The Most Valuable PEBA Players – 2030 Edition

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The latest edition of the PEBA’s Most Valuable Players sees a fair amount of change, but will there be a new #1? You’ll have to read to find out. This list looks to place a relative value on the top 50 players in the PEBA, and rank them in some kind of order. The idea is that a higher ranked player would, all else being equal, not be traded straight up for a lower ranked player. Of course, team circumstances and the different ways in which players are evaluated means that this list would look different for anyone else assembling it.

Player performance at the PEBA level is the most important factor, but age, position, and contract situation all come into play. Top prospects who’ve yet to appear in the PEBA won’t be seen here. It takes at least a season of quality play against the world’s best players to make this list. One player to call out who isn’t on this list but very well could be in the top 50 is Jerry Rutledge. He’s averaged 36 home runs per season, but as of the writing of this article still hasn’t signed with any team.

Each player has their age, team, and position listed, with the age being how old they are for the 2030 season. Each player will also be listed with a note on how this year’s ranking compares to last years. Without further ado, then, here are the most valuable players for 2030.

The List

25. SP Juan López (HAV) – 26 – There wasn’t much difference for López’s 2029 season compared to his 2028, and that’s a good thing for a young starter. He went 13-10 with a 3.65 ERA and 157 K’s. His walk rate was slightly improved and he’s young enough that one can envision him still getting a bit better. The Leones have him slotted in at #5 in their 2030 projected rotation, which tells you a bit about how good their staff is. (UP – Prev: NR)

24. LF Danny Burton (FLA) – 32 – Burton exploded in 2029 for the type of season that the Featherheads have been expecting ever since he was the IL Wunderkind in 2021. He tailed off toward the end of the year after coming out of the gate super fast, and he actually wound up with fewer home runs than in 2028. Injuries have eaten into playing time throughout his career, but he’s been mostly healthy over the past two years, so perhaps he’s found something. (UP – Prev: Top 50)

23. LF Bartolo Mora (KEN) – 28 – Mora’s performance cratered in 2029 after his Royal Raker season the year before. Part of that was due to injury, but he didn’t look like the same hitter even when healthy. Don’t be surprised by a big bounce back this year. (DOWN – Prev: 3)

22. SP Dean McNeil (CL) – 31 – Another strong campain for McNeil saw him go 13-9 with a 3.04 ERA. He fell just shy of 200 innings pitched, and kept his walk totals under 30 for the 5th consecutive season, ranking 4th in BB/9IP since 2025. (NC – Prev: 22)

21. SP Richard Neely (AUR) – 27 – San Antonio sent their young ace to Aurora at the trade deadline after he had gone 8-8 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. The Borealis were not terribly pleased with his production, though. He had a similar 3-3 record despite a better offense behind him. The real concern was the 4.07 ERA. Looking deeper at things, most of his rate stats were actually better. The big difference? Hits allowed went way up due to a .356 BABIP. He’ll be fine if the team can give him a bit better defense. (DOWN – Prev: 17)

20. SP Noboru Imai (FAR) – 26 – Imai picked up where he left off, leading the SL in K/9IP and seeing his HR rate drop significantly. On the flip side, his ERA and BB/9IP were up a bit, but in the end, he went 15-8 and was about as valuable as he’d been the previous year. (UP – Prev: Top 50)

19. 1B Félix Zavala (NO) – 28 – Since his debut in 2024, Zavala has 1216 hits, which is over 100 more than any other player over that time. Unsurprisingly, he’s led the league in hits 3 times, but he’s also led in doubles 3 times, averaging over 40 per season. He consistenly hits about 15 home runs a year, so it’s a bit less power than you typically want from a corner infielder, and he doesn’t walk much, but when you hit .358, that doesn’t matter so much. (UP – Prev: NR)

18. CL Ricardo Pérez (HAV) – 30 – How much is a closer worth? Pérez was already labeled the league’s best closer and then he went out and lowered his ERA to 1.59. In 75 innings he struck out over 100 batters and posted a 0.88 WHIP. Over the past 6 seasons, his save percentage is over 96%. No one else is over 93%, with most closers no better than the mid-80’s. (DOWN – Prev: 9)

17. LF Félix Rodríguez (SS) – 25 – The Evas may have gotten a steal when they traded for Rodríguez last April. They sent several prospects to Canton, but got a player who can crush right handed pitching. (UP – Prev: NR)

16. SP Jorge Castillo (SS) – 26 – Castillo had an excellent year in 2028, going 15-9 with a 3.24 ERA. In 2029, he pretty much duplicated that in 2029, with a 3.14 ERA and 18-8 record. His walks were down and strikeouts were up. Suitani gets all the attention because he’s so good, but Castillo would be a #1 starter for plenty of teams in the league. (UP – Prev: Top 50)

