Arizona Diamondbacks — Ketel Marte
Lifetime Stats: 70 HR, 286 RBI, 715 H, .287/.346/.456
When a team finishes a season 52-110, it usually means the team is lacking talent. That was certainly the case for the Diamondbacks in 2021, but Ketel Marte is an outlier. Arizona’s best player is a talent that every team in baseball would like to have. In only 90 games last season, Marte slashed .318/.377/.532 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI. Adding to his value, Marte is capable of playing both center field and second base. Marte’s name will surface in trade rumors quite often if Arizona can’t turn things around quickly.
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Atlanta Braves — Ronald Acuna Jr.
Lifetime Stats: 105 HR, 246 RBI, 426 H, .281/.376/.549
Even if Freddie Freeman opts to return to Atlanta this offseason, Ronald Acuna Jr. must be considered the team’s best player. At 24 years old, Acuna has established himself as one of the top stars in the game. He is blessed with the ability to hit for both average and power. Before going down with a torn ACL last season, Acuna was well on his way to competing for the National League MVP. In 82 games, the young superstar slugged 24 homers, stole 17 bases, and slashed .283/.394/.596. Acuna is going to be an MVP contender for the foreseeable future.
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Baltimore Orioles — Ryan Mountcastle
Lifetime Stats: 38 HR, 112 RBI, 178 H, .270/.324/.488
While the 52-110 Diamondbacks have a clear No. 1 player, the 52-110 Orioles feature a handful of players worthy of top billing. As Baltimore’s everyday center fielder in 2021, Cedric Mullins put together an All-Star campaign — joining the 30/30 club (finishing with exactly 30 HR and 30 SB) with a .291 average. Top prospect Adley Rutschman should be on the team in ’22, and may be the best player in short order. At this moment, however, we like Ryan Mountcastle. While splitting time between first base, left field and DH, the rookie led the team in HR (33) and RBI (89). Entering his age 25 season, Mountcastle is going to be a mainstay in the middle of the order.
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Boston Red Sox — Xander Bogaerts
Lifetime Stats: 141 HR, 610 RBI, 1239 H, .290/.353/.459
Only 29 years old, Xander Bogaerts is already entering his 10th season with the Red Sox. A three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Bogaerts is firmly entrenched at shortstop for the Sox. Since 2015, Bogaerts has hit .300 or better three times. In recent years, he has found his power stroke as evidenced by his 33 HR season in ’19. A four-time Silver Slugger at the dish, Bogaerts is getting better every year. In Boston’s surprising run to the ALCS last season, Bogaerts hit three home runs. Third baseman Rafael Devers is also worthy of being considered Boston’s best player. Devers finished last season with 38 HR (a career-high), 113 RBI, and 37 doubles — earning his first All-Star nod.
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Chicago Cubs — Marcus Stroman
Lifetime Stats: 61-60, 3.63 ERA, 853 SO
In the midst of a rebuild, the 2022 Cubs will not feature many of the stars baseball fans have long-associated with the franchise. Javier Baez is now in Detroit and both Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are free agents. Willson Contreras remains entrenched as Chicago’s starting catcher — although his name has been floated around in trade rumors as of late. Shortly before the lockdown began, the Cubs signed their new ace — Marcus Stroman. After opting out of the 2020 season due to Covid concerns, Stroman returned to the diamond last season and had a career year. While making an MLB-high 33 starts, Stroman struck out a career-high 7.9 batters per nine innings and finished with an impressive 3.02 ERA.
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Chicago White Sox — Tim Anderson
Lifetime Stats: 91 HR, 288 RBI, 800 H, .286/.314/.448
If you were on the side of believing Tim Anderson’s 2019 season was a fluke, it is now clear you picked the wrong side. After winning the batting title with a .335 BA, hitting 18 HR and stealing 17 bases in ’19, Anderson had an even better season in ’20. In addition to hitting .322, Anderson improved his SLG (.529) and OPS (.886), hit 10 HR and 11 doubles in 49 games, and led the American League in runs (45).
