Updated MLB Position-by-Position Rankings, August Edition
Who are MLB's 10 best players at each position with two months to go in the 2022 season?
That's the simple question we set out to answer, and it required casting aside past performance, expectations and long-term projections.
In other words, name recognition and previous success don't mean anything here. We're just looking at how players are performing in 2022.
For consistency, players are ranked at the position where they have played the most innings this season.
Let the debate begin!
Note: Included in parenthesis after each player's name is where they
ranked in last month's version of this article, which can be found here.
Catchers
1 of 12
Top 10 Catchers
1. Alejandro Kirk, TOR (1)
2. Willson Contreras, CHC (2)
3. Will Smith, LAD (3)
4. Jose Trevino, NYY (6)
5. Jonah Heim, TEX (7)
6. J.T. Realmuto, PHI (9)
7. Adley Rutschman, BAL (NR)
8. Sean Murphy, OAK (NR)
9. Tyler Stephenson, CIN (5)
10. William Contreras, ATL (8)
No. 1 Spot: A deserving starter in the All-Star Game this year, Alejandro Kirk is hitting .305/.384/.470 for a 142 OPS+ with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 92 games. The 23-year-old leads all catchers with 3.4 WAR.
Rising: Top prospect Adley Rutschman made his MLB debut on May 21, and after a slow start in the big leagues, he's hitting .298/.434/.500 in 106 plate appearances since July 1. The 24-year-old has a 127 OPS+ with 22 doubles, five home runs and 2.5 WAR in 58 games.
Falling: Veteran Travis d'Arnaud was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in June, posting a .304/.360/.681 line with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 75 plate appearances. However, he slumped badly in July, hitting just .190/.266/.207 with one extra-base hit to fall from the No. 4 spot to unranked.
First Basemen
2 of 12
Top 10 First Basemen
1. Paul Goldschmidt, STL (1)
2. Freddie Freeman, LAD (6)
3. Josh Bell, SD (3)
4. Pete Alonso, NYM (2)
5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR (7)
6. Ty France, SEA (4)
7. Jose Abreu, CWS (10)
8. Luis Arraez, MIN (5)
9. Anthony Rizzo, NYY (9)
10. C.J. Cron, COL (8)
No. 1 Spot: The NL leader in batting average (.332), on-base percentage (.412), slugging (.611), OPS+ (190) and WAR (5.3), Paul Goldschmidt entered August as the front-runner in the NL MVP race.
Rising: After hitting .388/.447/.684 in July, Freddie Freeman moves up to the No. 2 spot in the first baseman rankings this month. The Los Angeles Dodgers star now leads the majors in hits (132) and doubles (36), and he's batting .324/.400/.533 with 4.5 WAR in 104 games.
Falling: Slugger Pete Alonso cooled off a bit in July with an .800 OPS and only four home runs in 109 plate appearances. With that said, the bona fide NL MVP candidate still leads the NL with 88 RBI to go along with a 153 OPS+ and 28 home runs.
Second Basemen
3 of 12
Top 10 Second Basemen
1. Tommy Edman, STL (1)
2. Andres Gimenez, CLE (2)
3. Jose Altuve, HOU (4)
4. Jake Cronenworth, SD (10)
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA (3)
6. Jeff McNeil, NYM (5)
7. Gavin Lux, LAD (NR)
8. Gleyber Torres, NYY (6)
9. Brendan Rodgers, COL (NR)
10. Ketel Marte, ARI (7)
No. 1 Spot: Defensive whiz Tommy Edman has played more games at second base (57) than shortstop (51), and with Paul DeJong back on the MLB roster, he has now shifted back to the keystone. While his 99 OPS+ does not jump off the screen, he has 68 runs scored, 21 steals and 18 defensive runs saved between the two middle infield spots en route to an impressive 4.5 WAR.
Rising: Gavin Lux had his best month as a big leaguer in July, hitting .320/.416/.533 with nine extra-base hits in 89 plate appearances. The 24-year-old is quietly coming into his own, and he is now batting .295/.372/.423 for a 121 OPS+ and 2.5 WAR in 96 games.
Falling: Rising star Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been sidelined since June 28 with a stress fracture in his lower back. He racked up 2.5 WAR in 60 games and earned a spot on the NL All-Star Game roster prior to the injury.
