It’s been an incredible year for baseball fanatics, and it’s time for us to round up the top ten MLB players of 2022. Teams had their highs and lows, with their fans closely following. These fans scoured the stats and trends that factor in MLB picks and parlays, helping bettors improve their accuracy.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the oldest major professional leagues in the world, comprising 30 teams in total. Fifteen teams play in the National League (NL), and the other half play in the American League (AL).
Read on as we explore some of the MLB players that helped characterized 2022:
1 – Francisco Lindor
- Born: November 14, 1993 (29 years old)
- Position: Shortstop (SS)
Earning the nicknames “Paquito” and “Mr. Smile,” Lindor began his career as a shortstop for the Cleveland Guardians, landing a huge ten-year, $341 million contract with the New York Mets in 2021: the largest contract for a short shop in MLB history.
2 – Christian Yelich
- Born: December 5, 1991 (31 years old)
- Position: Outfielder (OF)
The Milwaukee Brewers’ everyday left-fielder, Christian Yelich, is among the top MLB players from 2022.
Yelich missed parts of April and May at the start of the 2021 season due to a back injury. However, Yelich recovered and finished the season as one of the top MLB players regardless of the position played.
3 – Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Born: January 2, 1999 (23 years old)
- Position: Shortstop (SS) and Outfielder (OF)
Fernando Gabriel Tatís Medina Jr. has only played baseball in the MLB for a single season, yet he has already bagged a fourteen-year $340 million contract.
In one season, Tatis won multiple awards, including an All-Star, two Silver Slugger Awards, two All-MLB First Teams, and leading the NL in Home Runs
4 – Freddie Freeman
- Born: September 12, 1989 (33 years old)
- PlayPosition: First Baseman (1B)
Freddie Freeman was the 2020 MVP, giving us insight into his skill and execution. Freeman played like he was possessed, posting impressive numbers consistently. His accomplishments include being selected to the All-Star team five times and winning the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
5 – Jacob deGrom
- Born: June 19, 1988 (34 years old)
- Playing position: Starting Pitcher (SP)
Almost missing out on his third consecutive Cy Young Award in 2020, Jacob deGrom has had outstanding seasons throughout.
DeGrom made his MLB debut in 2014 and won the National League Rookie of the Month and NL Rookie of the Year awards. The award had not been awarded to a Mets player since Dwight Gooden in 1984, making him deGrom the second in franchise history to claim the award.
6 – Gerrit Cole
- Born: September 8, 1990 (32 years old)
- Position: Starting Pitcher (SP)
Regarded by many as the best ace pitcher of any MLB pitching rotation, Gerrit Cole is one of the best players in MLB history. Despite struggling at times during the last MLB season, Cole lived up to his reputation and posted a 2.84 ERA in 12 regular-season starts, with 94 strikeouts over 73 innings in 2020.
7 – Ronald Acuña Jr.
- Born: December 18, 1997 (25 years old)
- Position: Outfielder (OF)
Despite his young age, Ronald José Acuña Blanco Jr. has quickly established himself among baseball’s best. Acuna won the National League Rookie of the Year award in his first season. Since then, he has earned numerous accolades, including being named to the All-Star team twice.
8 – Juan Soto
- Born: October 25, 1998 (24 years old)
- Position: Outfielder (OF)
Juan Soto is number eight on this list of the best MLB baseball players list but could be higher if we were ranking by impact or newsworthy 2022’s. Soto was the center of a major trade that sent him from the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres. MLB All-Star, World Series champion, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and All-MLB First Team are just a few of Soto’s career accomplishments and honors. The Dominican outfielder for the San Diego Padres is known as “Childish Bambino.”
9 – Mookie Betts
- Born: October 7, 1992 (30 years old)
- Position: Outfielder (OF)
Mookie Betts, the right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is among the best players from 2022 and over the past few years since joining the Dodgers in 2020 from the Boston Red Sox. Betts was once a surprise in the league, but his intelligent approach to working counts and an ideal strategy to run the bases smoothly have earned him his place among the best players in MLB.
10 – Mike Trout
- Born: August 7, 1991 (31 years old)
- Position: Outfielder (OF)
Mike Trout is one of the greatest baseball players of all time and deserves the spot at the top of the list if we’re ranking by hall of fame careers so far. Mike Trout, a nine-time MLB All-Star and multi-time MVP, is regularly the best baseball player in the league.
These players are some of the best in Major League Baseball and fans and sports bettors alike should keep their eyes on them. They deserve their positions at the very top of the game, given their abilities.