In ’21, Chicago’s galvanizing shortstop was elected to his first All-Star team and once again hit over .300. For the year, Anderson slashed .309/.338/.469 with 48 XBH. It is hard to give Anderson the nod over former MVP Jose Abreu and Chicago’s slew of star pitchers — Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Liam Hendriks, Craig Kimbrel — but we have a ton of faith in the 28-year-old shortstop.
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Cincinnati Reds — Joey Votto
Lifetime Stats: 331 HR, 1065 RBI, 2027 H, .302/.416/.520
Turning 39 in September, Joey Votto’s career is starting to wind down. The longtime Cincinnati first baseman is not quite the superstar he once was, but he is coming off a spectacular 2021 season in which he posted his best numbers since 2017. A six-time All-Star, Votto launched 36 homers and drove in 99 runs — he hit a total of 38 HR the three previous years. If Nick Castellanos re-signs in Cincinnati, an argument can be made that he is the team’s premier player.
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Cleveland Guardians — Jose Ramirez
Lifetime Stats: 163 HR, 540 RBI, 987 H, .287/.354/.501
Ramirez has solidified his place among the top position players in the sport. The 5-foot-9 infielder generates immense power in his compact frame (having already slugged 163 home runs in his short career). There have been slumps in the past, but Ramirez’s hot streaks are unlike any other player.
After starting off the shortened 2020 slow, Ramirez was the best hitter in the league over the last half of the season. He posted a .358 batting average with a 1.240 OPS over his last 29 games. Last season, JoRam saw his average dip to .266 — but he paced Cleveland with 36 dingers and 103 RBI. Shane Bieber is the only other player who can be considered the Guardians’ best player.
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Colorado Rockies — German Marquez
Lifetime Stats: 54-41, 4.28 ERA, 816 SO
With Trevor Story currently on the free agent market, German Marquez slots in as Colorado’s top player. The highly-talented righty regained his mojo during 2020’s 60-game season, finishing with a 3.75 ERA in an MLB-high 13 starts. He has a great repertoire of pitches and is capable of shutting down opposing teams each time he takes the mound. Marquez made his first All-Star team last season, but struggled with his command at times — throwing a career-high 15 wild pitches. Surprisingly, Marquez was much better at Coors Field last season. In 18 starts, the righty went 8-3 with a 3.67 ERA. On the road, he went 4-8 while posting a 5.38 ERA.
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Detroit Tigers — Javier Baez
Lifetime Stats: 149 HR, 465 RBI, 804 H, .264/.307/.477
It wasn’t too long ago that Javy Baez was in the discussion for top shortstop in the game. Baez was incredible in 2018, hitting 34 HR and knocking in 111 runs en route to a second place finish for NL MVP. His numbers dropped off slightly the following year, but combined with his excellent defense — Baez remained one of the top players.
However, he was absolutely terrible at the plate in 2020. In 59 games, Baez slashed .203/.238/.360 with 75 strikeouts. Last season, playing for the Cubs and Mets, Baez enjoyed a better year at the plate. The former MVP contender slashed .265/.319/.494 with 31 HR and 87 RBI. While he led the league in strikeouts, Baez’s improved production was a welcomed sight. Let’s see what he can do for the Tigers in Year 1.
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Houston Astros — Jose Altuve
Lifetime Stats: 164 HR, 639 RBI, 1777 H, .308/.360/.462
Barring Carlos Correa re-signing with the Astros, Jose Altuve will enter the 2022 season as Houston’s best player. The former MVP was absolutely terrible in 2020 — slashing .219/.286/.344 with five homers. Last year, Altuve looked much more like himself and bounced back with his seventh All-Star season. Altuve tied a career-high with 31 HR and hit .278. The diminutive second baseman also raised his OPS from .629 (’20) to .839. In the postseason, Altuve launched five HR and drove in nine runs for the American League champs.
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Kansas City Royals — Salvador Perez
Lifetime Stats: 200 HR, 656 RBI, 1161 H, .270/.302/.463
One of the top catchers of his generation and undoubtedly a Royal legend, Salvador Perez is coming off a prolific 2021 season. In his 10th year with the Royals, Perez was one of the top hitters in the sport. The veteran catcher led baseball with 48 homers — his previous career-high was 27 — and RBI with 121 (41 more than his previous best). Perez finished 7th for the AL MVP, and likely would have been a stronger candidate had the Royals won more games. Entering ’22, there is no doubt who Kansas City’s best player is.
