Who Will Top Next Winter’s Free Agent Hitting Class?

Tarik Skubal is the overwhelming favorite to be next offseason’s top free agent. The two-time defending AL Cy Young winner is probably the best pitcher on the planet. He’s almost certainly not signing an extension with the Tigers. As long as he stays healthy during his walk year, Skubal should become MLB’s first $400MM+ pitcher.

Clear as the top of the pitching market looks, the #1 spot in the hitting class is wide open. That’s a rare position even in March. Each year at MLBTR, we publish our first power ranking of the following winter’s free agent class not long after Opening Day.

Over the past five Aprils, the #1 players on our initial free agent ranking were: Corey Seager*, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker. The first four players went on to sign for more than $300MM (well above in Ohtani’s and Soto’s cases). Tucker had at least one $350MM offer but opted for a shorter deal at a record average annual value. It’s usually very easy to identify an upcoming free class’s top hitter one or more years in advance.

Since that’s not the case for the 2026-27 class, there’s room for debate as to which player enters the season in pole position. Their respective ’26 performances will naturally play a large role in determining future contracts, but there are only a handful of players who have a real chance to land the biggest deal among next offseason’s hitters. Randy Arozarena, for example, is one of the best hitters in the class, but it’s safe to assume he’s not commanding the biggest contract as a left fielder who’ll test the market in his age-32 season. That’s just not a profile that lends itself to a nine-figure deal.

Let’s run through the more realistic possibilities. The full list of 2026-27 free agents is available here.