Are Trout and Kershaw the best yet again?

Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw are two of the best players in baseball today, and they’re often thought of as the best players to choose first in the fantasy draft. Throughout the 162 game season, fantasy baseball trades and signings are bound to happen. Some players are much better than others.

It’s difficult to decide which players to draft out of the hundreds that are available, so choosing the right player is key.

Here are some of the best players to choose in the 2017 Fantasy Baseball season. The players are categorized by their positions and are separated by league (American or National).

Pitchers

The National league is more associated with good pitching than the American league.

In the National League, Kershaw is the most valuable pitcher to have on your team. He has averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings over the last three years, and has lead the league in wins twice, making him a prime candidate for leading any fantasy team to victory.

In the American League, Justin Verlander may be the most valuable pitcher. As the leader of the Tigers staff, he is bound to have many opportunities for wins, and his 100 mph pitch helped him get 254 strikeouts in 2016.

Other valuable pitchers for fantasy baseball include Noah Syndergaard, Max Scherzer, Madison Bumgarner, Corey Kluber, and Jon Lester.

Catchers

Catcher is one of, if not the most, defensive demanding positions in baseball, but hitting statistics are what give players fantasy points.

In the American League, Jonathan Lucroy of the Texas Rangers is the best choice. Lucroy established himself as a productive hitter when he led the league in doubles in 2014 and hit 24 home runs last season.

Meanwhile, Buster Posey has been the top catcher in baseball for a few years. Posey has had a batting average above .280 in every full season that he has played. He has won a Rookie Of the Year (ROY) award and an MVP for the Giants.

Yasmani Grandal, Gary Sanchez, Wilson Ramos, and Russell Martin are also some of the top catchers in the game.

First Basemen

First basemen have produced some of the greatest hitters of all-time, and today is no different as a clear “elite” class has developed in the position.

Paul Goldschmidt is the greatest first baseman in the national league, and doing it with one of the worst teams in baseball, the Diamondbacks, makes it even more impressive. Goldschmidt has had an on base percentage plus slugging percentage plus of 154; far high than the league average of 100. He has also been the MVP runner-up twice in the last four years.

Miguel Cabrera has made a name for himself ever since he won the world series for the Marlins in his rookie year, and he has shown no signs of stopping. Cabrera has recorded four batting titles since 2011 and has also led the league in several other offensive categories.

The other members of the “elite” first baseman class include Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo, and Joey Votto, who all have had all-star appearances.

Second Basemen

While the second baseman position isn’t the most offensive position, some have risen above the rest as solid offensive players.

Daniel Murphy has broken out over the last year of playing, and has now risen to the senior circuit’s best second baseman. In 2016, Murphy was the runner-up MVP while hitting .347 and leading the league in doubles and on base percentage plus slugging percentage.

At just five foot six, Jose Altuve is the best second baseman in baseball. Altuve just stole 30 bases for the fifth year in a row, and also won his 2nd batting title while leading the league in hits for the 3rd time in a row.

While those two deserve the spotlight, both Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia have been two of the best at the position for nearly a decade. Both of them have hit .300 and hit 30+ doubles on a consistent basis.

Third Basemen

Third base is another one of the most offensively demanding positions in baseball. And some of the greatest hitters in baseball play the hot corner.

Over the last two seasons, Josh Donaldson has become an offensive force that few can match. Since 2014, Donaldson has hit 78 home runs and 222 RBIs. He also won the MVP award in 2015.

Like Donaldson, Kris Bryant of the Cubs has become one of the game’s best players over the last two years, only these were his first two years of playing in the MLB. In 2015, Bryant won the ROY, and he won the MVP in 2016. He has averaged 32 home runs and 100 RBIs per season in his career.

Several exceptional hitters have risen from the third base position. Veteran Adrian Beltre has been an all-star at the position for years; Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado are also some of the greatest hitters in the MLB.

Shortstops

While Shortstop isn’t a very offensive position, the recent wave of players have proven that they can hit as well as play the field.

Now that his team has become a serious world series contender, Francisco Lindor has been recognized for his abilities as a ball player. In his first two seasons, Lindor has a batting average of .306 and has an OPS+ of 111. Lindor is also a threat on the base paths with 31 steals and only seven times caught stealing.

With a Rookie of the year award and third place in the MVP voting, Corey Seager has established himself as the greatest shortstop in the National League. Seager’s slashline of .308/.365/.512 is one of the best in the league, and ot could help boost any Fantasy team.

The biggest youth movement has come at the shortstop position. Carlos Correa is another elite shortstop at age 22 and Xander Bogaerts is another all-star at age 24.

Outfielders

Outfielders must rely on both defense and offense to become the best in the game. And since there are three outfield positions, there can be multiple all-star outfielders per team.

As mentioned earlier, Mike Trout is thought of by many as the greatest player in baseball. In his five-year career, Trout already has two MVP awards and has won the All-Star game MVP twice. His career OPS+ is 170, and he is already approaching his 1000th career hit.

In left field, Yoenis Cespedes has risen to star status over the last two seasons. He has hit 67 home runs and driven in 191 runs in the last two seasons. He was also a crucial part of the Mets winning the pennant in 2015.

In right field, Mookie Betts had an MVP-caliber year in 2016. Betts led the league in total bases in 2016 and he had very impressive triple crown numbers (35 home runs, 113 RBIs and a .318 batting average). He also won a gold glove for right field this past season.

Since there are so many outfielders, there are dozens that could improve any fantasy team, but some are clearly on another level. Bryce Harper won the MVP in 2015 with a Wins Above Replacement of 10. Other good outfielders include Charlie Blackmon, J.D. Martinez, and A.J. Pollock.

The MLB season will begin on March 31st.