ESPN 500: Players No. 26-50

Updated: April 3, 2012, 2:27 PM ET

ESPN.com

Who are the best players in Major League Baseball heading into the 2012 season? ESPN formed a panel of MLB writers, analysts and contributors to rank the top 500. The countdown from No. 500 to No. 1 began March 20 and ends April 3.

The results are being announced on ESPN.com, on Facebook and Twitter (@ESPN_MLB). Fans can use the hashtag #ESPN500 to join the discussion or to follow along.

To compile a top-500 ranking, 34 ESPN experts started with a list of the top 600 players projected to play in the majors in 2012. Using a 0-to-10 scale, they evaluated only the quality of each player for the 2012 season. Players who are expected to miss 2012 with an injury, such as Victor Martinez, were not included. But Arodys Vizcaino (No. 376) was included because he was injured after the voting. Ages are listed as of July 1, 2012.

Panelists were polled over the final two weeks of February. Dan Szymborski's ZiPS system, which projects 2012 performance, was used to break ties to the fourth decimal point.

RANK

PLAYER

SCORE

Jose Reyes

Shortstop | @Marlins | Age: 29

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
126	7	44	.337	.384

7.88

David Price

@DAVIDprice14
LHP | @RaysBaseball | Age: 26

2011 STATS

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
34	218	12-13	3.49	.230

7.82

Curtis Granderson

@cgrand14
Center Field | @Yankees | Age: 31

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
156	41	119	.262	.364

7.63

Tex and A-Rod are both ranked way too high. Oh, and I'm pretty sure 90% of teams would rather have Granderson than Reyes. #espn500
— Justin Gewirtz (@JustinGewirtz) March 30, 2012

Chris Carpenter

RHP | @Cardinals | Age: 37

2011 STATS

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
34	191	11-9	3.45	.264

7.62

Josh Johnson

RHP | @Marlins | Age: 28

2011 STATS

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
9	56	3-1	1.64	.185

7.59

Jon Lester

@JLester31
LHP | @RedSox | Age: 28

2011 STATS

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
31	182	15-9	3.47	.234

7.56

@JLester31 deserves to be atleast in the 11-25 ranked players if not better... #espn500
— Mahesh Desai (@imaheshdesai) March 30, 2012

Mark Teixeira

@teixeiramark25
First Base | @Yankees | Age: 32

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
156	39	111	.248	.341

7.50

Hanley Ramirez

@HanleyRamirez
Third Base | @Marlins | Age: 28

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
92	10	45	.243	.333

7.49

My boy Hanley Ramirez at 33 in the #ESPN500
— Adam Meave (@AdamMeave3) March 30, 2012

Brian McCann

Catcher | @Braves | Age: 29

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
128	24	71	.270	.351

7.48

#espn500 has to switch Brian McCann and Yadier immediately. Yadier is the total package behind the dish, McCann is just the bat
— Mark Munizzi (@LaFlamaBlanca_9) March 30, 2012

Dan Haren

RHP | @Angels | Age: 31

2011 STATS

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
35	192	16-10	3.17	.235

7.48

Jon Lester and Chris Carpenter are very good, but Dan Haren should be ranked above both of them in #ESPN500. He's got incredible "stuff."
— Garrett Elliott (@BigRed6810) March 31, 2012

Adrian Beltre

Third Base | @Rangers | Age: 33

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
124	32	105	.296	.331

7.45

Matt Holliday

@mattholliday7
Left Field | @Cardinals | Age: 32

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
124	22	75	.296	.388

7.40

Matt Cain

RHP | @SFGiants | Age: 29

2011 STATS

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
33	179	12-11	2.88	.217

7.39

Matt Cain could pitch 20 innings straight, neglect to ice his arm, and still shake hands with the 34 analysts thats underrated him! #ESPN500
— Sabrina (@therealsabribri) March 30, 2012

Joe Mauer

@JoeMauerCom
Catcher | @Twins | Age: 29

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
82	3	30	.287	.360

7.35

@ESPN_MLB When Mauer is healthy I don't have any doubt that he is top 40, but with his problems I think he is overrated this time #ESPN500
— Edgar Gómez (@edgom) March 30, 2012

