(Photo courtesy of PLL)

Professional lacrosse is at a crossroads. With the creation of the PLL and the continuation of MLL, there are now two outdoor professional lacrosse leagues vying for the attention of fans around the country and all parts of the known world. As such, we have been tasked with determining which players have played their absolute best in these first few months of both the PLL and the MLL seasons.

We have made this list in an effort to shine a light on those players that have risen to the challenges presented to them in this key moment in time. The process was [not] simple: create a top 20 from scratch, exchange those lists with one another, argue about who and why we made those choices, inject stats into the discussion, start over, exchange lists again, argue, and write it all up for your consumption.

We understand you will all have a myriad of reactions to this list. Feel free to ask questions and make comments, but also obey the rules of ranks: if you think another player should be on this list, you must take a current player off of it. Thank you for reading and please enjoy the top 20 pro lacrosse players in the world (right now). Oh, and do your worst #TeamWhatAbout. We are ready for you.

20. Jake Froccaro, PLL, Chaos

He's had perhaps the stealthiest rise to prominence in the past three years; Froccaro has become the poster child for the benefit of the rule changes in the PLL. He is the second-leading scorer from the midfield (behind the Archers’ Tom Schreiber) with 22 points. He’s also refined his game to make an impact right out of the box, in transition or at the end of the shot clock. In MLL, Froccaro fought for touches and was tempted to take more risks as a result. In the PLL, he has blended his willingness to take big shots with a team-first mentality to reach the next level of his development as a player.

19. Mark Cockerton, MLL, Boston Cannons

People don’t give enough credit to off-ball players. It’s easy to catch and shoot, right? Actually, it’s not. The shooter’s burden is to not only catch and release, but also absorb the inevitable punishment of the recovering defense. In that respect, Cockerton is a straight-up assassin and as such is exactly what Boston needs him to be. He is tied for second in the MLL in total goals with 26, one goal behind league leader Lyle Thompson.

18. Jack Concannon, PLL, Atlas

In all reality, there are several goalies who have held the position of “top goalie” this season in both leagues. It’s sort of like when Mr. Burns from “The Simpsons” longevity was explained by all of his diseases getting stuck in the doorway of his body so one couldn’t emerge and deal a fatal blow. Goalies, it seems, are the talented viruses of professional lacrosse. The goalie position often rewards its younger talent with interminable apprenticeships or death by firing squad, but Concannon has stood tall since his 20-save performance that kicked off the PLL season back at Gillette Stadium.

17. Jarrod Neumann, PLL, Chaos

Neumann is shooting 50 percent on 2-pointers so far this season, canning four of his eight attempts from distance. Which, statistically, amounts to Neumann scoring a goal every time he shoots even when he misses. It’s amazing he still manages to get free for snipe attempts in transition, but that’s just part of what makes him an elite player. Defensively, teams deal with him by throwing blind picks at him — some legal, some not — but Neumann has greatly improved against the pick-and-roll in the first half of this season. In fact, it seems like Neumann improves every game in one aspect or another, which is a hallmark of truly great players at any position.

16. Michael Ehrhardt, PLL, Whipsnakes

The alteration of the PLL playing field has served as a fork in the road for the LSM population; from defensemen running the ball up themselves to goalies clearing directly to attackmen, it's been easy to get lost in the wash. Ehrhardt, however, has been a model of consistency at the position, not only harassing the opponents' top midfield threat but continually participating in the Whipsnakes transition game as well.

15. Matt McMahon, PLL, Archers

The Chrome went from posting a record high 19 goals against the Chaos to a record-low seven goals the following game, and a significant portion of that disparity was achieved thanks to the defensive efforts of Matt McMahon. The vocal field general for one of the most turnover-inducing teams in the league, McMahon directs the Archers’ slide packages, sends opponents’ sticks to the ground, and (although it’s definitely not recommended) has even jumped in the cage to make a few saves.

14. Bryce Young, PLL, Whipsnakes

Young excels in the oft unheralded; his sliding presence and defensive rebounding alone were just about enough to justify his placement on this list, let alone his on-ball defense. He recently updated his PLL resume with face-off wing and transition play, his versatility leading to a goal and an assist last weekend against the Chaos.

13. Trevor Baptiste, PLL, Atlas

“Value over replacement” gets paraded through the streets like a Mardi Gras float these days, but before sports debate fatigue prompts you to disregard the concept entirely, take a moment to appreciate that Trevor Baptiste's face-off percentage has remained about 10 percent higher than his closest competitor throughout much of the season. With Greg Gurenlian taking limited draws against the Atlas last weekend, Baptiste was instead forced to battle a duo of poles with no objection to treating him like a pinata at every possible opportunity. He adjusted accordingly and still finished 20 of 31 with 12 groundballs, extraordinary for most yet fairly standard for Baptiste.

12. Jules Heningburg, PLL, Redwoods

Heningburg (along with Connor Fields) leads the league with 18 goals, despite spending the first few weeks of the season trying to fit with a Whipsnakes team that didn't really need the help. Since joining the Redwoods lineup, Heningburg has been given the platform to shine as both a facilitator and a one-on-one dodger, an opportunity he has fully embraced.

11. Garrett Epple, PLL, Redwoods

Once upon a time, Notre Dame defensemen were the nadir of the pro lacrosse world. They were viewed with the same disdain as system quarterbacks who can only operate out of the shotgun. It was unfair, but ultimately elitism and reputation give way to effectiveness and all it took was a bunch of modern-day Golden Domers to smash that stereotype. Epple is the second generation of that movement. He is able to throw hammer checks and rib-splitting hits in addition to far-above-average stick skills, which, to be fair, were the sticking point.