15. SP Ernesto Molina (FAR) – 32 – Molina led the SL with a 2.22 ERA and finished 3rd in Golden Arm voting last year. The Dinosaur ace now has 3 top 3 Golden Arm results, which is saying something. Fargo brought him over from Kentucky when they traded former ace Armando Gallegos for him, which is a pretty cool continuum of stud pitchers. Molina just signed a huge extension which locks him up a rather hefty rate through his age 37 season. (DOWN – Prev: 12)

14. SS Ricardo Mateo (HAV) – 23 – Mateo saw his raw numbers go down slightly in 2029, but his park adjusted OPS+ was identical to his rookie campaign and he added a bit of power in the process. His defense was superb and he’s a great base runner. It’s actually a bit surprising he only stole 50 bases. Originally signed out of Nicaragua as a 16 year old, he’s going to be a player other teams covet for a long time. (UP – Prev: Top 50)

13. SP Eric Elliott (KEN) – 29 – Elliott’s regular season was an odd duck in that his 2.53 ERA didn’t seem to line up with his rate stats and his win loss record was an uninspiring 9-8. You could forgive Kentucky fans for feeling like he should be something more. Enter the postseason. Elliott was a man on fire, going 4-1 with a 1.35 ERA as the Thoroughbreds galloped past Scottish, Florida, and Havana and on into the PEC. (DOWN – Prev: 11)

12. DH/RF Jeffrey Grier (NT) – 26 – Last year we suggested that Grier might set the new stolen base record, yet he merely tied the previous one with 89. To go along with those thefts, he led the SL with a .407 OBP while hitting .329. He doesn’t hit for much power and it’s looking more and more like he’ll be a designated hitter for any team that cares even a little for defense, but he’ll hit. (UP – Prev: 20)

11. C Tony Parker (CL) – 30 – While most teams would love to get a league average hitter at catcher, the Gnats have Parker belting 42 home runs for them. In case you’re wondering, that was a PEBA record for backstops. He’s a 4-time All-Star who’s still in arbitration. Much, or little, has been made of his defensive prowess, but given the team’s success, maybe other teams ought to start following suit. (DOWN – Prev: 8)

10. SP Luppe van Dam (FLA) – 22 – The best pitching prospect in the majors sports half a dozen pitches of good to great quality. He went 13-8 with a 2.49 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning during his rookie campaign. He’s still got untapped potential, as if the Featherheads needed more of that on their already loaded roster. (UP – Prev: NR)

9. SP John Turner (AUR) – 31 – Turner wasn’t quite as good last year as the year before, but he continued to pitch extremely well for the Borealis. He set a career high with 206 K’s, with the rest of his numbers fairly similar to 2028. His 11-9 record was decidedly worse than it ought to have been given his performance. (DOWN – Prev: 6)

8. RF Shane Willis (PS) – 27 – We felt like putting Willis at #23 on this list last year was a bit of a reach based on projected talent, but he went out and rewarded that faith and then some. His 220 hits were the most since Javier Padilla had 224 ten years ago. He set career highs in triples and home runs, and his 93 stolen bases made him one of four players to break the single season stolen base record. (UP – Prev: 23)

7. 3B Luis Cedeño (HAR) – 32 – He really didn’t have the season we’re used to from him, not even being an All-Star was a surprise, but Cedeño is still plenty feared and respected. He didn’t hit for average, but he did crack 30 home runs, steal 60 bases, and lead the IL with 114 runs scored. Most of his peripheral numbers were similar to 2028, with the real outlier being BABIP, so he looks like someone who could very well produce at the levels we’re accustomed to in 2030. (DOWN – Prev: 2)

6. 3B Alejandro Luján (WV) – 31 – After three consecutive AVG and OBP titles from 2026 to 2028, Luján dropped from those lofty heights to the world of the merely very good. He missed a month due to plantar fascitis, and it seems to have affected him enough at the plate to fall all the way to … 4th in each category. Yeah… not worried. He won his 4th All-Leather award by a landslide and figures to keep plaguing IL pitchers as he always has. (DOWN – Prev: 5)

Players Ranked 26-50, In Alphabetical Order

CF Steve Boyer (REN) – 26 – Boyer improved on his rookie season in every way, hitting 31 home runs with a .277 average. He added 49 stolen bases to be one of a record 6 players to go 30/30 last year. (UP – Prev: NR)

CL Matt Brown (HAR) – 27 – The joys of being a reliever… Brown posted career bests with 42 saves and a 0.75 WHIP, but didn’t make the All-Star team. Installed as the team’s full time closer, the Harpoon got 40 fewer innings out of him in 2029. He was still his dominating self, just not as often. (NC – Prev: Top 50)

