![Bryce Harper is sure to get paid a lot of money in the offseason. [Image Source: Flickr | Keith Allison]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/8/14/660x290/b_502x220x82/bryce-harper-is-sure-to-get-paid-a-lot-of-money-in-the-offseason-image-source-flickr-keith-allison_2075329.jpg "Bryce Harper is sure to get paid a lot of money in the offseason. [Image Source: Flickr | Keith Allison]")
With the MLB regular season nearly three-fourths over, it isn’t too soon to look at free agency in the upcoming offseason.
After looking at the starting pitchers who will be hitting the open market, here are the best free agent hitters that will become available once the 2018 season is complete.
As a subjective list, it wasn’t an easy feat to rank what is a deep free agent class. That is why ten more free agent hitters are listed to begin, each of whom has a case to be on the list.
(All stats are from games played through August 13.
Ages listed are how old they will be when the 2019 season begins.)
Next ten (in no particular order): Ian Kinsler, Daniel Murphy, DJ LeMahieu, Michael Brantley, Wilson Ramos, Eduardo Escobar, Marwin Gonzalez, Andrew McCutchen, Adrian Beltre, Steve Pearce
10. Brett Gardner - New York Yankees
- Age: 35
- 2018 stats: 462 PA, .249 BA, .724 OPS, 10 HR, 16 2B, 4 3B, 35 RBI, 72 R, 10 SB
- Career stats (11 seasons): 5,298 PA, .262 BA, .739 OPS, 94 HR, 200 2B, 58 3B, 440 RBI, 767 R, 251 SB
Yankees fans never seem to fully appreciate the exploits of Gardner because he doesn’t put up offensive numbers of a superstar. Pinstripe Alley pf SB Nation writes how the Yankees should have no worries about him. He has consistently been a three-plus WAR player every season in part due to his excellent defense in the outfield.
9. Yasmani Grandal - Los Angeles Dodgers
- Age: 30
- 2018 stats: 383 PA, .250 BA, .840 OPS, 20 HR, 16 2B, 1 3B, 58 RBI, 51 R, 2 SB
- Career stats (7 seasons): 2,525 PA, .241 BA, .784 OPS, 109 HR, 103 2B, 4 3B, 329 RBI, 281 R, 6 SB
Grandal has been one of the better offensive catchers in baseball for a few years now. His 20 home runs in 2018 give him three straight seasons that he has hit at least 20.
He draws a good amount of walks as well as he currently has a .352 on-base percentage.
8. Jed Lowrie - Oakland Athletics
- Age: 34
- 2018 stats: 500 PA, .271 BA, .815 OPS, 18 HR, 30 2B, 1 3B, 74 RBI, 52 R, 0 SB
- Career stats (11 seasons): 4,312 PA, .262 BA, .748 OPS, 99 HR, 252 2B, 17 3B, 484 RBI, 495 R, 7 SB
Now in his 11th big league season, Lowrie was named an All-Star for the first time in 2018.
He already has reached a new career-high in homers and is just one shy of his career-high of 75 RBIs that he posted in 2013.
7. Nelson Cruz - Seattle Mariners
- Age: 38
- 2018 stats: 429 PA, .269 BA, .902 OPS, 30 HR, 13 2B, 1 3B, 76 RBI, 51 R, 1 SB
- Career stats (14 seasons): 6,256 PA, .276 BA, .864 OPS, 353 HR, 293 2B, 13 3B, 990 RBI, 819 R, 76 SB
While he has strictly been used as a designated hitter this season, Cruz continues to be one of the best power hitters in the league. His 30 homers thus far in 2018 are the fifth straight year that he has reached that number.
6. Brian Dozier - Los Angeles Dodgers
- Age: 31
- 2018 stats: 511 PA, .232 BA, .740 OPS, 19 HR, 24 2B, 2 3B, 63 RBI, 70 R, 10 SB
- Career stats (7 seasons): 4,281 PA, .248 BA, .775 OPS, 170 HR, 205 2B, 21 3B, 502 RBI, 598 R, 100 SB
Dozier has hit three home runs in 12 games since the Dodgers acquired him from the Twins, and Los Angeles hopes he can replicate his 2016 and 2017 seasons after the All-Star break.
In 2016, he batted .291 with 28 homers after the break, and last year those numbers were .304 and 21 respectively.
5. A.J. Pollock - Arizona Diamondbacks
- Age: 31
- 2018 stats: 298 PA, .284 BA, .874 OPS, 15 HR, 16 2B, 3 3B, 46 RBI, 40 R, 10 SB
- Career stats (7 seasons): 2,345 PA, .286 BA, .815 OPS, 68 HR, 139 2B, 27 3B, 245 RBI, 346 R, 100 SB
Pollock has been an excellent defensive center fielder throughout his career, albeit one who has experienced injury woes. He has shown more power than in previous seasons in 2018 with 34 extra-base hits in 271 at-bats.
4. Nick Markakis - Atlanta Braves
- Age: 35
- 2018 stats: 516 PA, .325 BA, .894 OPS, 14 HR, 37 2B, 2 3B, 76 RBI, 69 R, 1 SB
- Career stats (13 seasons): 8,522 PA, .290 BA, .787 OPS, 179 HR, 468 2B, 20 3B, 952 RBI, 1,034 R, 64 SB
Like Lowrie, Markakis was named an All-Star for the first time in 2018.
He currently leads the NL in batting average and doubles. Teams may be skeptical if he can continue playing at this rate as he had a much-lower .728 OPS from 2013-17.
3. Josh Donaldson - Toronto Blue Jays
- Age: 33
- 2018 stats: 159 PA, .234 BA, .757 OPS, 5 HR, 11 2B, 0 3B, 16 RBI, 22 R, 2 SB
- Career stats (8 seasons): 3,757 PA, .275 BA, .873 OPS, 179 HR, 190 2B, 12 3B, 544 RBI, 548 R, 34 SB
Donaldson remains high on the list despite calf tightness that has kept him out of action since late May. According to CBS Sports, the 2015 AL MVP has been ‘ramping up intensity’ in his rehab. He averaged 35 home runs and nearly 100 RBI a season from 2014-17.
2. Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals
- Age: 26
- 2018 stats: 506 PA, .236 BA, .882 OPS, 29 HR, 20 2B, 0 3B, 72 RBI, 75 R, 9 SB
- Career stats (7 seasons): 3,768 PA, .279 BA, .899 OPS, 179 HR, 169 2B, 18 3B, 493 RBI, 582 R, 71 SB
Harper, the 2015 NL MVP, hit .330 that season and hit .319 in 2017.
That number is all the way down to .236, although he has a .379 on-base percentage due to 91 walks. He is also hitting .333 in 22 games since the All-Star break, which comes after he won the Home Run Derby in his home park.
1. Manny Machado - Los Angeles Dodgers
- Age: 26
- 2018 stats: 459 PA, .303 BA, .916 OPS, 26 HR, 26 2B, 2 3B, 70 RBI, 58 R, 11 SB
- Career stats (7 seasons): 3,884 PA, .282 BA, .819 OPS, 164 HR, 202 2B, 11 3B, 476 RBI, 496 R, 50 SB
After somewhat of a down year (by his standards) in 2017, Machado is currently sitting with career-highs in batting average and OPS. With seven more homers, he will have hit at least 33 in each of the last four seasons.