Third Basemen
4 of 12
Top 10 Third Basemen
1. Austin Riley, ATL (5)
2. Rafael Devers, BOS (3)
3. Nolan Arenado, STL (4)
4. Jose Ramirez, CLE (2)
5. Manny Machado, SD (1)
6. DJ LeMahieu, NYY (10)
7. Matt Chapman, TOR (NR)
8. Yandy Diaz, TB (NR)
9. Brandon Drury, SD (7)
10. Ke'Bryan Hayes, PIT (6)
No. 1 Spot: The No. 1 spot at third base was a tight four-player race between NL Player of the Month Austin Riley (160 OPS+, 62 XBH, 4.7 WAR), Rafael Devers (165 OPS+, 54 XBH, 4.2 WAR), Nolan Arenado (153 OPS+, 45 XBH, 5.2 WAR) and Jose Ramirez (160 OPS+, 59 XBH, 4.0 WAR). There is a compelling case to be made for each of them.
Rising: The Matt Chapman that has showed up since the All-Star break (11 G, .378/.489/.838, 5 HR, 12 RBI) looks like a completely different player than the one we saw during the first half (87 G, .227/.300/.428, 15 HR, 45 RBI) of the 2022 season.
Falling: After hitting just .202/.279/.415 with a 26.9 percent strikeout rate in July, Manny Machado slides to No. 5 after claiming the top spot in our July rankings. With Juan Soto now added to the mix and Fernando Tatis Jr. on the comeback trail, he'll have far more lineup help for the stretch run.
Shortstops
5 of 12
Top 10 Shortstops
1. Dansby Swanson, ATL (2)
2. Trea Turner, LAD (3)
3. Xander Bogaerts, BOS (1)
4. Francisco Lindor, NYM (9)
5. Corey Seager, TEX (NR)
6. Tim Anderson, CWS (4)
7. Carlos Correa, MIN (5)
8. Nico Hoerner, CHC (8)
9. Amed Rosario, CLE (10)
10. Jeremy Pena, HOU (6)
No. 1 Spot: The top spot at shortstop is a three-player battle between Dansby Swanson (128 OPS+, 37 XBH, 14 SB, 5 DRS, 4.4 WAR), Trea Turner (133 OPS+, 46 XBH, 18 SB, -4 DRS, 3.6 WAR) and Xander Bogaerts (133 OPS+, 37 XBH, 7 SB, 0 DRS, 3.8 WAR). Assuming Bogaerts opts out as expected, all three will be free agents this winter.
Rising: A red-hot Corey Seager batted .318/.394/.647 with nine home runs in July, raising his OPS by 74 points in the process. The $325 million man is now up to a 125 OPS+ with 24 home runs and 3.2 WAR in 98 games in his first season with the Texas Rangers.
Falling: Rookie Jeremy Pena hit .208/.241/.406 with 29 strikeouts in 108 plate appearances in July. While he is still in the midst of a 3.3-WAR debut season with the Houston Astros, he is quickly falling out of the AL Rookie of the Year race.
Left Fielders
6 of 12
Top 10 Left Fielders
1. Jurickson Profar, SD (6)
2. Kyle Schwarber, PHI (2)
3. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., TOR (7)
4. Ian Happ, CHC (4)
5. Andrew Benintendi, NYY (5)
6. Austin Hays, BAL (1)
7. Joc Pederson, SF (3)
8. Steven Kwan, CLE (9)
9. Christian Yelich, MIL (NR)
10. Mark Canha, NYM (8)
No. 1 Spot: Fun fact: Jurickson Profar has 3.7 WAR this season, which is more than he accumulated through the first 684 games of his MLB career prior to this year. The 29-year-old has a .353 on-base percentage and 128 OPS+ with 24 doubles and 12 home runs while serving as San Diego's leadoff hitter and playing a stellar defensive left field.
Rising: He may no longer be an MVP candidate, but Christian Yelich at least put together a productive month of July, hitting .286 with a .427 on-base percentage in 96 plate appearances. The 30-year-old is now batting leadoff for the Brew Crew.
