Who are the top 5 MLB players right now? | MLB 2022
The MLB has never been more loaded with talent than it is right now heading into the 2022 season, so ranking them is an extremely difficult task. This list covers the top five players across the league, who looks to be key pieces on championship teams this year. Unfortunately, only one of them can win it all, but the young guns on the list have many years in the Bigs ahead of them.
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and newest member of the Minnesota Twins Carlos Correa just barely missed the list, but don't be surprised if they manage to end the season among the league's best.
The top 5 MLB players right now
#5 Juan Soto
The superstar outfielder for the Washington Nationals is off to a hot start with only four years in the league. At the young age of 23, Juan Soto has established himself as the best player on his team, and perhaps the best in his entire division. Juan Soto is coming off his first All-Star season where he remarkably led the entire MLB in on-base percentage with a stellar .465, and a second-place finish in National League MVP voting.
#4 Fernando Tatis Jr.
The only word needed to describe Fernando Tatis Jr. is electric. The young shortstop for the San Diego Padres hit dingers at a rate that led the National League in 2021 with 42 homers. As if the home runs weren't cool enough, Tatis Jr. is no stranger to the bat flip and taunting his opponents to beat him. Very rarely do his opponents beat him.
Fernando Tatis Jr. will miss playing time due to a wrist injury, but that doesn't impact his ranking on this list.
Fernando Tatis Jr. fractured his wrist during the offseason, A.J. Preller said. He’s headed for a surgery that could come with a recovery time of up to three months.
"Fernando Tatis Jr. fractured his wrist during the offseason, A.J. Preller said. He’s headed for a surgery that could come with a recovery time of up to three months." - @ Dennis Lin
Though the All-Star will miss the first few months, expect him to explode back on the scene in the MLB and get back to mashing taters.
#3 Bryce Harper
The two-time MVP, former Rookie of the Year, and whopping six-time All-Star has been among the best in the MLB since his arrival onto the scene in 2012. That hasn't changed in the last 10 years. The star rightfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies has a career WAR of 40.1 that puts him among the top in the league. Bryce Harper had a stellar 2021 season where he led his team to a second-place finish in the National League East and looks to improve on that record in 2022.
#2 Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Representing the lone MLB team in Canada, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a beast of a first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays. The 23-year-old scored his first All-Star nod in 2021 and is seemingly only getting better. Known for his insane strength and power hitting, he led the MLB in homers in 2021, with a whopping 48 in 161 games played.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has his sights set high on overtaking number one on this list. Bob Nightengale on Twitter believes he is the favorite to dethrone the reigning MVP.
Vlad Guerrero will be the favorite going into this season. twitter.com/hgomez27/statu…
"Vlad Guerrero will be the favorite going into this season." - @ Bob Nightengale
#1 Shohei Ohtani
There was never really any doubt as to who would top this list. Shohei Ohtani had one of the greatest seasons of all time in 2021, where he proved to be both a top-tier starting pitcher and one of the best hitters across the MLB. Being a unanimous MVP selection shows the respect Shohei Ohtani commands. The Los Angeles Angels have high hopes for Ohtani's continued success. Going into 2022, he is the undisputed best player in the MLB.