 2016 (as made evident by his presence on this list), but his baseline is such that he can expect to climb even higher in these rankings as the season deepens and the sample size grows. This category will obviously be reserved for true superstars who figure to perform at an MVP/Cy Young level or thereabouts.

Outlook: Sounds about right - He's ranked about where you'd expect. Note: This doesn't mean the player in question is going to slug .850 or maintain an ERA of 0.71 for the entire year. Rather, it's that his general tier in the rankings is where he figures to remain going forward.

Outlook: Good but not this good - This is a useful player who helps his team win, but right now he's overshooting reasonable expectations. Expect him to settle back into being good, but maybe not great.

Outlook: Over his head - Coming into the season, you'd probably never guess this guy would wind up on a top 100 list. Sure, maybe there's genuine skills growth or needle-moving adjustments underpinning his 2016 season to date, but the smart money says he's going to regress -- pretty heavily and pretty soon.

And with that out of the way, let's take a look at the 100 players who have been the best thus far in 2016 ...

Who are the best 100 players in Major League Baseball right now? CBS Sports Original

#	Player
1	Clayton Kershaw Outlook: Sounds about right This about sums it up: He has almost as many shutouts (three) as walks (five). He's on pace to almost double the current record for K/BB ratio.
2	Mike Trout Outlook: Sounds about right Trout was slightly below his usual standards after April, but then he batted .340/.445/.613 in May.
3	Manny Machado Outlook: Sounds about right Machado of course boasts elite defense at third, and he's good enough with the glove that he's logged the majority of his defensive innings at short this season. He's also on pace for 107 extra-base hits.
4	Jake Arrieta Outlook: Sounds about right Arrieta boasts a sub-2.00 ERA, and he's top 10 in the NL in innings pitched.
5	Daniel Murphy Outlook: Sounds about right Since making some swing adjustments last season under Mets hitting coach Kevin Long, and it's stuck to say the least.
6	Jose Altuve Outlook: Sounds about right Altuve does it all. He's added power to his game, he hits for average, he plays a capable second base, and he adds a great deal of value on the bases.
7	Jackie Bradley Jr. Outlook: Good, but not this good He's a slick-fielding center fielder who this season is raking like an All-Star first baseman.
8	Noah Syndergaard Outlook: Should be even better Call him the Mets' ace. He commands top-tier velocity, and he boasts an ERA+ of 203 with a K/BB ratio of 9.00.
9	Dexter Fowler Outlook: Good, but not this good Thanks to a change in positioning philosophy, Fowler's improved his defensive value, and he's running an of OPS north of .900.
10	Ben Zobrist Outlook: Good, but not this good Zobrist's fielding has rebounded once he's gotten clear of last year's knee problems, and the offensive numbers are MVP-caliber.
11	Robinson Cano Outlook: Sounds about right Let's put talk of his decline phase on hold. Right now, the veteran second baseman is slugging close to .600 and on pace to make a run at 50 homers.
12	Xander Bogaerts Outlook: Sounds about right If you consider Manny Machado a third baseman, then Bogaerts has been the best-hitting shortstop in all of baseball this season.
13	Gregory Polanco Outlook: Sounds about right He provides Gold Glove-caliber defense, and the plate he's produced at an MVP level thus far. The most underrated player in baseball right now? It might be Polanco.
14	David Ortiz Outlook: Sounds about right Big Papi is in his age-40 season, but he's putting up easily the best numbers of his career. He leads the majors in doubles, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and total bases.
15	Johnny Cueto Outlook: Sounds about right Cueto's allowing a meager 2.65 runs per nine innings, and only Kershaw has worked more innings this season.
16	Marcell Ozuna Outlook: Sounds about right Miami's young center fielder boasts an OPS in excess of .900.
17	Jonathan Lucroy Outlook: Sounds about right Lucroy's long been one of the top defensive catchers in baseball, and this season he's healthy and hitting an an All-Star level.
18	Francisco Lindor Outlook: Sounds about right Given the injury to Andrelton Simmons, Lindor is probably the best defensive shortstop in baseball right now. As he's proved since arriving in the majors, he can also hit a little.
19	Corey Seager Outlook: Sounds about right What a season the rookie is having. In addition to holding down shortstop for a contender, he's OPS-ing .874 and on target to make a run at 40 homers.
20	Jonathan Villar Outlook: Good, but not this good What a season he's having. After 242 plate appearances, the Brewers' shortstop is batting .307/.406/.455 with 21 stolen bases.