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Los Angeles Angels — Mike Trout
Lifetime Stats: 310 HR, 816 RBI, 1419 H, 203 SB, .305/.419/.583
The Angels feature two former MVPs — Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is coming off an MVP season and is one of the most unique players of all-time. For now, we’ll focus on Trout. The undisputed best player in the game, Trout is well on his way to becoming a top-5 player in MLB history.
Aside from his gaudy numbers, Trout — who is just 30 years old — has won three MVPs and has finished as the runner-up four times. He can hit, run, and field his position. A true G.O.A.T. in his prime.
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Los Angeles Dodgers — Mookie Betts
Lifetime Stats: 178 HR, 567 RBI, 1152 H, .296/.373/.518
Despite losing Corey Seager and Max Scherzer before the lockout began, the Dodgers remain one of baseball’s deepest teams. Los Angeles has numerous stars on its roster, but Mookie Betts is inarguably the best player. Betts battled a painful hip injury for most of the 2021 season. As a result, his numbers were down a bit from where they typically are. He hit .264 — his lowest average since ’16 — and appeared in just 122 games. However, Betts still flashed brilliance at times during the season. Said to be healthy entering the ’22 season, expect Betts to push for the National League MVP.
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Miami Marlins — Trevor Rogers
Lifetime Stats: 8-10, 3.24 ERA, 196 SO
The Marlins are a good team with some decent talent. However, entering 2022, they do not have much high-end talent. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the look of a future star. Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Jesus Luzardo and Sixto Sanchez have the potential to be All-Star — if not fringe Cy Young — pitchers. With that being said, the star of the current squad is Trevor Rogers. As a rookie last season, the 6-foot-5 lefty was deemed an All-Star. Before his season was interrupted due to family matters, Rogers was sensational. He finished the year with a 2.64 ERA and struck out 10.6 batters per nine. Impressively, the rookie allowed a meager six homers in 133.0 IP.
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Milwaukee Brewers — Corbin Burnes
Lifetime Stats: 23-11, 3.39 ERA, 427 SO
Milwaukee has made the postseason four years in a row, and it hasn’t been too surprising. The Brewers boast a handful of elite talents. Former MVP Christian Yelich remains a fixture in the heart of the lineup — but he is coming off two dreadful seasons. The bullpen features the game’s best closer in Josh Hader, and a premier setup man in Devin Williams. Fronting the rotation, Milwaukee boasts three studs — Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta. All three finished with sub-3.00 ERA’s last year. Woodruff was 5th for the NL Cy Young. Burnes won the award. Burnes was dominant all year — posting an MLB-best 2.43 ERA, 1.63 FIP, 0.4 H9 and 12.6 SO9. Dominant.
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Minnesota Twins — Byron Buxton
Lifetime Stats: 70 HR, 204 RBI, 401 H, .248/.299/.461
In 2021, the Twins and the rest of baseball finally witnessed the Byron Buxton breakout that we have all been waiting for…kinda. Since entering the league in 2015, Buxton has been regarded as one of the game’s premier talents. He has every tool imaginable — immense power, speed, arm strength, and fielding ability. Buxton was sensational in ’21. He slashed .306/.358/.647 with 19 HR, 32 RBI, 50 runs and nine steals — in 61 games. Once again, Buxton’s season ended prematurely due to an injury. Still, he is Minnesota’s best player and an MVP candidate when healthy. The Twins inked Buxton to a 7-year/$100 million contract extension this offseason.
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New York Mets — Jacob deGrom
Lifetime Stats: 77-53, 2.50 ERA, 1505 SO
His record doesn’t show it, but Jacob deGrom is baseball’s best pitcher — and has been amongst the league’s elite since his debut in 2014. New York’s ace will turn 34 during the 2022 season. If anything were to keep him from reaching the Hall at this point, it would be time.
