Top 5 active MLB players with the highest baseball IQ

To succeed in the MLB, not only do you need to have world-class talent, you need to be able to do the little things in baseball correctly. These include having a good eye at the plate, being able to preform defensively, and being vigilant on the base paths, just to name a few. Being able to execute these at the highest level puts a baseball player at a great advantage when performing at the top level.

Like all-time great Yogi Berra once said, "Baseball is 90 percent mental, the other half is physical." Now, obviously, those numbers don't match up, but his message still stands true. Players must excel on the mental side of baseball in order to see success. Today, we are going to be looking at five active MLB players who have the highest baseball IQ.

The Einstiens of today's MLB

#5 Brandon Nimmo - New York Mets

Brandon Nimmo of the New York Mets

Brandon Nimmo is not like the other members on this list. The players listed below are all established or former superstars of the game of baseball. Although Nimmo does not match that criteria, the 29-year-old has only one full season under his belt, but he already looks like an experienced veteran in the majors.

What sets the Mets outfielder apart from other players is his ability to draw walks and get on base, his quick reactions in the outfield, and his hustle on both sides of the field. Nimmo has already drawn 20 walks this year, 10th in the National League, and currently has a .397 on-base percentage, the sixth highest in the NL. In 2018, Nimmo drew a whopping 22 hit-by-pitches, leading the entire MLB in his only full season of play. He is also constantly hustling out grounders and making what would be outs into infield singles. All of this, combined with his stellar glove in the field, makes Nimmo an exciting player to watch grow in the future.

#4 Nolan Arenado - St. Louis Cardinals

Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals

Nolan Arenado is the best defensive third baseman the MLB has seen since the likes of longtime Cardinal Scott Rolen in the early 2000s. Some of the plays Arenado makes at third look impossible for any other player to make. The craziest thing is that he makes these spectacular plays with ease. By watching Arenado make an impossible play, you would think he has done it a thousand times before.

Arenado started with the Colorado Rockies back in 2013 and has won nine Gold Gloves and five Platinum Gloves since. That is unheard of from a player who is still only 32 and has a long career left. On the offensive side, Arenado led the NL in home runs three times in Colorado, making him a true dual threat from both sides of the field.

"Give Nolan Arenado the Gold Glove right now!" - @ St. Louis Cardinals

Arenado's stellar defense makes him one of the smartest players in the MLB today.

#3 Mike Trout - Los Angeles Angels

Trout v the Cleveland Guardians

It should surprise no one that the best player of this generation makes this list. Trout already has a Hall of Fame resume with the Angels and he is only 30 years old. What sets him apart IQ-wise from everyone else is the ability to find a way onto the bases, his evasiveness on the base paths, and his overall success in every aspect of baseball.

In 2022, Trout currently has a .440 on-base percentage, which is second in the MLB, and his highest career OBP was .460 back in 2018. It's crazy to think that Trout can reach base safely in nearly half of his at-bats. Also, do not let his current stolen base numbers fool you. The centerfielder stole a league-leading 49 bases in his rookie year in 2012, and you can still see his speed when he is in the outfield. Trout has always been an exciting player to watch, mainly for being such a talented and smart baseball player.

#2 Joey Votto - Cincinatti Reds

Votto v the Washington Nationals

Joey Votto is now entering the twilight stage of his career, and he has the worst current numbers on this list. But don't let this distract from the fact that Votto was one of the best pure hitters of the 2010s. The 38-year-old has spent the entirety of his 16-year career in Cincinnati, and his crazy ability to find a way onto the bases is what sets him apart from other hitters.

Votto's best single-season OBP was back in 2011 with a .471, a number that had not been reached since Barry Bonds in the early 2000s. His career OBP is .415, which ranks in the top 30 in the MLB of all time. Votto's knowledge of the game does not stop with the bat, as he won a Gold Glove and is smart on the base paths for someone who was never known for speed. Votto has had one of the greatest careers in recent MLB history, and that can be due to how smart of a player he is.

#1 Yadier Molina - St. Louis Cardinals

Molina v the Los Angeles Dodgers

There's a general consensus throughout baseball that the catcher is the smartest player on a baseball diamond, so it makes sense to have one of the best defensive catchers of all time at the top of this list. Yadier Molina has spent 19 years in the MLB, every year being the best defensive catcher in baseball. His insane amount of knowledge behind the plate is what makes him the smartest baseball player currently in the MLB.

Molina has won nine Gold Gloves and five Platinum Gloves in the big leagues, a number that would be higher if voter fatigue did not exist. The backstop threw out a record 64% of runners in 2005, and has thrown out almost half of the runners in his career. He is also one of two catchers all time to record more than 14,000 career putouts.

"Few, if any catchers in baseball can do what Yadier Molina can do." - @ Dan Buffa

Molina is approaching 40 years old, and will likely retire in the near future, but he will never be forgotten as a defensive anchor behind the dish, making him one of the smartest MLB players of all time.