CL Bob Burns (AUR) – 30 – Burns is one of the more expensive relievers in the league, but he was tremendous last year. En route to winning the SL Shutdown Reliever award, he set a new career high with 39 saves, posted a 1.26 ERA, and 0.57 WHIP. In 71 1/3 innings, he struck out 99 while giving up just 9 walks and 32 hits. (UP – Prev: NR)

LF Lorenzo Castanieda (FAR) – 25 – Castanieda was runner-up in the 2027 SL Wunderkind voting, has been an All-Star each of the past two seasons, and was the MVP of the 2028 Planetary Extreme Championship, yet you’ve probably forgotten about him if you’re not a Fargo fan. He doesn’t hit for much power, rather he’s a high average hitter with speed, having stolen 62 bases last year. (UP – Prev: NR)

CF Luis Cervantes (SS) – 29 – The Underground sent Cervantes to Shin Seiki in early July and his combined numbers on the year were very similar to the year before. He wasn’t quite as good for the Evas as he was for London. In all, he hit 23 home runs and stole 33 bases. (NC – Prev: Top 50)

SP José Fernández (NT) – 28 – He was inexplicably worse at everything except strikeouts in 2029. The Akira will be looking for a return to his 2028 form. (DOWN – Prev: 24)

CF Pedro Flores (WV) – 28 – He set career highs in average, home runs, runs, RBI, and stolen bases in 2029. Not the best defensive center fielder, but he does enough to keep playing him out there. (NC- Prev: Top 50)

RF Raúl García (WV) – 26 – García’s first full season was highly productive. He finished 3rd in the IL with a .324 average, scored 100 runs, and led the IL with 93 stolen bases. (UP – Prev: NR)

LF Roberto García (NO) – 28 – Noew Orlean’s García is an all or nothing power hitter who, if he does happen to get on base on something other than a home run, can steal a bag. Kind of an odd profile, but he’s posted back-to-back All-Star seasons with 30 home run power. (UP – Prev: NR)

2B Carlos Garza (WV) – 28 – There’s a ton of talent here, but Garza didn’t take the step forward last year that people hoped for, in part due to missing 6 weeks with a torn ankle ligament. (NC – Prev: Top 50)

CL José Gómez (SJ) – 28 – A year after breaking out in the closer role, Gómez was back at it in 2029. He lowered his ERA to 1.59, recorded 41 saves and was an All-Star for the second year in a row. (NC – Prev: Top 50)

SP Manuel Gonzáles (WV) – 27 – An international free agent out of Chile, Gonzáles got a hefty contract from the Alleghenies based solely on scouting reports, then went out and earned it. He was the runner up in the IL Golden Arm voting after leading the league with 18 wins. He posted a 2.19 ERA with 169 K’s in 201 innings. His walk rate was a bit high, but the rest was great. (UP – Prev: NR)

SP Edgardo Guerra (PS) – 28 – His 2.73 ERA in 2029 was slightly worse than 2028, but still good enough for 6th in the SL. His 11 wins were the lowest total in his 4 PEBA seasons. (NC – Prev: Top 50)

RF Claudio Hernández (HAV) – 28 – He struggled in his sophomore season, only managing a .773 OPS after winning the IL Wunderkind the year before with .918 OPS. Don’t be shocked to see him bounce back this year. (DOWN – Prev: 14)

SS Naomi Honma (SCO) – 25 – Honma will be turning 25 this April, but he’s already a 2-time All-Star coming off a 25 home run season where he fell a tie breaker short of winning All Leather honors. His bat progressed a bit more last year than some scouts expected, but he’s a very big man who makes you want to believe that power is legit. (UP – Prev: NR)

1B Gustavo López (FAR) – 28 – He made his third straight All-Star game and hit 38 home runs with 108 RBI in only 129 games. Unlike some players, that was due to usage rather than injury. (NC – Prev: Top 50)

3B Germán Lima (NO) – 26 – Lima’s 48 home runs and 118 RBI famously gave rise to speculation that he might be able to set a new home run record, but he came up 5 short. Are we ranking him too low? (UP – Prev: NR)

SP Jorge Medina (NO) – 29 – Medina was chosen to his first All-Star game last year, going 14-8 with a 3.55 ERA while setting a new career high in innings pitched. It was the first year he’s been a full time starter, and he enters 2030 with the mantle of team ace for a Trendsetter team looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2010. (UP – Prev: NR)

SP Iwao Maruyama (SS) – 23 – San Antonio sent Murayama to Shin Seiki last June. He was struggling a bit for the Calzones prior to the trade, but had won 18 games in 2028 and the Evas were banking on that being more in line with his future performance. He delivered. In 13 starts for Shin Seiki, he went 7-2 with a 2.88 ERA and just 5 walks in 78 innings. (NC – Prev: Top 50)

