The trio of Hall of Fame broadcasters Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo, Bob Costas and Brian Kenny gave their take on the best players in baseball this season on Thursday night. Russo surprised a few with his number-one pick for this season.
Russo, a feature of MLB Network's High Heat since 2014, picked New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto as the top player among his list of the best players in the league this season.
"Soto's the best hitter in baseball," Russo said.
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The veteran analyst placed the Yankees newcomer at the top of his list, followed by Yankees MVP Aaron Judge in second spot. Meanwhile, Los Angeles duo Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani occupied the third and fourth positions, respectively.
Reigning World Series MVP Corey Seager was the fifth player on the list despite a slow start to the season in comparison to his usual lofty standards. However, Russo's decision to have Soto ahead of Ohtani surprised the panel.
When asked about the reason behind Ohtani being lower on the list, Russo said:
"I'm gonna put Ohtani fourth only because Ohtani has not done it in the post-season yet and he is a DH. I like to be a bit anti-Ohtani"
Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo defends Corey Seager's inclusion in his list of top five players
Juan Soto has arguably been one of the most clutch players this season, bailing out the Yankees time and again. However, Ohtani has outhit the Yankees sensation despite a slow start to the season and has the same number of home runs, 13, as Soto.
Corey Seager's inclusion on the list was another surprise as the Texas Rangers shortstop has not been able to deliver the goods this season. In his 178 at-bats, the two-time World Series MVP has produced 45 hits and eight home runs. However, Russo defended the Rangers star's inclusion in the list, saying:
"I'm not taking Seager away because of the six weeks where he won the World Series."
Seager played a crucial role in the Rangers' maiden World Series triumph last year, earning him a place on Russo's list. Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker's omission was another surprising decision as the right fielder is leading the charts for most home runs this season.
