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These Are Some Baseball Players We Like

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 28: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on August 28, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pirates defeated the Phillies 5-0.
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

On Opening Day last year, we recommended you keep a running list of players you like. This year, a few of us have opted to share our lists with you.


Maitreyi: 

*All Detroit Tigers are AMG (Assumed My Guy)

  • Kenta Maeda
  • Jake Cronenworth
  • Victor Robles
  • Tyler Glasnow
  • Bo Bichette (annoyed me a lot in 2022, felt sheepish adding him back when he became good again)
  • John Means
  • Ryan Mountcastle
  • Wander Franco
  • Jonathan India
  • Ke’Bryan Hayes
  • Willians Astudillo
  • Harrison Bader
  • Kevin Kiermaier
  • Alek Manoah (2022 additions begin here)
  • Mike Yastrzemski
  • Adley Rutschman
  • Daulton Varsho
  • Luis Castillo
  • Vinnie Pasquantino
  • Oswaldo Cabrera
  • Andrés Giménez

2023 Hot Seat:

  • Tyler Glasnow
  • Wander Franco

2023 Guy Watch:

  • Eugenio Suárez

Luis: 

  • Pablo López
  • Anthony Santander
  • Ranger Suárez
  • Salvador Pérez
  • Miguel Cabrera
  • Shohei Ohtani
  • Nick Castellanos
  • Oswaldo Cabrera
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  • Andrés Giménez
  • Julio Rodríguez
  • Fernando Tatís Jr. (PEDs be damned!!!)
  • Cedric Mullins
  • Byron Buxton
  • Juan Soto

Marlins Division Of Guys I Like For Reasons Other Than Just Because They Are Marlins:

  • Sandy Alcántara
  • Edward Cabrera
  • Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Kelsey: 

*Every Philadelphia Phillie, according to the Maitreyi clause, is AMG

  • Didi Gregorius :( 
  • Tony Kemp
  • Billy McKinney
  • Nick Gordon
  • Sean Manaea
  • Oneil Cruz
  • Johan Camargo
  • Shohei Ohtani
  • Mark Canha
  • Lucas Gilbreath
  • Marcus Stroman
  • Anthony Volpe
  • Matt Vierling

Barry:

  • Oswaldo Cabrera
  • Masyn Winn
  • Thairo Estrada
  • Daulton Varsho
  • Rowdy Tellez
  • David Peralta
  • Wandy Peralta
  • Oneil Cruz
  • Willy Adames
  • Gio Urshela
  • Nestor Cortes
  • Anthony Santander

Albert:

  • Vlad Guerrero Jr.
  • Oneil Cruz
  • Hunter Greene
  • Félix Bautista
  • Shohei Ohtani
  • Edward Cabrera
  • Juan Soto
  • Manny Machado I DON’T CARE
  • Julio Rodríguez
  • Grayson Rodriguez (assuming the O’s will call him back up at some point)

(Some of these are guys I have barely watched; they’re on here more as an aspirational thing, a reason to pay more attention to more baseball teams.)


David Roth:

  • Jesús Luzardo
  • Zack Greinke
  • Paul Sewald
  • Rich Hill
  • Brusdar Graterol
  • Juan Soto
  • Jake McCarthy
  • Vincenzo Pasquantino
  • Lucas Giolito
  • José Ramírez
  • Rowdy Tellez
  • Byron Buxton
  • Johnny Cueto
  • Javy Báez
  • Hunter Greene
  • Joey Votto
  • Jeff McNeil
  • Sean Doolittle
  • Dan Vogelbach
  • Jordan Romano
  • Hyun-Jin Ryu
  • Cedric Mullins
  • Oneil Cruz
  • Patrick Sandoval

(Basically all Mets, in perpetuity, are included in the My Guys category, with McNeil and Vogelbach getting special mention this time, and with exceptions going back over the last 40 years that I will not detail here but would be happy to explain if asked.)


Ray:

  • Vlad Guerrero Jr.
  • Anthony Santander
  • Oneil Cruz
  • Lars Nootbaar
  • Francisco Lindor
  • Sandy Alcántara
  • Corbin Burnes
  • Emmanuel Clase
  • Liam Hendriks

(Ray also submitted several non-MLB names: Leon Draisaitl, Mark Scheifele, Sebastian Aho, Connor Hellebuyck, Domantas Sabonis, Desmond Bane, Malcolm Brogdon, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, Mike Conley, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith)


Sean:

  • Tim Anderson
  • Luis Arráez
  • MacKenzie Gore
  • Eduardo Escobar
  • Matt Chapman
  • Brandon Crawford

Pittsburgh Pirates Diaspora:

  • Josh Bell
  • Starling Marte
  • Jameson Taillon
  • Tyler Glasnow
  • Josh Harrison

Guys Who Played Well In Columbus Clippers Games I Attended:

  • Maikel Garcia
  • Will Benson
  • Eric Haase

The Names:

  • Zach Pop
  • Esteury Ruiz
  • Tucupita Marcano
  • Brusdar Graterol
  • Dinelson Lamet

Dan:

  • Darick Hall

Just one guy. His last name is my middle name. I need him to have a huge year for the merch possibilities.


Chris:

  • Steven Kwan
  • Wander Franco
  • Lars Nootbaar
  • Oneil Cruz
  • Julio Rodríguez
  • Jesús Sánchez
  • Sixto Sanchez
  • Hunter Greene
  • Michael Harris II
  • Jeremy Peña
  • Christopher Morel
  • Masataka Yoshida
  • Vladito
  • Anthony Volpe
  • CJ Abrams
  • Victor Robles

There you go. Those are the players we like.

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