Top 10 MLB players of 2022

With the 2022 baseball season behind us and the calendar about to flip into 2023, let's take a look back at the 10 top players from a memorable campaign during which we saw historic records broken, triumphant returns, and the Houston Astros claim the World Series. Both regular-season and playoff performances were considered when creating this list.

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

10. Yordan Alvarez

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

It was a tremendous year for Alvarez, who set career highs in home runs, runs scored, OPS+, and total bases. The Houston Astros slugger's 185 wRC+ was higher than NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt, and his .306 isolated power was better than everyone in baseball not named Aaron Judge. The 25-year-old wasn't just a power threat, either. His .406 OBP ranked third in the majors, while his 13.9 BB% was seventh best. In fact, Alvarez was so dominant offensively that he finished seventh in fWAR despite only playing a third of his games in the outfield.

9. Sandy Alcantara

Alcantara was a workhorse. The NL Cy Young winner led the majors in innings pitched by a large margin and threw six complete games, double the output of the Astros' Framber Valdez who ranked second. The Miami Marlins ace also ranked fifth in ERA, eighth in FIP and HR/9, and 13th in BB/9. His 14 wins were tied for 12th best among MLB starters despite pitching for a 69-win team.

8. Trea Turner

Postseason stats: 4 GP, 2 HR, 1.111 OPS

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

7. Freddie Freeman

Postseason stats: 4 GP, 3 2B, 1.286 OPS

Freeman's first campaign with the Dodgers went swimmingly. The six-time All-Star finished fourth in NL MVP voting after hitting .325/.407/.511 and leading the league in runs, hits, and doubles. He also stole a career-high 13 bases as a 33-year-old and finished first in fWAR and OBP among first basemen. He also continued to rake in the playoffs, recording an OPS above 1.000 for the third consecutive postseason.

6. Nolan Arenado

Postseason stats: 2 GP, 1-for-8

Arenado's second campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals was much better than his first. The 31-year-old posted a better batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage than in 2021 and recorded more hits and doubles in fewer games. These improvements, combined with 30 homers and 103 RBIs, earned him a third-place finish for NL MVP. He also continued to play elite defense at third base, winning a Gold Glove for the 10th consecutive season and a Platinum Glove for the sixth straight campaign.

5. Justin Verlander

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

Verlander's return was one of the best stories of 2022. The 39-year-old won his third Cy Young and second World Series after posting an 18-4 record, 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 2.49 FIP in 175 innings. He also exorcised some demons after winning a World Series game for the first time in his ninth start. All of this came after he missed the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery.

4. Manny Machado

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

The NL MVP runner-up had one of the best seasons of his career. Machado finished second in fWAR behind Judge, hit 30-plus homers for the sixth time, and led the San Diego Padres in pretty much every offensive category including RBIs, hits, runs, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. The 30-year-old also continued to make defense look easy, finishing third among third basemen in outs above average.

3. Paul Goldschmidt

Postseason stats: 2 GP, 0-for-7

Goldschmidt has been one of baseball's top players for close to a decade and finally earned his first MVP award after finishing top three on three previous occasions. The Cardinals first baseman dominated opposing pitchers, slashing .317/.404/.578 with 35 homers, 41 doubles, 115 RBIs, and 324 total bases. He posted the highest wRC+ of his career, swiped seven bags, and added another Silver Slugger to his growing collection of accomplishments.

2. Shohei Ohtani

Hitter stats

Pitcher stats

It was always going to be tough for Ohtani to top his 2021 MVP campaign, but he arguably had a better year in 2022. His combined 9.4 fWAR was higher than the 8.0 from the previous season, with his stellar pitching responsible for much of his year's success. Ohtani's 11.9 K/9 was second among starters with at least 160 innings pitched, while his 2.40 FIP ranked third. He also allowed two earned runs or fewer in 23 of 28 starts and posted career-best marks in homers allowed and BB/9. And he still raked at the plate, collecting 34 homers, 30 doubles, six triples, and 95 RBIs.

1. Aaron Judge

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

There's no doubt about it: 2022 was Judge's year. The slugger bet on himself after failed contract negotiations with the New York Yankees before Opening Day, and it paid off. Judge earned an additional $146.5 million thanks to a ridiculous campaign that included a record-breaking 62 home runs along with 131 RBIs, a .426 on-base percentage, a .686 slugging percentage, and an MLB-leading 11.4 fWAR. He also led the league in runs, OPS, and total bases and finished second behind Juan Soto in walks.