10. Justin Guterding, PLL, Chrome

Guterding’s best attribute as a professional lacrosse player is his game sense. It is, at the time of this writing, unparalleled in the field version of the game. With Guterding, there is no wasted movement, no over carrying, no unnecessary flamboyance — there is only the excellence of execution. The non-Canadian Bret Hart of the PLL, Guterding is respected by every other player on the field to the point where defenders argue about who has to cover him. They know that if they slide off of him that a goal is the most likely result, usually of the highlight variety.

9. Bryan Cole, MLL, Atlanta Blaze

Now that he’s been given the time and roster space to do so, Cole is absolutely thriving this summer with the Blaze. Quick enough to buckle defenders with wing dodges and physical enough to jockey for position near the crease, Cole is a key contributor to the highest-scoring offense in the MLL, scoring 24 goals while shooting an absurd 57 percent. A wrecking ball given human form, Cole is having a career year in the ATL.

8. Zach Currier, MLL, Denver Outlaws

The true do-it-all midfielder died with Jay Jalbert…Until the entire concept of what that means was torn apart and re-forged by the tiger-blooded engineer that is Zach Currier. Like his former teammate Tom Schreiber, Currier was underrated as a prospect in his first pro season. Early on, he was seen by some to be a part-time FOGO that had the ability to contribute on offense and defense. A jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. Well, turns out those people are idiots. Currier isn’t a modern-day Swiss army knife; he’s a modern-day Swiss army.

7. Connor Fields, PLL, Chaos

Is there a greater success story in lacrosse than Connor Fields? He played the better part of two seasons at Albany with what amounts to a peg leg. Dude was [figuratively] a pirate that almost stole the Tewaaraton. Now he runs with the power of two fully functional lower appendages and is the talisman of the entire Chaos team. He would be much higher on this list were it not for his turnovers, but with the way that his team plays, turnovers seem to matter less than his role as the leader of that deadly offense. Expect Field’s assist totals to increase once the attack spots around him begin to crystalize.

6. Marcus Holman, PLL, Archers

From the negative-angle shot that kicked off the season to the casual two-pointers we saw last weekend, Holman has found seemingly endless ways to produce. Time will tell if the whole long-distance thing was a limited engagement or a wave of the future, but even if we fail to see it again with any degree of frequency, Holman remains one of the game’s top GLE dodgers, righty set shooters and sneaky powerplay finishers. Too specific? Holman is still nasty on or off ball in a way that people somehow still underestimate.

5. Rob Pannell, MLL, New York Lizards

A year ago it would be unthinkable to exclude RP3 from the top three. A laborious start to the 2019 campaign, amidst rumors that he would sit out the summer and sign with the PLL next year, has seen Pannell’s stock fall, but not to the point where his bandwagon is bereft of passengers. Some of the greatest athletes of our time have rough starts. It’s not like RP3 came into camp and tried to play himself into shape. No, he had to adjust to an entirely new team, a new coach and a new reality.

4. Randy Staats, MLL, Atlanta Blaze

If you’re wondering why Staats is this high on the list you have not been watching Major League Lacrosse this summer. Staats has been considered one of the best attackmen in pro lacrosse for a few seasons now, but this year he has truly ascended to a higher plane of offensive wizardry. The difference between this and years past? After spending each season of his career relegated to secondary or tertiary option status, Staats has finally received the keys to an offense of his own. Now that’s he’s the one calling the shots, he’s leading the league in both assists (24) and points (40).

3. Matt Rambo, PLL, Whipsnakes

Nothing about Rambo makes any sense. It’s like the city of Philadelphia birthed the perfect avatar for their brand of, well, everything. Seriously, how does Wawa not sponsor him? What are you guys doing over there? At least name a sandwich after him. People focus too much on his physique when they should be focusing on how damn good he is at picking apart defenses with his feeding ability. Rambo leads the PLL in assists with 17 and overall points (30). In this, the most important year of professional lacrosse in the history of the concept, he is having his best season ever.

2. Lyle Thompson, MLL, Chesapeake Bayhawks

In years past there was a measurable adjustment period for Lyle after his NLL commitments ended and he re-entered the MLL. Not on his end, but his teammates’ — Thompson has to actually slow down when he plays field lacrosse. Not his movements or actions, but his mind. Players usually have to adjust to where they should be, but this season they were ready and so was Lyle. With that apparent seamless adjustment has come an avalanche of points; Thompson leads the MLL in scoring with 27 goals and 13 assists.

1. Tom Schreiber, PLL, Archers

The No. 1 player on this list should come as no surprise to anyone that has been paying attention to the pro game for any length of time. He is the gold standard for excellence at his position in the most unique way possible. Schreiber combines the playmaking skills of great soccer No. 10’s like Diego Maradona and Andrea Pirlo with the throwback pass-first sensibilities of basketball point guards like John Stockton and Jason Kidd. You’re shaking your head, but you’re wrong; if anything, those examples are far less hyperbolic than you think — they might even understate his impact. Just ask his peers. If we named any other player at this top 10 spot we’d get more roasted by them than any of you reading this. Schreiber averages nearly 4 points a game and is the first player that the opposition plans to stop...they just can't. That's why he's No. 1.