Seiya Suzuki may not be the flashiest name on the MLB free agency market, but he might just be the best bat available this offseason.
MLB.com released its free-agent hitter power rankings for the 2026-27 offseason, and Suzuki came in at No. 1. Seven of the eight voters placed the Chicago Cubs slugger at the top of their lists.
The reasoning behind the vote was simple: consistency.
“While Suzuki has never made an All-Star team, contended for a major award or led the league in a notable statistical category, he’s pretty much had the same (excellent) season four years in a row,” Andrew Simon of MLB.com wrote.
Suzuki has posted an OPS+ of 130, 138, 125 and 131 over the last four seasons, well above the league average of 100. According to MLB.com, the only other hitters to qualify for the batting title with at least a 125 OPS+ in each of those seasons are Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and Rafael Devers.
The 32-year-old was as steady as ever in 2026. In 143 games, he hit .270/.368/.473 with 26 home runs, 32 doubles, 86 RBIs and 96 runs scored, good for an .841 OPS. It marked the final year of the five-year, $85 million contract he signed with the Cubs after jumping from Japan’s NPB ahead of the 2022 season.
Article Continues BelowChicago clearly values him. The Cubs extended Suzuki a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer, making him the team’s only recipient this offseason. He has until Nov. 17 to accept or decline.
If he heads to the open market, Suzuki should not lack for suitors. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently named the Toronto Blue Jays as a logical landing spot, calling Suzuki “a natural for them” as Toronto looks to fill two holes in its outfield.
With a track record like his, Suzuki has made a strong case that he deserves to be one of the most coveted bats of the winter.