MLB Hitters Power Rankings: Top 10 red-hot sluggers after Day 1 of Week 8 ft. Kyle Schwarber and Shohei Ohtani

A week is a long time in MLB. With games coming thick and fast day in, day out, the power rankings for hitters can fluctuate quite heavily from week to week.

Though there are many players that feature regularly, a red-hot week for a slugger that otherwise started slowly can suddenly bring him into the limelight, and onto this list.

As one would expect with the unpredictable nature of baseball, this list is of course subject to change every week.

Here, we take a look at the top 10 hottest MLB sluggers from the week gone by.

Top 10 hottest MLB sluggers on Day 1 of Week 8

#10 - Byron Buxton

Currently batting .264 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs for the season, Minnesota Twins leadoff man Byron Buxton has been a consistent hitter in a season that has otherwise been full of inconsistency for the AL Central outfit so far. This past week, Buxton has homered twice, in back-to-back home games against the Baltimore Orioles.

#9 - Jasson Dominguez

After beginning the MLB season a touch slower than he would have hoped for, Jasson Dominguez came to life as the Yankees took on the Athletics in Sacramento. Dominguez became the youngest ever Yankee to homer three times in the same game on Friday, so his presence on this list is richly merited.

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#8 - Ketel Marte

Having finished 2024 with 36 home runs and 95 RBIs, Ketel Marte deservedly made it into the top three for the NL MVP award. However, the slugger appeared to be struggling to replicate those displays in the opening month of the MLB season.

That is, until the Dodgers came to town. Facing the 2024 World Series winners, Marte gave his season the kick-start it desperately needed, homering three times in the span of two games.

#7 - Juan Soto

Arriving at Citi Field after signing the largest ever deal in MLB history, even the most die-hard of Mets fans would probably admit they expected more from a player of Juan Soto's quality in the first month or so of the season.

However, it appears the Dominican is finally finding his groove, which is worrying news for any pitchers set to square up against him in the coming week. Soto erupted for three homers and five RBIs in back-to-back games against Arizona and the Cubs.

#6 - Wilyer Abreu

With five home runs over the past week, Boston Red Sox star Wilyer Abreu is having an extremely impressive season so far. As of now, the Venezuelan is batting .279 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs.

#5 - Francisco Lindor

Having recently become a father for the third time, it appears the proverbial 'dad strength' is well and truly kicking in for Francisco Lindor this season. Three of Lindor's nine home runs this season have been hit over the past week.

Along with clearing the fences, Francisco Lindor has continued to prove he can put the baseball in play on a regular basis, boasting a .304 batting average.

#4 - Freddie Freeman

Given the importance of Freddie Freeman for his team, it is no surprise to see the Dodgers' return to the top of the NL West coincide with the 2024 World Series MVP's return to action.

Over the past week, Freddie Freeman has hit three home runs, the latest of which came in Sunday night's series finale against the Diamondbacks. Freeman's stellar performances have also earned him the NL Player of the Week award.

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#3 - Shohei Ohtani

Another player who has recently celebrated the birth of his child off the field, Shohei Ohtani now appears to be at the peak of his powers again. The Japanese superstar is one of the only two MLB players who have hit four or more home runs over the past week, alongside Wilyer Abreu.

#2 - Kyle Schwarber

Set to enter free agency come the end of the season, Kyle Schwarber's exploits on the field will surely go quite a long way to convince the Phillies executives and fans that it is very much in their best interest to keep the veteran around for the long term.

At the moment, Kyle Schwarber has 14 home runs, leading the MLB home run charts alongside Aaron Judge.

#1 - Aaron Judge

Judge is perhaps the most predictable name on this list the way things have transpired this season. To put it bluntly, the way Aaron Judge is batting right now, be it hitting the ball out of the park or getting important hits to bat runners in, there is arguably no better hitter in MLB at the moment.

The Yankees captain is on course for a Triple Crown as he leads the majors in batting (.414), homers (14) and RBIs (40).

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Brad Taningco