Joe Mauer ranked at #39 in the #ESPN500? A great reminder to avoid popular tendencies of losing trust in his health...#counterproductive
— Connie Haag (@ConniePhoebe) March 30, 2012

Giancarlo Stanton

@Giancarlo27_
Right Field | @Marlins | Age: 22

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
150	34	87	.262	.356

7.33

Andrew McCutchen

@TheCUTCH22
Center Field | @Pirates | Age: 25

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
158	23	89	.259	.364

7.31

McCutchen at #41, Cargo at #46, and Kimbrel at #50 are all getting very underrated on #ESPN500. All top 35 guys in my opinion
— Keegan Boyd (@the_keeg) March 30, 2012

Zack Greinke

RHP | @Brewers | Age: 29

2011 STATS

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
28	201	16-6	3.83	.245

7.30

Alex Rodriguez

@A_Rod_Yankee
Third Base | @Yankees | Age: 36

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
99	16	62	.276	.362

7.28

ARod ranked #43 in the #ESPN500. Good thing Yanks have the 43rd best player under contract for another $150 million at age 36. #CentaurBonus
— Collin Beck (@beckthemediocre) March 30, 2012

Ian Kinsler

Second Base | @rangers | Age: 30

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
155	32	77	.255	.355

7.22

Ian Kinsler ranked 44th, over @DatDudeBP ranked 79th? Phillips batted .300 last year compared to Kinsler's .255. #ESPN500
— Mitchell Lively (@mitchell_lively) March 30, 2012

@mitchell_lively Who got into the playoffs that year? Who dropped 32 bombs? Kinsler did my friend. #espn500
— Michael Leimbach (@miguelhorchata) March 30, 2012

Ryan Zimmerman

Third Base | @Nationals | Age: 27

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
101	12	49	.289	.355

7.21

@ESPN_MLB From a Phillies fan I think Zimmerman is ranked a little too low. He has the numbers to do well and will. MVP numbers? #ESPN500
— Max Rizer (@stat4stat) March 30, 2012

Carlos Gonzalez

Left Field | @Rockies | Age: 26

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
127	26	92	.295	.363

7.20

Tulo (too low) on CarGo, if he doesn't miss 30 games last year he would've been in the MVP hunt and would've had another Gold Glove #espn500
— Kyle Harris (@KH_4344) March 30, 2012

Carlos Gonzalez at 46 is a crime, hes a 30-30 threat with a great glove and a cannon for an arm. Should be in the top 25 #ESPN500
— Double Dees (@DeMattiOhh) March 30, 2012

@ESPN_MLB Cargo at 46 is simply absurd. The guy an absolute monster, and one of the few 5-tool threats in the league. #GiveMeABreak #ESPN500
— Ryan Boyd (@Ryan_Boyd22) March 30, 2012

Adam Wainwright

RHP | @Cardinals | Age: 30

2010 STATS (DNP IN 2011)

G	K	W-L	ERA	BAA
33	213	20-11	2.42	.224

7.19

Buster Posey

@BusterPosey
Catcher | @SFGiants | Age: 25

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
45	4	21	.284	.368

7.19

Yadier Molina

Catcher | @Cardinals | Age: 29

2011 STATS

GM	HR	RBI	BA	OBP
139	14	65	.305	.349

7.18

@espn_mlb Yadi behind Posey is a joke right? 2x world series champ, 4x gold glove, and 3x all star plus Posey has been hurt
— Tom Wright (@Tom_Wright12) March 30, 2012

#Espn500 Molina at 49. Way too underrated. He's one of the most elite catchers in the league, if not the most.
— Jonathan JayCabz (@JayCabz4EVA) March 31, 2012

Craig Kimbrel

RHP | @Braves | Age: 24

2011 STATS

G	K	SV	ERA	BAA
79	127	46	2.10	.178

7.17

@ESPN_MLB Kimbrel already at #50? Give him another year to show he's not another Rich Loiselle, Jeff Brantley, or Duane Ward. #ESPN500
— WC Thompson (@mrbigscore) March 30, 2012

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ESPN 500: Players No. 26-50

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