21	Nolan Arenado Outlook: Sounds about right The numbers have slipped a bit since his scorching start to the season, but Arenado remains a power threat in any environment and the NL's best defensive third baseman.
22	Ian Kinsler Outlook: Sounds about right Kinsler remains a durable and steady producer at a key defensive position. While he's not a base-stealer these days, he is indeed a valuable base-runner.
23	Ryan Braun Outlook: Sounds about right Braun just keeps hitting. Thanks to his exceptionally productive start to the season, he's been the subject of many a trade rumor.
24	Chris Sale Outlook: Sounds about right He's eased off on the velocity a bit this season, but the results are still vintage Sale. He leads the AL in innings, and his ERA+ checks in at 156.
25	Danny Salazar Outlook: Sounds about right Salazar's struck out almost 30 percent of opposing hitters, and he's allowed just 2.24 runs per nine.
26	Jose Fernandez Outlook: Should be even better Fernandez is once again combining strong run-prevention numbers (2.29 ERA) with an elite strikeout rate.
27	Bryce Harper Outlook: Should be even better Harper's fallen in the rankings since last time thanks to a run of mortalness at the plate. However, his overall production remains very strong.
28	Tyler Chatwood Outlook: Over his head Put up a sub-3.00 ERA while making the majority of your starts at Coors Field? That will earn you a high ranking every time.
29	Jose Quintana Outlook: Sounds about right The terminally underrated Quintana is having a career year in 2016. He's once again keeping runs off the board at an impressive rate despite pitching his home games in a hitter's park.
30	Steven Wright Outlook: Good, but not this good The 31-year-old knuckleballer has been one of the best stories in baseball this season and one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. He's averaged almost 7.0 innings per start, he owns a quality start percentage of 82, and he's pitched to a 2.29 ERA.
31	Yoenis Cespedes Outlook: Sounds about right Cespedes is once again pacing the Mets' attack, as he's batting .277/.348/.593 with most of his defensive innings in center.
32	Starling Marte Outlook: Sounds about right He's a standout fielder and base-runner who's batting .326/.370/.488.
33	Madison Bumgarner Outlook: Sounds about right Mad Bum's struck out 94 batters in 80 innings, and he's posted a 1.91 ERA along the way.
34	Jon Lester Outlook: Sounds about right Numbered among Lester's merits are a 2.29 ERA and more than four times as many strikeouts as walks.
35	Stephen Strasburg Outlook: Sounds about right Strasurg seems to be on the way to his best season yet. Right now, he boasts an ERA+ of 146, and he's on pace for a whopping 229 innings.
36	Josh Donaldson Outlook: Sounds about right Last year's AL MVP hasn't put up 2015-quality numbers at the plate, but he's hitting by the standards of most. As well, Donaldson remains a frontline glove-man at third base.
37	Christian Yelich Outlook: Sounds about right Superstar in the making? Quite possibly. Yelich has a broad base of skills, and the 24-year-old is batting .328/.419/.511 on the year.
38	Kris Bryant Outlook: Sounds about right Bryant hasn't lost a step since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2015. He's proved to be a quality glove at third, and he's batting .275/.360/.512.
39	Mark Trumbo Outlook: Good, but not this good Over the years, Trumbo's improved his ability to lay off pitches outside the zone, and this season he's having a career year. He's slugging .593 and on pace for 53 bombs.
40	Mookie Betts Outlook: Should be even better He's got a good glove in right, he adds value on the bases, and he's on pace for almost 90 extra-base hits.
41	Jason Hammel Outlook: Good, but not this good Hammel tends to get overlooked on that stuffed Cubs roster, but he's registered a 2.14 ERA after 11 starts.
42	George Springer Outlook: Sounds about right He's a plus defender in right, and he's batting .288/.373/.508 after 268 plate appearances.
43	Odubel Herrera Outlook: Sounds about right A more patient approach has worked for the Philly center fielder: he's got an OBP of .426 for the season.
44	Marco Estrada Outlook: Good, but not this good A focus on working high in the zone has paid off for Estrada, as thus far he's pitched to 2.41 ERA in 74 2/3 innings. He's also continued his knack for inducing infield pop-ups.
45	Matt Carpenter Outlook: Sounds about right He's hitting .281/.388/.543 and will soon see time at his third different infield position.
46	Eric Hosmer Outlook: Sounds about right Hosmer's been a quality player for a while, but this is the kind of season we've been waiting for from him: .321/.375/.528, 10 homers.