But in eight seasons, deGrom has solidified his spot in history. The righty can touch 100 MPH with his fastball, and features a head-spinning mix of pitches that he dominates hitters with. The Mets’ hurler captured back-to-back NL Cy Youngs in 2018-19 on the strength of a cumulative 2.05 ERA, 0.941 WHIP, and 524 SO versus just 90 walks. If those numbers don’t impress you, deGrom finished the ’20 season with an NL-best 13.8 SO9 rate. The only concern is deGrom’s health.
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New York Yankees — Gerrit Cole
Lifetime Stats: 117-63, 3.20 ERA, 1673 SO
At worst, Cole is one of the five best pitchers in baseball. The recipient of a $324 million contract in 2020, Cole projects as a high-end pitcher for at least the next five years. Blessed with immense power, devastating breaking pitches and good control, Cole fanned an MLB-best 326 batters in 2019. In his first year pitching for the Yankees, Cole finished fourth for the Cy Young and posted his third-straight sub-3.00 ERA season. This past season, Cole put together another stellar season. En route to finishing second for the Cy, Cole generated 243 punch outs and led the American League with 16 wins. The Yankees have a lot of stars, but Cole is the best of the bunch.
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Oakland Athletics — Matt Olson
Lifetime Stats: 142 HR, 373 RBI, 517 H, .252/.348/.511
The A’s may look different in April than they do now. With the feeling of a rebuild looming over the franchise, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Oakland deal its best players — including Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea. Chapman is one of the best defensive players in the game and is a capable hitter, but he has struggled each of the past two years to hit for average. Meanwhile, Olson is coming off the best year of his career. The slugging first baseman launched 39 HR, drove in 111 runs, and hit .271 in 2021 — all career-highs. Olson is entering his prime.
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Philadelphia Phillies — Bryce Harper
Lifetime Stats: 267 HR, 752 RBI, 1273 H, .279/.392/.524
Touted as a future Hall of Famer while he was still in high school, Bryce Harper hasn’t disappointed many since arriving in the Big Leagues. While he hasn’t quite lived up to the billing as being the best player in the world that many expected him to be, Harper won an MVP at the age of 22 — and won his second MVP last season.
During his MVP season in 2021, Harper hit .309 and led the league in doubles (42), SLG (.615), and OPS (1.044). It was far and away Harper’s best season since 2017, and his best since his first MVP season in ’15.
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Pittsburgh Pirates — Bryan Reynolds
Lifetime Stats: 47 HR, 177 RBI, 358 H, .290/.368/.490
The Pirates have been a mess for a few years now. Still, they have a few players that fans should be excited about. Ke’Bryan Hayes will be entering his second full season in ’22 and is already showing why the franchise (and the league) was so high on his potential prior to his debut. While Hayes is the future, Bryan Reynolds is currently the best player. As a rookie in 2019, Reynolds hit .314 over 155 games. In ’20, Reynolds struggled immensely to the tune of a .189 average. Last year, the third-year player returned to form and slashed .302/.390/.912 with 24 HR, 90 RBI, and an MLB-high eight steals.
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San Diego Padres — Fernando Tatis Jr.
Lifetime Stats: 81 HR, 195 RBI, 303 H, .292/.369/.596
Step aside, Manny Machado — it is Fernando Tatis Jr.’s time to shine. At 23 years old and just 273 games into his MLB career, Tatis has established himself as a top-10 player and arguably the face of the sport. He can do it all on the field. His fielding, arm, speed, and hitting are all elite. He has shown so much skill through his first 273 games that the Padres inked him to a 14-year/$340 million deal. Through his age 22 season, Tatis has two top-4 MVP finishes. Remember the name.
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San Francisco Giants — Logan Webb
Lifetime Stats:16-10, 3.94 ERA, 241 SO
Unless you are a fan of the Giants or another team in the National League West, you may not have known about Logan Webb until the postseason. After two mediocre stints in the Majors in 2019 and 2020, Webb became a regular member of San Francisco’s starting rotation in 2021 — and he was spectacular. Webb went 11-3 with a 3.03 ERA and struck out nearly 10 batters per nine innings. In the postseason, Webb baffled the Dodgers twice — allowing one run over 14.2 IP with 17 strikeouts. Brandon Crawford is very good, but Webb is a game-changing ace.
