The MLB offseason has seen massive contracts and trades, with the Philadelphia Phillies amongst the most active.
Having acquired Trea Turner the optimism is high for the 2023 Phillies.
One thing most fans love to argue about is player rankings.
Well, MLB Nerds came out with their 2023 rankings of the best players in the MLB.
There is plenty to talk about with those rankings, but where the Phillies players rank is curious.
The Phillies have two players ranked in the top 20, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.
Harper comes in at 18th, and Turner at 11th, with plenty of interesting discussions to have about the players around them.
Top 20 players for the 2023 season. pic.twitter.com/KK3RUitIfB
— MLB Nerds (@MLBNerds) January 3, 2023
You can see there are plenty of great players on this list, but why is Bryce Harper ranked so low?
Taking out the fact that he is injured, and will miss the first two months of the season, Harper is a top-five hitter in baseball.
His postseason run last season was historic, as he carried the Phillies to the World Series.
There is no reason he should be behind Ronald Acuna, Julio Rodriguez, or Carlos Correa (who is ranked 10th.)
While they are talented young players, Harper was more productive last season than any of them.
Harper only played 99 games, and still, hit .286 with 18 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 28 doubles.
Once he returns from injury next season, expect MVP-level production from one of the game’s greats.
Also, it was slightly surprising to see Turner ranked 11th, but he is worthy of top 10 consideration.
Turner is an elite hitter who batted .298 last season with 21 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases.
He should be ranked higher than Correa, as his offensive production is far superior.
Also, he could be in for the best season of his career with the loaded lineup in Philadelphia.
Having both Harper and Turner in your 2023 lineup should put the Phillies among the upper echelon of teams.
NEXT: The Phillies Bullpen Is Looking Strong For 2023