47	Nelson Cruz Outlook: Sounds about right Cruz has done nothing but rake since leaving the Rangers. This season, he's batting .289/.381/.525 with 13 spanks.
48	Stephen Piscotty Outlook: Sounds about right In the high minors, Piscotty rebuilt his swing in order to add more power, and it's resulted in quality contact in the majors. Right now, he's hitting .311/.387/.488.
49	Nick Castellanos Outlook: Sounds about right Castellanos isn't much of a defender, but the bat is doing the talking in 2016. He's getting a better angle on the ball this year and owns a slash line of .315/.346/.543.
50	Jake Lamb Outlook: Good, but not this good The 25-year-old Lamb has developed into a very capable hitter. This season, he's hitting .270/.350/.524 with 10 homers and 14 doubles.
51	Jordan Zimmermann Outlook: Sounds about right So far, so good for Detroit's big winter acquisition. After 10 starts, Zimmermann's posted an ERA of 2.58.
52	Lorenzo Cain Outlook: Should be even better The slick-fielding Royals CFer got off to a slow start in 2016, but in May he put up a line of .351/.387/.577.
53	Brandon Belt Outlook: Sounds about right Belt's showing excellent skills growth this season in terms of plate discipline. Right now, he's shown good power to the gaps while running an OBP of more than .400.
54	Rich Hill Outlook: Good, but not this good Oakland's signing of the 36-year-old raised some eyebrows, but thus far he's been outstanding. In 64 innings, he's put up an ERA of 2.25 and struck out 28.0 percent of opposing hitters.
55	Salvador Perez Outlook: Sounds about right The uncommonly durable catcher has an .807 OPS and is on pace for 20 homers.
56	Anthony Rizzo Outlook: Sounds about right After a slow start, Rizzo's now slugging more than .500 and running an OBP of almost .400. The bad luck on balls in play that plagued him early in 2016 is undergoing a correction.
57	Aledmys Diaz Outlook: Good, but not this good He's stabilized shortstop in Jhonny Peralta's absence and along the way slashed .328/.359/.547 at the plate.
58	Miguel Cabrera Outlook: Should be even better Cabrera in April was good without quite hitting up to his usual standards. In May, though, he batted a more customary .333/.415/.618.
59	Todd Frazier Outlook: Sounds about right Frazier's on-base numbers leave a bit to be desired, but he's more than making up for it with power and excellent fielding.
60	Michael Saunders Outlook: Good, but not this good When he's healthy, he's produced, and Saunders is healthy and producing in 2016. He's been especially valuable in a Toronto lineup that's otherwise heavily right-handed.
61	Kyle Seager Outlook: Sounds about right Seager remains a defensive asset at third base, and his slash line of .293/.365/.524 is impressive, especially considering the run-suppressing tendencies of his home park.
62	Ian Desmond Outlook: Good, but not this good The free agent signing of the winter? Desmond's put up good numbers at the plate while looking very strong in his first taste of regular outfield duty at the highest level. All that for $8 million.
63	Victor Martinez Outlook: Sounds about right V-Mart may be 37, but right now he's running an OPS+ of more than 150.
64	Eduardo Nunez Outlook: Over his head Nunez is providing on-base skills and power while spending most of his time at shortstop.
65	Masahiro Tanaka Outlook: Sounds about right Tanaka's running a sub-3.00 ERA despite pitching his home games in a tough environment for right-handed hurlers.
66	Drew Pomeranz Outlook: Good, but not this good Pomeranz is thus far putting together an ace-level season. Right now, his ERA+ checks in at a tremendous 173.
67	Dustin Pedroia Outlook: Sounds about right Pedroia remains a plus defender at the keystone, and he's putting up his best offensive numbers since 2011, when he finished in the top 10 of the AL MVP balloting.
68	Neil Walker Outlook: Sounds about right The ruthlessly consistent Walker is thus far enjoying a career year at the plate. He's already more than halfway to a career high in home runs.
69	Julio Teheran Outlook: Sounds about right It's looking like a solid rebound campaign for Teheran. He checks in with improved peripherals and a 2.92 ERA.
70	Buster Posey Outlook: Should be even better Posey's not been up to his usual level of performance, but he's still producing at an above-average clip and still spending the vast majority of his time at catcher.
71	Paul Goldschmidt Outlook: Should be even better Thus far it hasn't been a vintage Goldy season in terms of power, but the strong on-base numbers mean he's still been a valuable contributor.
72	Kenta Maeda Outlook: Sounds about right Maeda's been better than advertised thus far in his first stateside season. He's on pace to work roughly 180 innings with a sub-3.00 ERA.