2B Pablo Ortíz (PS) – 23 – Ortíz won the SL Wunderkind award for 2029 after hitting .248 with 24 home runs and a .720 OPS. He also won All-Leather honors for his play at second base. There’s a lot to dream on for the former #1 PEBA prospect. Expect continued improvement as he raises his average. A .300 season with 30-40 home runs and 50-60 stolen bases is not out of the question. (UP – Prev: NR)

LF Tom Patton (OKA) – 27 – Patton never stole more than 30 bases at any stop in the minors before reaching the PEBA. In his 3 years with Okinawa, he’s stolen 37, 55, and 108 bags. That’s quite at the progression! He led the PEBA with 127 runs scored in 2029, which is the highest total since 2017 and meant that he scored nearly half the time he reached base. Incidentally, Pat Watson (FAR) and Jerry Rutledge (OKA) were the only players over 50% with significant playing time. Despite not making the playoffs, the Shisa scored the second most runs in the SL last year. (UP – Prev: NR)

RF Vincent Powell (SCO) – 26 – Powell exploded for 40 home runs and and a 1.004 OPS in 2029. His average was well above his career norm, so whether or not he can repeat that is up for debate. (UP – Prev: NR)

3B António Santos (AMA) – 27 – Santos hit 43 home runs and had an IL high 89 walks in 2029. He’s slow as molasses but can play either infield corner. His lack of speed keeps his average down, but if he gets his BABIP up and the average with it, he could easily win Royal Raker. (UP – Prev: NR)

SP Ángel Valdéz (REN) – 32 – A trade to the Alleghenies gave him a taste of postseason play, but he’s back with Reno for 2030. He stuggled for the Zephyrs before the trade, but was lights out for West Virginia, going 7-1 with a 2.55 ERA. (DOWN – Prev: 25)

CF Pat Watson (FAR) – 28 – Widely regarded as one of the most talented all around players in the league, Watson’s challenge is simply staying on the field. His medical rap sheet is miles long. Last year he played in just 114 games despite not having an injury significant enough to keep him out for more than 2 weeks. He still managed 29 HR’s and 9.1 WAR. He hit .338/.437/.619. Still… what do you do with him but hope? The two seasons prior, he played in 100 games combined. (UP – Prev: NR)

The Top 5

5. SP Jim MacCowan (CL) – 30 – MacCown finished 4th in the SL Golden Arm voting last year despite only earning 12 wins on the season. It seems a remarkably low win total for a superstar pitcher on a team that won a league leading 105 games, but that’s just how things worked out for him. He was an All-Star for a 4th straight year, led the league with 3 complete games, and posted an incredible 9.00 K/BB ratio after walking just 21 batters all year. (UP – Prev: 10)

4. RF Clarence Carpenter (CL) – 29 – The PEBA’s top stolen base man in 6 of the past 7 seasons, Carpenter shattered the league record with 114 swipes last year. Why he got a league leading 13 intentional walks is anyone’s guess. He hit a career best .320 with 57 extra base hits, so there is that, but putting him on is like giving him a double! He’s getting paid pretty well, but he’s easily been worth that contract and is locked up for 4 more seasons after 2030. That would be cause for concern with some players, but Carpenter has been able to stay on the field consistently. (UP – Prev: 7)

3. SP Yakamochi Suitani (SS) – 34 – You normally wouldn’t expect a 34 year old pitcher to move up in the rankings no matter how good he is, but Suitani put up a second straight Golden Arm winning season and has such a team friendly contract, he’s still one of the most valuable players in the league. In 2029, he posted a career low 0.80 WHIP, and hasn’t thrown fewer than 200 innings since he was in the LRS as a 23 year old. His contract is not even half of what he’s worth on an annual basis, and couldn’t be more team friendly. (UP – Prev: 4)

2. RF Tomás Martínez (NT) – 26 – Martínez exploded in 2029 the way many thought that he would. He won the SL Royal Raker after leading the SL with a .336 average and 132 RBI. He hit 36 home runs and stole 33 bases en route to a second straight 30/30 season. He led the PEBA with 339 total bases, which is the lowest PEBA leading total ever. (UP – Prev: 19)

1. SP Enrique Vázquez (HAV) – 28 – Vázquez is the most dominant pitcher in the PEBA and for three years running has won the IL Golden Arm award. In 2029, he set career bests with a 1.58 ERA, 233 strikeouts, and 0.88 WHIP. Despite all the regular season success, he was not called upon in the postseason when the team needed a game 7 win in the League Championship series against Kentucky. The Leones would lose and Kentucky advanced amid the controversial decision not to pitch “Old Nick”. (NC – Prev: 1)