Way too early 2018 MLB player power rankings: 40-31

Welcome back to theScore's MLB player rankings countdown for the upcoming season. If you missed part one, there's a link to it below. On Tuesday, we look at 10 more players who are expected to be among the elite in 2018.

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

40. Madison Bumgarner, Giants

Bumgarner could easily prove this ranking to be too low by returning to his durable self. While the wins weren't there, he was still competitive when he took the mound last season, though he wasn't the same pitcher after his dirt-biking accident. Despite the disappointment, he had a heck of an Opening Day, drilling a pair of home runs against the Diamondbacks.

39. Nelson Cruz, Mariners

One of these years, Cruz is going to stumble, but he only missed his fourth consecutive 40-homer campaign by a single long ball in his age-37 season. He's exactly what a team wants from a designated hitter, and he uncorked an insane, record-breaking dinger in an August game at Tropicana Field.

38. Marcell Ozuna, Cardinals

Ozuna's best, most consistent season in the bigs was impressive. He wasn't the streaky version of himself that reared its ugly head in seasons past. His lowest batting average in a single calendar month was .295, and man was it a thing of beauty when he got a hold of one. The Cardinals just landed an elite player for a bushel of minor leaguers.

37. Adrian Beltre, Rangers

After he appeared in only 94 games - his fewest since 1998 - there may be an argument that Beltre is entering a decline. But he was outstanding in the second half and posted the highest walk rate of his career. He's a lock to enter the Hall of Fame when he hangs 'em up, especially after registering the 3,000th hit of his storied career.

36. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks

What a bounce-back season for Greinke. His first year in the desert was bumpy, but he looked way more like himself in 2017, nearly no-hitting the Pittsburgh Pirates in May. He was a bit stronger in the first half, which may have hurt his chances at being a Cy Young finalist.

35. Noah Syndergaard, Mets

It's only a matter of time - and health - before Syndergaard takes home a Cy Young Award. In his first four starts, he was 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 26 innings. He also didn't issue a single walk. It was a glimpse into an alternate universe's all-time great season.

34. Daniel Murphy, Nationals

Remember when the Mets let Murphy walk after he hit .328 with seven home runs in 14 playoff games in 2015? It wasn't a fluke. Since joining the Nats, he's hit .334/.387/.569 with 48 home runs in 286 games, and finished second in MVP voting in 2016.

33. Christian Yelich, Marlins

Despite the fact that Yelich will be 26 on Opening Day, he's already played in parts of five seasons and has been a Marlins mainstay since his initial call-up (though he may want out after the team trimmed the outfield by two thirds). All he's done is hit. The power hasn't fully developed, and he isn't a speed demon, so it's easy to underrate him.

32. Luis Severino, Yankees

While a breakout seemed imminent for Severino, finishing 2017 as a Cy Young Award finalist next to Corey Kluber and Chris Sale came as a bit of a surprise. His fastball is a blur, occasionally touching 100 mph, which helped him become one of the younger members of the 200-strikeout club. If he adds another pitch to his repertoire, the sky's the limit.

31. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals

No pitcher was better in the second half of 2017. Strasburg allowed only six earned runs in his final 62 2/3 innings, and set a franchise record with 35 consecutive scoreless innings. He wasn't bad before that, but he was unstoppable after the All-Star break. He needs to stay healthy to reach his full potential, but he could easily be a top-three pitcher by next October.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)