5 Unbelievable stats from the 2022 MLB season so far
With the MLB season drawing to a close, the time of the year has arrived for us to look back and take stock. This has been an exceptional season with a handful of interesting storylines to captivate the fans. With attendance and television viewership dropping over the previous years, 2022 was just what MLB needed.
Aaron Judge is having a historic season that has fans on the edge of their seats. Alber Pujols is chasing history and is currently in pursuit of his 700th home run. He will be one of only four players in baseball history to achieve that target if he succeeds. The Los Angeles Dodgers are ridiculously talented and continue to dominate the National League West.
There are numerous other interesting stats that fans are not aware of. We'll take a look at five interesting numbers that make this season unique.
#5 Oakland Athletics (MLB) On Base Percentage
The Oakland Athletics have been difficult to watch this season. The organization seems stuck in a loop and is yet to figure out its stadium issues, which has led to dwindling attendance. The level of play on the field hasn't been much better. The team ranked last in the league in on-base percentage and had a dire .281 OBP. The team's hitting has been nothing short of abysmal. That number is tied for the second-lowest ever single-season OBP.
#4 Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) Record
The rich continue to get richer and richer. A team that has appeared in three of the previous five World Series runs away with the National League. They are the favorites for another title.
Since expanding to the 162 game season, no team has completed the season with over 116 wins. The New York Yankees won 114 games in 1998 and the Seattle Mariners won 116 in 2001. The Los Angeles Dodgers already have 103 wins with 13 games remaining. It will be tough to reach the Mariners, but they could very well finish with the second-best record in baseball history. With 52 away wins, the Dodgers also broke a franchise record.
#3 Baltimore Orioles (MLB) Winning Season
No one expected much from the Baltimore Orioles this season. Excluding the shortened Covid-19 season, the team finised that last three seasons with 110, 108, and 115 losses. That is a meager .314 win percentage. The organization has shocked the world this season with 77 wins so far. They have been in playoff contention throughout the second half of the season in one of the hardest divisions in baseball.
Add to that the fact that they are working with a payroll that is less than 20 percent of that of the Dodgers, it makes the feat that much more impressive. No team in MLB history has ever finished with a plus .500 record after finishing the previous season with 110 losses or more.
#2 Emerges of the Rookie Class
This year saw a plethora of talent emerge from the rookie class. Spencer Strider and Michael Harris of Atlanta dominated on the defensive and offensive side of the field, respectively. Julio Rodriguez became the first player in MLB history to have 25 home runs and 25 steals in his debut season.
Julio Rodríguez is the first player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs & steal 25 bases in their debut season 🔥 https://t.co/2JUvTaL5Hu
"Julio Rodríguez is the first player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs & steal 25 bases in their debut season" - Fox Sports MLB
Perhaps the most interesting statistic regarding this rookie class is that 286 players made their debuts this season. That tops the previous record of 268 set last year. The future looks bright for MLB.
#1 Ohtani Breaking Records
Fans have lost count of the number of records Shohei Ohtani has broken this season. Not since Babe Ruth have we seen a player that is so dominant as a pitcher and hitter. Earlier this season, Ohtani became the only player in MLB history to hit 30 homers and win 10 games in a season.
One of one.
Shohei Ohtani is the only player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs and record 10 pitching wins in the same season 😳 https://t.co/jxZYK0STZO
"Shohei Ohtani is the only player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs and record 10 pitching wins in the same season" - ESPN
With 127 home runs in total, Ohtani has also surpassed Ichiro Suzuki to become the second all-time in homers by a Japanese-born player. It seems inevitable that he will now pass Hideki Matsui (175) to claim the top spot in that category. The Japanese two-way sensation has truly had a phenomenal season.