Falling: The No. 1 player on this list a month ago, Austin Hays batted only .202/.269/.298 with one home run and a 25.8 percent strikeout rate in July. The 27-year-old is still having a 2.4-WAR season and has shown enough potential to be a long-term piece of the puzzle in Baltimore, though.
Center Fielders
7 of 12
Top 10 Center Fielders
1. Aaron Judge, NYY (1)
2. Julio Rodriguez, SEA (4)
3. Mike Trout, LAA (2)
4. Byron Buxton, MIN (3)
5. Brandon Nimmo, NYM (6)
6. George Springer, TOR (5)
7. Luis Robert, CWS (9)
8. Bryan Reynolds, PIT (7)
9. Adolis Garcia, TEX (8)
10. Michael Harris II, ATL (NR)
No. 1 Spot: With 43 home runs and 93 RBI, Aaron Judge has separated himself from the rest of the pack in the AL MVP race and he has a legitimate shot at joining the exclusive 60-HR club. The towering slugger had a staggering 1.253 OPS with 13 home runs and 32 RBI in 25 games in July.
Rising: Rookie Michael Harris II is hitting .280/.320/.478 for a 118 OPS+ with 10 doubles, nine home runs, 30 RBI and 11 steals in 219 plate appearances since making his MLB debut on May 28. He currently stands as the biggest threat to teammate Spencer Strider in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
Falling: Superstar Mike Trout hit .167 with 18 strikeouts in 39 plate appearances in July before landing on the injured list with what is being described as a chronic back condition. He is expected to return at some point in 2022, but there's no reason to rush him back in another lost season for the Angels.
Right Fielders
8 of 12
Top 10 Right Fielders
1. Juan Soto, SD (5)
2. Mookie Betts, LAD (2)
3. Kyle Tucker, HOU (1)
4. Starling Marte, NYM (6)
5. Taylor Ward, LAA (3)
6. Hunter Renfroe, MIL (7)
7. Teoscar Hernandez, TOR (NR)
8. Anthony Santander, BAL (10)
9. Max Kepler, MIN (9)
10. Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL (4)
No. 1 Spot: Narrow-minded fans will continue to point to his less-than-stellar batting average, but Juan Soto just hit .315/.495/.616 with six home runs in July. His 158 OPS+ on the year ranks eighth among all qualified hitters and is tops among all right fielders by a wide margin over Mookie Betts (137).
Rising: After starting in the All-Star Game and winning a Silver Slugger last season, Teoscar Hernandez missed time early this year with an oblique strain. However, since the beginning of June, he's hitting .311/.357/.580 with 16 doubles, 13 home runs and 40 RBI in 55 games.
Falling: With a .219/.318/.281 line and only four extra-base hits in 110 plate appearances in July, Ronald Acuna Jr. has been a non-factor as of late out of the leadoff spot in the Atlanta Braves lineup.
Designated Hitters
9 of 12
Top 10 Designated Hitters
1. Yordan Alvarez, HOU (1)
2. Shohei Ohtani, LAA (4)
3. Bryce Harper, PHI (2)
4. Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (5)
5. J.D. Martinez, BOS (3)
6. Trey Mancini, HOU (7)
7. Charlie Blackmon, COL (8)
8. Michael Brantley, HOU (6)
9. Dan Vogelbach, NYM (NR)
10. Andrew McCutchen, MIL (NR)
No. 1 Spot: The gap between Yordan Alvarez and every other designated hitter is staggering. His 4.9 WAR is almost double that of Bryce Harper (2.6), who ranks second among players who have seen at least 51 percent of their playing time at DH. Alvarez is hitting .303/.409/.655 with 30 home runs and 72 RBI in 89 games.
Rising: With Bryce Harper injured, Shohei Ohtani moves into the No. 2 spot after posting an .818 OPS with five home runs and 13 RBI in July. The two-way star has a 136 OPS+ with 22 home runs and 62 RBI on the year, and he's been worth 1.9 WAR on offense.
Falling: The Boston Red Sox failed to find a taker for J.D. Martinez at the trade deadline, due in large part to an absurdly high asking price. The 34-year-old hit .210/.253/.346 with one home run in July, and he has just nine long balls in 389 plate appearances on the year.