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Seattle Mariners — Robbie Ray
Lifetime Stats: 62-58, 4.00 ERA, 1290 SO
The 2021 American League Cy Young winner will be pitching for a new team in 2022. Now a Mariner, Robbie Ray has always been able to strike batters out at a high-rate. For his career, Ray is averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings — the best mark in MLB history. Everything clicked for the lefty last season. While with the Blue Jays, Ray posted an AL-best 2.84 ERA, started a league-high 32 games, led the league with 193.1 IP, paced baseball with 248 strikeouts, and posted an AL-best 1.045 WHIP. Ray may help end Seattle’s postseason drought.
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St. Louis Cardinals — Nolan Arenado
Lifetime Stats: 269 HR, 865 RBI, 1357 H, .288/.345/.535
Arenado is an all-time great defensively — with a Gold Glove for each year he has been in the league, as well as five Platinum Gloves to his name. From 2016-19, Arenado finished no lower than sixth for the National League MVP. Over that time, the star slashed .300/.362/.575 and averaged 40 HR and 124 RBI per season. Arenado struggled to hit for a high average in Year 1 with the Cardinals (.255), but he slugged 34 HR and drove in 105 runs.
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Tampa Bay Rays — Wander Franco
Lifetime Stats: 7 HR, 39 RBI, 81 H, .288/.347/.463
Wander Franco is going to be an absolute stud. A switch-hitter, Franco has an 80 hit tool (the highest possible mark on the scouting grade scale) and has absurdly quick hands, elite bat speed, and an advanced feel for the strike zone. Franco has a great eye, and finds his way to first base more often than he is punched out. While he isn’t a high-end fielder or runner, his ability at the plate will carry him throughout his career. After playing well for 70 games in the regular season last year, Franco exploded in the postseason — hitting .368 with two homers and two doubles in the ALDS. The Rays rewarded the soon-to-be 21-year-old with a 11-year/$182 million contract.
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Texas Rangers — Corey Seager
Lifetime Stats: 104 HR, 364 RBI, 718 H, .297/.367/.504
The Rangers have a superstar. After spending the first seven years of his career with the Dodgers, Corey Seager opted to sign a massive 10-year/$325 million contract with the Rangers before the lockout. One of the best pure hitters in baseball, Seager should absolutely thrive in Texas. He is a career .297 hitter, and is hitting .306 over the past two years. When healthy, perhaps only Fernando Tatis Jr. puts up better numbers than Seager. Oh, and Seager has history at his new home ballpark. During the 2020 postseason, Seager slashed .350/.444/.767 with seven homers and 19 RBI while playing in the Texas bubble.
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Toronto Blue Jays — Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Lifetime Stats: 72 HR, 213 RBI, 372 H, .289/.367/.517
If the marvel that is Shohei Ohtani didn’t play in the American League last season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would have an MVP to his name. After two underwhelming seasons — compared to the hype — to start his career, Vladdy Jr. exploded in 2021. Junior entered the season in much better shape compared to his first two years, and his improved physique paid off big time. Guerrero led baseball with 48 HR and 123 runs, and paced the American League in OBP (.401), SLG (.601), and OPS (1.002) — all while hitting .311. In any other year, Guerrero would have claimed the MVP.
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Washington Nationals — Juan Soto
Lifetime Stats: 98 HR, 312 RBI, 485 H, .301/.432/.550
At 23 years old, Juan Soto is already drawing comparisons to some of the greatest players of all-time (including Ted Williams). In 464 career games, Washington’s star has drawn 373 walks versus 352 strikeouts. Soto’s patience at the plate is matched by his ridiculous ability to hit the ball hard.
The young superstar has smashed 98 homers and 91 doubles. In 2021, Soto walked an MLB-best 145 times and was fanned only 93 times. Soto has led baseball in OBP two years in a row — checking in at .465 last season. Soto is baseball’s best hitter — and will be for quite some time.
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