73	Carlos Correa Outlook: Should be even better In his age-21 season, Correa's taken a bit of a step back in terms of power while still providing excellent production overall relative to his positional peers.
74	Tanner Roark Outlook: Sounds about right Roark's strong rebound season has helped the Nats get over the free agent loss of Jordan Zimmermann.
75	Jose Ramirez Outlook: Good, but not this good Ramirez has spent time at four different positions this season, and he's running an OBP within range of .400 plus power to the gaps.
76	Zack Cozart Outlook: Good, but not this good Strong offensive numbers put up while manning a premium position like shortstop will land you on this list every time.
77	J.A. Happ Outlook: Good, but not this good Happ thus far hasn't lost the strides he made under Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage last year.
78	Adrian Beltre Outlook: Sounds about right The future Hall of Famer is still going strong. He still picks it at third, and he's on target to make a run at 30 homers.
79	Trevor Story Outlook: Sounds about right Story's April was a dominating one. He's cooled off since then, but overall he's got impressive power numbers, especially as middle infielders go.
80	Jeff Samardzija Outlook: Sounds about right Thus far, Shark's looking like a wise investment: 118 ERA+, 3.78 K/BB ratio, on pace for 226 innings.
81	Chris Tillman Outlook: Good, but not this good After a disappointing 2015, Tillman's back to pitching like a near-ace. In fact, his current ERA+ of 130 would be a career-best qualifying mark.
82	Wade Davis Outlook: Sounds about right Davis is now the best closer in baseball. Since the start of the 2014 season, he's pitched to an ERA of 0.96 with exactly one unearned run allowed over that span. Amazing.
83	Hunter Pence Outlook: Sounds about right Pence is going to out for a while with a serious hamstring injury, so he'll fall off the list at some point. For now, though, his production to date earns him this spot.
84	Joe Ross Outlook: Sounds about right Ross has probably been the best fifth starter in all of baseball this season. After 10 starts, he's pitched to a 2.37 ERA.
85	Will Harris Outlook: Sounds about right Pretty simple: Harris makes the cut because he's given up only one run all season.
86	Andrew McCutchen Outlook: Should be even better 'Cutch has remained valuable while not quite hitting up to his usual standards. Don't be surprised if he starts climbing higher on this list very soon.
87	Chase Utley Outlook: Sounds about right Pretty simple: The veteran infielder seems to have arrested his decline phase. He's getting on base and showing some pop while holding down second base for the Dodgers.
88	John Lackey Outlook: Sounds about right Yes, he's 37, but Lackey hasn't missed a beat since his impressive late-career spike season of 2015.
89	Joc Pederson Outlook: Sounds about right Yes, Pederson's just fine. His extended slump last year raised concerns, but his OPS+ thus far in 2016 is north of 100.
90	Jean Segura Outlook: Sounds about right A shift to second base and a revamped swing have paid off big for Segura thus far.
91	Colby Lewis Outlook: Over his head After 70 innings, the 36-year-old right-hander has registered an ERA of 3.09 with no unearned run allowed.
92	Leonys Martin Outlook: Good, but not this good Martin's been on the DL for going on two weeks with a hamstring injury, but he's already banked enough value in the field and at the plate to merit a spot.
93	Ian Kennedy Outlook: Over his head Kennedy's been a pleasant surprise thus far, as he's on pace to record a career-best ERA+.
94	Andrew Miller Outlook: Sounds about right The 6-foot-7 lefty is running an ERA well under 2.00, and this season he's struck out a remarkable 48.2 percent of opposing hitters.
95	Zach Britton Outlook: Sounds about right He's allowed three runs all season, and opposing hitters in 2016 have a line of .139/.190/.215 against him.
96	Yadier Molina Outlook: Sounds about right Molina's enjoyed a soft rebound with the bat, and you know all about the superlative defensive skills. He easily leads the majors in innings caught this season.
97	Brandon Crawford Outlook: Sounds about right A plus defender at short, Crawford is once again putting up good numbers at the plate by positional standards.
98	Jose Bautista Outlook: Sounds about right The 35-year-old slugger is seeing some batting average decline, but he's still got power and command of the strike, which helps him remain productive.
99	Nomar Mazara Outlook: Sounds about right Given all those outfield injuries, the 21-year-old Mazara has been a real stabilizer in the Rangers' lineup. The best is very likely yet to come.
100	Addison Russell Outlook: Sounds about right Russell's showing some on-base chops this year, and he's already established himself as one of the better defensive shortstops around.