Players Who Will Bounce Back During The 2022 MLB Season
Each year, many players around baseball greatly exceed expectations, and many greatly disappoint. For these four guys, 2021 was not their best showing, and many fans think differently about them heading into the 2022 MLB season. Through digging deeper, a bounce-back season is imminent for these players, whose numbers should once again match the level of talent that they have.
Gleyber Torres, Second Base, New York Yankees
It can be easy to forget just how talented Torres is, who’s had some issues the past couple of seasons after a ridiculous first two. There is one thing that changed between those first two and last two seasons, and that’s becoming the Yankees shortstop when Didi Gregorius left before the 2020 season. When primarily a second baseman in 2018 and 2019, Torres was an All-Star both seasons, with 62 total home runs and a .849 OPS. After the switch to shortstop, he hit just 12 home runs in 169 games, with a .703 OPS. This season, Torres is back as the Yankees second baseman, and he currently has a .421 batting average in Spring Training. All signs are pointing to Torres bouncing back as once again one of the top hitters on the Yankees.
Christian Yelich, Outfield, Milwaukee Brewers
Like Torres, Yelich had his two best seasons in 2018 and 2019, and has struggled since. The only difference is that Yelich was one of the best players in baseball during those years, winning NL MVP in 2018 and finishing in second place in 2019. As we all know, 2020 was an uncharacteristic year for many players with COVID-19 forcing them to play in empty stadiums, and in 2021, he battled injury, making it tough to judge his production. There is little reason to give up on him at this point, considering he just turned 30 this past winter. Since 2018, Yelich has the sixth-highest OPS in all of baseball, and he remains a player to keep an eye on this season.
Aaron Nola, Starting Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
With Zack Wheeler’s incredible performance in 2021, many will underestimate Nola as the #2 in the Phillies rotation heading into the 2022 season. Aside from ERA, all of Nola’s stats were great in 2021, including his FIP of 3.37, which is a more analytical way of measuring ERA, as well as his strikeout-per-9 rate of 11.1, which was much better than in his breakout 2018 season. Essentially, there is no reason to give up on Nola, who’s “stuff” remained as good as ever in 2021, the stats simply imply he was a little unlucky. With an improved team, the Phillies will look to make a push for the playoffs and beyond in 2022, and will rely heavily on Nola to help make that happen during the 2022 MLB season.
Stephen Strasburg, Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals
Strasburg has struggled to stay healthy over the past two seasons, but his skillset must not be forgotten about. In every year of his career that he has been healthy, he has posted an ERA between 2.52 and 3.74, with his worst seasons coming when he pitches fewer games. Strasburg simply needs to play games to settle into his best self, and if he does so, he’s an All-Star level player who can receive Cy Young consideration. Although he is expected to miss a few weeks to begin the 2022 season, the Nats are taking their time getting him back to full strength, so when that happens, he deserves to be placed in the “star pitcher” category.
