After producing relatively disappointing results in his first two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exploded in 2021, finishing second in American League MVP voting.
The son of a Hall of Famer with the same name debuted at the major league level at the age of 20, but failed to immediately look the part of a future superstar. Across his first 685 career at-bats, Guerrero slashed .269/.336/.442 with 24 home runs, 102 RBIs and a .778 OPS.
Guerrero returned for his third big league season in much better shape, and that translated to one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory. Guerrero slashed .311/.401/.601 with 48 home runs, 111 RBIs, 86 walks, a 1.002 OPS and a 6.7 fWAR in 2021.
Ahead of the 2022 season, we've ranked Guerrero as the top first baseman in baseball and one of the 10 best position players in the entire sport. Guerrero is the most exciting player on a Blue Jays team that seems to have a legitimate shot at winning their first World Series title since going back-to-back in 1992 and 1993.
Will any player break out in the manner that Guerrero did a year ago? Almost certainly not. Still, here's a look at five young players that could take major steps forward in 2022:
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Second Baseman, Miami Marlins
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a breakout candidate for the 2022 MLB season.(Eric Espada/Getty Images)One of baseball's best personalities, Chisholm has flashed his star potential in parts of two seasons with the Marlins. Chisholm homered 18 times, drove in 53 runs and stole 23 bases a season ago. He also posted five defensive runs saved at second base. If Chisholm can get on base more consistently -- he hit .248 with 34 walks in 2021 -- he's going to be an All-Star caliber player for the Fish.
Wander Franco: Shortstop, Tampa Bay Rays
Wander Franco is a breakout candidate in 2022.(Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)This was the easiest name to put on this list. Franco only played in 70 games in his rookie season, but still managed to post an .810 OPS and finish third in American League Rookie of the Year voting. The Rays got out in front of things this offseason, signing Franco to an 11-year/$182 million deal that will probably look team-friendly in short order. Expect Franco to emerge as one of baseball's best shortstops in 2022. It would hardly be a shock if the 21-year-old forces his way into the top 10 players in the league conversation ahead of the 2023 season.
Mickey Moniak: Center Fielder, Philadelphia Phillies
Mickey Moniak is a breakout candidate for 2022.(Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today)As recent as last November, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski cast doubt on whether Moniak would be on the team's Opening Day roster in 2022. But after an offseason where he continued to add strength, Moniak shined as he got to work with highly-touted hitting coach Kevin Long in the spring. The former No. 1 overall pick hit .378 with six home runs in Spring Training. Despite previously looking overmatched at the major league level, the 23-year-old may very well be the Opening Day center fielder for the Phillies.
Spencer Torkelson: First Baseman, Detroit Tigers
Spencer Torkelson is a breakout candidate for the 2022 season.(Mike Watters/USA Today)The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft recently learned that he'll be the Opening Day first baseman for a Tigers team with quite a bit of excitement heading into the 2022 season. Across three levels of the minor leagues, Torkelson homered 30 times and drove in 91 runs a season ago. The 22-year-old is our pick to win American League Rookie of the Year.
Keibert Ruiz: Catcher, Washington Nationals
Keibert Ruiz is a breakout candidate for the 2022 season.(Jasen Vinlove/USA Today)Trea Turner is our pick to win the National League MVP Award in 2022, so you can guess that we're still trying to process why the Nationals traded the star infielder. With that said, they should get some immediate return on their trade from Ruiz this season, as he'll be the starting catcher at the major league level for the full season. While money will ultimately be the determining factor in Juan Soto's long-term future with the team, it's imperative that they hit on players like Ruiz and begin to put a competitive team around the star right fielder again.
More Entries From This Series
- Top 10 MLB Second Basemen For 2022 Season
- Top 10 MLB Third Basemen For 2022 Season
- Top 10 MLB Catchers For 2022 Season
- Top 10 MLB First Basemen For 2022 Season
- Top 10 MLB Shortstops For 2022 Season
- Top 10 MLB Right Fielders For 2022 Season
- Top 10 MLB Center Fielders For 2022 Season
- Top 10 MLB Left Fielders For 2022 Season
- Top 15 MLB Starting Pitchers For 2022 Season
- Top 20 MLB Position Players For 2022 Season
- MLB Power Rankings: Where Does Your Team Stand Ahead Of Opening Day?
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