Top 10 MLB players in 2022

With the 2022 baseball season winding down and the calendar heading into 2023, here are the top 10 players in a memorable campaign that saw historic records broken, wins and the Houston Astros winning the World Series. Let’s look back at the player. Both regular season and playoff performances were taken into consideration when creating this list.

Honorable Mention: Mookie Betts, Edwin Diaz, Francisco Lindor, Aaron Nora, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Rodon, Julio Rodriguez, Dansby Swanson

10. Jordan Alvarez

Postseason stats: 13 GP, 3 HR, 14 RBI, .734 OPS

It’s been a great year for Alvarez, who set career highs in home runs, runs scored, OPS+, and total bases. Houston Astros slugger his 185 wRC+ is higher than NL MVP Paul his Goldschmidt and his .306 his isolate his power is better than anyone in baseball except Aaron his judge was The 25-year-old wasn’t just a power threat. His .406 OBP ranked him 3rd in the majors and 13.9 BB% was his 7th. In fact, Alvarez was so dominant offensively that he finished seventh in fWAR, even though he only played one-third of his outfield games.

9. Sandy Alcantara

Alcantara was the flagship product. The NL Cy Young winner led the majors in innings pitched by a wide margin, throwing six complete games. That’s twice his output of second-ranked Astros Flamber Valdez. The Miami Marlins ace ranked 5th in ERA, 8th in FIP and HR/9, and 13th in BB/9. His 14 wins tie him for 12th among MLB starters despite pitching on a 69-win team.

8. Trea Turner

Postseason stats: 4GP, 2HR, 1.111OPS

There are many reasons why the Philadelphia Phillies signed Turner to an 11-year, $300 million contract. The 29-year-old last season in Los Angeles ranked best in the league for his Dodgers’ RBI, RBI, stolen bases, batting average, and FanGraphs offensive rating. He also finished third in fWAR among shortstops and was a force in the postseason, posting six hits and two home runs in four games.

7. Freddie Freeman

Postseason stats: 4GP, 32B, 1.286 OPS

Freeman’s first campaign with the Dodgers went well. He was named an All-Star six times. He batted .325/.407/.511 and led the league in runs, hits and doubles before finishing fourth in the NL MVP voting. I was. He also finished first among first basemen in fWAR and OBP with a career-high 13 stolen bases at the age of 33. He also continued to rake in the playoffs, winning his third consecutive postseason streak. Recorded over 1,000 of his OPS.

6. Nolan Arenado

Postseason stats: 2 GPs, 1v8

Arenado’s second campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals was much better than his first. The 31-year-old is batting, on-base and slugging better than he did in 2021, and has more hits and doubles in fewer games. These improvements, combined with 30 home runs and his 103 RBI earned him his third-place finish in NL MVP. He also continued to play elite defense at third base, winning ten consecutive Gold Gloves and six consecutive Platinum Gloves.

5. Justin Verlander

Postseason stats: 20IP, 2-0W, 25K, 5.85ERA

Verlander’s return is one of the best stories of 2022. The 39-year-old finished 175 innings after going 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP and a 2.49 FIP before scoring his third si in his Young and his second Worlds in his series. Won. He also exorcised some demons after winning his first World Series game in his ninth start. .

4. Manny Machado

Postseason stats: 12GP, 4HR, 7RBI, .910 OPS

The NL MVP runner-up had one of the best seasons of his career. Machado finished his second place behind Judges in his fWAR, hitting his 30-plus home run in the sixth, and nearly all of his offense, including RBI, hits, RBI, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. San Diego led his Padres in the category. The 30-year-old also continued to make defense look easy, with above-average outs taking him third among third basemen.

3. Paul Goldschmidt

Postseason stats: 2 GPs, 0 vs 7

Goldschmidt has been one of baseball’s top players for nearly a decade and has finally won his first MVP after three previous Top 3 finishes. The Cardinals first baseman overwhelmed opponents with a .317/.404/.578 batting average, 35 home runs, 41 doubles, and 115 RBIs, for a total of 324 bases. He posted a career-best wRC+ of his, taking seven sacks and adding the Silver Slugger one more of his.

2. Shohei Ohtani

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It was always difficult for Ohtani to top the 2021 MVP campaign, but 2022 was definitely a good year. His fWAR, which totaled 9.4, was higher than his 8.0 the previous season, and his excellent pitching has been his most of his year. success. Ohtani’s 11.9 K/9 put him second among starting pitchers who pitched over 160 innings, and his 2.40 FIP put him third. He also allowed two or fewer earned runs in 23 of his 28 starts and set career-best marks in home runs allowed and BB/9. And he still had 34 home runs, 30 doubles, 6 triples, and 95 RBIs in his at-bats.

1. Aaron Judge

Postseason stats: 9 GP, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .490 OPS

There is no doubt that 2022 was the year of the judges. The slugger bet on himself after failing to negotiate a contract with the New York Yankees before the season opener, and it paid off. Judges also credited him with $146.5 million thanks to a ridiculous campaign that included his record-breaking 62 homers, 131 RBI, .426 on-base percentage, .686 slugging percentage, and his MLB-leading 11.4 fWAR. Earned. He also led the league in runs, OPS, and total bases, finishing second behind Juan Soto.