MLB’s Top Players at every Position in 2022: Left Field
We’ve covered the entirety of the infield in this series. Now, it’s time to go to the outfield. We’ll look at the top-10 players at this position and the amazing 2022 seasons they had.
The players featured are those whose primary position was left field. Meaning regardless of where else they played, they played left the most which make them eligible. Some of the top outfielders in the league may have played left, but it wasn’t their primary position hence they’ll be on a future list.
1. Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
It’s rare to see a rookie atop one of these lists. Kwan just happened to be the most valuable left fielder this season, and Guardian fans need to appreciate and remember his name. If it wasn’t for Julio Rodriguez or Adley Rutschman, Kwan would be a runner-up for Rookie of the Year. Regardless, the 25-year-old hit .298/.373/.400 in 147 games. He walked (62) more than he struck out (60) and hit 25 doubles and seven triples. Not to mention Kwan had 21 defensive runs saved, leading all left fielders. His 126 OPS+ and 5.5 WAR is beyond impressive for a rookie and was a big reason why the Guardians won the AL Central.
2. Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
Happ was able to avoid being traded at the deadline and had arguably the best season of his career. His batting became much better in 2022, batting .271 and collecting 72 RBIs. It was a ‘down’ year in terms of home runs for Happ, who only hit 17. But he made up for it with the batting average and even the strikeouts. His strikeout rate plummeted all the way to 23.2% in 2022, a huge replacement for someone who finished last year with the 10th-highest strikeout rate. Happ was able to collect twice as many hits, especially in the forms of doubles. Happ hit a whopping 42 doubles this season, tied for sixth-most in the majors and more than doubling his previous career high of 20. He has one-year left of arbitration until he’s a free agent in 2023. If Happ can continue this surge, he’ll be due for a pay day.
3. Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays
If you watched the 2020 postseason, you know the name Arozarena all too well. Since then, he hasn’t exactly put himself in the spotlight. It doesn’t mean he isn’t having good seasons, which in 2022 he did. He tied his career-high in homers with 20 and broke his career-high in RBIs with 89. He was an extreme speed threat, stealing 32 bases in 44 attempts. Arozarena’s 2021 and 2022 were very similar, and he was Rookie of the Year in 2021. He’s still a productive hitter for this Rays team, and he’ll look to perform even better in 2023.
4. Andrew Benintendi, New York Yankees
When the Yankees acquired Benintendi, they knew they weren’t getting a big power-hitting slugger. In fact, the Yankees almost had too many of those, needing a lead-off type of bat who got hits and got on base. That’s what Benintendi is now. Between the Royals and Yankees this year, he batted .304/.373/.399 in 126 games. It led to him making the All-Star game for the first time in his career, alongside a 3.2 WAR. His defense wasn’t as solid as last season when he won a Gold Glove, but Benintendi still provided value for a Yankee lineup that needed a left-handed bat.
5. Mark Canha, New York Mets
It may not seem like it, but Canha is one of the most valuable hitters in this Mets lineup. He’s a pesky hitter, and while his power numbers may not be big, he knows how to get on base. For the second consecutive year, Canha led MLB in most hit-by-pitches, this year with 28. He knew how to work long at-bats and just made it a pain to get him out. The .367 OBP was among the highest of his career, and his 17.9% K% was the lowest of his career. He tied his career-high in RBIs with 61 as well. He’s not a guy who will hit .300 or hit 40 homers, but his bat is just as valuable, and his clubhouse presence is elite.
6. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
For the NL home run leader (46) Schwarber had no issue helping lead the Phillies to a Cinderella-type season. The homers were a career-high, along with the RBIs at 94. The low batting average and horrendous fielding brought his WAR down to 2.2, but with his 130 OPS+, he didn’t need a .300 batting average to be good. I wasn’t kidding about the defense though. Schwarber had -16 DRS and -13 OAA. But hey, he hit homers so that’s all that matters.
7. Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres
The former No. 1 prospect has a career WAR of 3.3 if you take out his 2022 season. He nearly matched that number, with a 3.1 WAR in 2022. Profar has never really found a rhythm during his career, but he seems to be becoming a decent utility man for the Padres. Mainly playing left field, Profar hit .243/.331/.391 in 152 games. He had two DRS out in left, which is good considering his issues with the yips at second base. He’s 29, which if he decides to decline his player option, he could provide value to any team.
8. Joc Pederson, San Francisco Giants
The long-time Dodger finished his first year with the rival Giants better than some may have thought. The power was still there, hitting 23 homers and 70 RBIs. Pederson’s slash line was quite good as well, batting .274/.353/.521. He was named an NL All-Star, only his second time making the team since 2015. His -12 DRS in left field were nothing impressive, but Pederson provided a shine of light on a Giants team that failed to have a winning record.
9. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
The unfortunate fact is that Yelich is no longer the MVP we saw in 2018-2019. He’ll most likely never be that player again, but he’s still going to be valuable to the Brewers. After a down 2020-21, Yelich was able to get his WAR up to 2.7 for 2022. A positive for Yelich in this down year is he walked 88 times, which is the highest in his career. It was a disappointing season all around for the Brew Crew, but Yelich just hit 30 years old and could still bounce back.
10. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
It was in an interesting year for Gurriel Jr. After hitting a career-high 21 home runs last year, he hit only five this season. He still got on base and limited the strikeouts, batting .291/.343/.400 with 83 strikeouts. Gurriel Jr. hit 32 doubles, also a career-high for the left fielder. It was a clean defensive season for him as well, only making three errors with four DRS. Gurriel Jr. will look to get the power numbers back next year, but he’s still hitting fairly well.
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