The 2026 baseball season has been a month into its season, with the New York Mets losing 12 games and the Philadelphia Phillies losing 10 in a row. The Boston Red Sox also had to fire manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff after a poor start, leading to questions about the team's direction. Meanwhile, a starting pitcher had one of the best months of April ever, while a Japanese slugger is on target for 64 home runs. Here are the top four players to watch for the future of baseball in the game. Other notable players include Baldwin, who is expected to make many All-Star appearances as an elite left-handed-hitting catcher bat, and Rice, who has been the best of the bunch, hitting.322/.447/.744 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs in his first 13 games. Despite a low first base productivity at each position going back to 1977, first base has been historically low.