MLB 2022: Ranking the best player at each position so far
There are 162 games in the MLB 2022 season, so it's important to take performances at this point in the year with a grain of salt. However, that doesn't mean fans and media shouldn't get excited about the level of play being demonstrated by some of the game's stars. Using Wins Above Replacement, here are the best players at each position so far.
Best pitcher: Pablo Lopez, MLB 2022 WAR: 1.1
While Miami Marlins fans were higher on Sandy Alcantara heading into the season, it has been Lopez who has taken the league by storm and assumed the ace role for the team. In his three starts this season, Lopez has thrown 17 innings and yielded only one run while striking out 17 batters. Most recently, he struck out nine St. Louis Cardinals over seven innings in Miami. While he pitched well last year, nobody expected this level of output from the young right-hander from Venezuela.
Best catcher: J.T. Realmuto MLB 2022 WAR: 0.6
Realmuto is justifying every cent of the five-year, $115.5 million contract he signed heading into last season with the Philadelphia Phillies. With catcher being such a demanding position, it's difficult to get any level of consistent offensive play out of the backstop. Realmuto, however, is batting .298 on the young season while managing a pitching staff of varying talent levels and delivery styles. While Bryce Harper may have won the National League MVP, Realmuto is likely right behind him in terms of value to the Phillies.
Best first baseman: C.J. Cron MLB 2022 WAR: 0.9
This is likely the biggest shock of the season. However, Cron managed to beat out American League MVP runner-up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. by the narrowest of margins. The Colorado Rockies first baseman is leveraging every inch of Coors Field to his advantage, mashing his way to a 1.178 OPS and six home runs in the young season. Cron is a big part of why the Colorado Rockies have been able to compete in a loaded National League West division this year.
Best second baseman: Gavin Lux MLB 2022 WAR: 0.7
Lux has been the forgotten soldier in a battallionn as lethal as the Los Angeles Dodgers. The youngest member of the starting lineup, Lux has been masterful at the keystone position at getting on base with a .405 clip. He profiles as one of the game's brightest stars under the age of 25 and will be an underrated piece on a Dodgers team hoping to recapture the National League West crown.
Best shortstop: Francisco Lindor MLB 2022 WAR: 1.1
Lindor has experienced a complete turnaround from his 2021 campaign. In 14 games, Lindor is already more than one-third of his way to achieving the WAR value he had last season. The biggest part of his early season success has been his power as the New York Mets shortstop is slugging .615 on the year with his electric blue hair being a warning for fans in the stands to brace for a souvenir.
Francisco Lindor - New York Mets (4) https://t.co/6MYOFPlEaZ
"Fancisco Lindor - New York Mets (4)" - @ MLB HR Videos
He's justifying the massive $341 million contract extension he signed last year. Will he be able to keep it up?
Best third baseman: Manny Machado MLB 2022 WAR: 1.5
Many thought Machado's move to third base was a sign Fernando Tatis Jr. was replacing him as the face of the San Diego Padres. However, in Tatis' absence, Machado has left no doubt over who's team the Padres truly is. While Machado sports a .358 batting average and 1.056 OPS at hot corner, what puts him above players like Nolan Arenado is his elite defense. The combination of glove and bat has elevated Machado to the best player currenlty in baseball.
Best Outfielder (1): Steven Kwan MLB 2022 WAR: 1.1
Kwan has been a welcome surprise to a Cleveland Guardians team that has heavily invested in its youth. While his offense has been phenomenal with a .382 batting average and an OPS of 1.089, Kwan sports the second highest defensive WAR value behind only Machado. Considering the demands of center field, it's immensely impressive the 24-year-old rookie played his way onto this list.
Best outfielder (2): Juan Soto MLB 2022 WAR: 1.0
Soto is probably the least shocking name to appear on this list. A superstar in the Washington Nationals outfield, the right fielder's play throughout his career has him mentioned in every preseason MVP conversation. The scariest thing about Soto is that he hasn't even reached his maximum output threshold yet. He hopes to continue the positive momentum for an even better month of May.
Best outfielder (3): Seiya Suzuki MLB 2022 WAR: 0.9
Suzuki has been everything as advertised and more, putting up one of the greatest rookie seasons for a Japanese player in the history of the game. While it might be premature to compare the Chicago Cubs right fielder to 2021 American League MVP Shohei Ohtani, and entirely too early to mention his name in the same sentence as the original MLB Suzuki (Ichiro), the four home runs and absolutely bonkers 1.263 OPS he is sporting is the stuff of video games. In fact, Suzuki was even able to overcome a negative defensive WAR because he was so dominant offensively.
These players have enjoyed a great deal of success for their teams in 2022. The biggest question is, what will they do in May?