Right-Handed Starting Pitchers
10 of 12
Top 10 Right-Handed Starting Pitchers
1. Justin Verlander, HOU (2)
2. Sandy Alcantara, MIA (1)
3. Dylan Cease, CWS (8)
4. Corbin Burnes, MIL (6)
5. Alek Manoah, TOR (4)
6. Max Scherzer, NYM (NR)
7. Tony Gonsolin, LAD (3)
8. Joe Musgrove, SD (5)
9. Zack Wheeler, PHI (NR)
10. Shohei Ohtani, LAA (NR)
No. 1 Spot: With a 1.81 ERA that leads all qualified starters, Justin Verlander stands as the AL Cy Young front-runner in his return from Tommy John surgery. The 39-year-old pitched only six total innings in 2020 and 2021 combined, but he has quickly returned to elite form with a clean bill of health.
Rising: Over his last nine starts going back to June 9, Shohei Ohtani has posted a 1.87 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 87 strikeouts in 57.2 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a .194 batting average. He recorded double-digit strikeouts in six of those nine starts and has steadily climbed into the AL Cy Young picture in the process.
Falling: Getting rocked by the New York Yankees for seven hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings in his most recent start was enough to bump Logan Gilbert out of the top 10, but he's still enjoying a breakout season. The 25-year-old has gone 10-4 with a 3.09 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 120 strikeouts in 128.1 innings.
Left-Handed Starting Pitchers
11 of 12
Top 10 Left-Handed Starting Pitchers
1. Shane McClanahan, TB (1)
2. Max Fried, ATL (6)
3. Nestor Cortes, NYY (4)
4. Martin Perez, TEX (2)
5. Julio Urias, LAD (5)
6. Carlos Rodon, SF (3)
7. Framber Valdez, HOU (7)
8. Tyler Anderson, LAD (9)
9. Clayton Kershaw, LAD (NR)
10. Cole Irvin, OAK (NR)
No. 1 Spot: A rocky start on July 31 (4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER) moved Shane McClanahan's ERA above 2.00, but he's still having the best season of any lefty starter in the game. The 25-year-old is 10-4 with a 2.07 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 158 strikeouts in 122 innings, and his .180 opponents' batting average is the lowest among qualified AL starters.
Rising: Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried led the majors with a 1.74 ERA in 14 starts after the All-Star break last season, and he has once again hit his stride as the weather has warmed up this year. In his last eight appearances, he has a 2.09 ERA in 51.2 innings with seven quality starts.
Falling: Carlos Rodon saw his ERA climb by more than half a run with back-to-back rocky starts on July 21 (5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 ER vs. LAD) and July 26 (6.0 IP, 3 H, 5 ER vs. ARI), but he rebounded with seven shutout innings of two-hit ball against the Chicago Cubs. He remains a safe bet to opt out of the final season of his two-year, $44 million deal this offseason.
Relief Pitchers
12 of 12
Top 10 Relief Pitchers
1. Edwin Diaz, NYM (9)
2. Ryan Helsley, STL (3)
3. Emmanuel Clase, CLE (4)
4. Devin Williams, MIL (NR)
5. Clay Holmes, NYY (1)
6. Jason Adam, TB (NR)
7. John Schreiber, BOS (NR)
8. Daniel Bard, COL (NR)
9. Brock Burke, TEX (NR)
10. Josh Hader, SD (2)
No. 1 Spot: Edwin Diaz has struck out 84 of the 160 batters he has faced this season while nailing down 23 of 26 save chances and posting a 1.51 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a .177 opponents' batting average. He has allowed only one extra-base hit while generating a 52.8 percent whiff rate with his signature slider.
Rising: The recent dominance of Devin Williams likely made it easier for Milwaukee's front office to trade Josh Hader. The 2020 NL Rookie of the Year rattled off 30 straight scoreless appearances before finally allowing a run on Wednesday. He has a 1.82 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings with six saves and an MLB-high 25 holds in 44 appearances.
Falling: Left-hander Josh Hader was knocked around to the tune of a 12.54 ERA with three losses and one blown save in 11 appearances in July. He still has 29 saves in 31 chances and an impressive 15.4 K/9 in 38 appearances, but he has looked far more human over the past month.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Wednesday's games.
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