MLB Year in Search 2022: Top 3 most trending players of the year
Have you ever wondered which MLB players garner the most searches on Google? Google Trends has released 2022 data that allows us to see which players users in the USA searched for the most.
While the results may not be tremendously surprising, they provide us with a good snapshot of who the fans are interested in. Keep reading to find out which players were searched for the most in 2022.
The top trending MLB players of 2022
#3 Juan Soto
The 2022 season was a busy one for Juan Soto, the 23-year old phenomenon. Soto won two Silver Slugger Awards and has quickly become a fan favorite on account of his energy and constant displays of raw skill.
Juan Soto first deep shot of 2022! 💥
(via @MLB) https://t.co/bjSknYNo0r
"Juan Soto first deep shot of 2022!" - @ Fox Sports: MLB
The 2021 MVP runner-up made further headlines when he was dealt to the San Diego Padres by the Washington Nationals in August. The Padres were the second most searched-for MLB team in 2022, and it's easy to imagine that Soto was a reason why. He had 450,000 annual monthly searches in 2022.
#2 Freddie Freeman
When it was announced last season that Freddie Freeman would be leaving the Atlanta Braves for the Los Angeles Dodgers, it came as a shock to many. While the trade, which took place in early 2022, likely garnered a lot of search traffic, it was sustained by Freeman's strong 2022 season.
Freddie Freeman led the MLB in balls hit 90mph+ and between 15-30 degrees.
He did it 100 times in 2022 with an AVG of .585 and OPS of 1.837 on those balls.
Not many guys get on plane like he can! https://t.co/xGU4mTOMhJ
"Freddie Freeman led the MLB in balls hit 90mph+ and between 15-30 degrees. He did it 100 times in 2022 with an AVG of .585 and OPS of 1.837 on those balls. Not many guys get on plane like he can!" - @ Pro Train Baseball
Freeman led the league in hits for the second time in his career with 199, and registered a batting average of .325, the second-highest in the league. It isn't hard to imagine why his name had an average of 550,000 monthly searches in 2022.
#1 Aaron Judge
While the number 1 most-searched player in 2022 cannot be surprising, it is well deserved. New York Yankees star Aaron Judge was the 2022 MVP for a reason.
No. 62 is No. 2!
Aaron Judge's historic blast is the 2nd best play of 2022! https://t.co/QSdde44Bdr
"No 62 is no. 2 Aaron Judge's historic blast is the 2nd best play of 2022!" - @ MLB
He smashed Roger Maris' 1961 single-season home run record of 61 homers by hitting 62 dingers in 2022. He followed up the historic season with the biggest contract for a position player in history, penning a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees in December.