The postseason will start in less than a month, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late for major changes to our Hitting Power Rankings.
Yes, excellence throughout the year matters here. But also what has been done recently, the interesting stories and the “fun factor”. So while some familiar faces remained in the Top 10 – including No. 1 – the 11th edition of these rankings also has four newcomers.
Here are the latest Batsman Power Rankings.
1. Aaron Judge, Yankees (Last poll: 3)
Who else? This is the fifth time Judge has taken the top spot this season, while no one else has done it more than once. He’s in search of home run history, but the understandable focus on home runs has almost overshadowed just how sensational Judge has been at the plate. Before the All-Star break, he put up a solid .983 OPS and going into Friday’s session, his second-half OPS was 335 points higher than that.
2. Shohei Ohtani, Angels (wasn’t ranked)
Will this 1-2 lead in the Hitting Power Rankings be a mirror image of this year’s AL MVP voting? This is only the second time Ohtani has cracked the Top 10 in 2022, and he does so on the heels of a nine-game stretch in which he has slugged .868 with six home runs. Oh yeah, he also has a 2.58 ERA in 23 starts off the mound.
3. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays (wasn’t ranked)
It hasn’t exactly been an unforgettable season for the 24-year-old shortstop, who was hitting .260/.305/.420 as August ended. Bichette fired up with the arrival of September, however, going 16-for-31 (.516) with five home runs and 14 RBIs in seven games. That included a three-homer feat in Game 2 of a doubleheader Monday at Baltimore, plus three other three-hit games in that span.
4. Mookie Betts, Dodgers (wasn’t ranked)
Bettts has taken things to another level since Aug. 1, hitting .314/.364/.664 with 10 home runs in 34 games, including a three-game home run streak from Aug. 26-28 at Miami. His 33 shots this season are a career high and the veteran is on pace to lead his league in runs scored for the third time since 2018.
5. Mike Trout, Angels (wasn’t ranked)
For those who forgot, Trout is still a pretty good player. The three-time AL MVP missed 30 games with a sore back before returning to action Aug. 19, and all he’s done since is hit .310/.364/.676. with eight home runs. That includes a homer in each of his last four games. Trout has now hit 30 home runs 30 or more in seven different seasons.
6. Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals (1)
Considering the level he’s set, Goldy has slowed down a bit in recent weeks, but he’s still in full contention for the first NL Triple Crown since 1937. This is his ninth consecutive appearance in the Top 10.
7. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (wasn’t ranked)
Before going 0-for-3 on Tuesday, Bogaerts had given up at least two hits in nine straight games, tying Roy Johnson, Jim Rice and Kevin Youkilis for the longest streaks in Red Sox history. Before Friday’s action, Bogaerts (.315) trailed the Twins’ Luis Arráez (.314) on average–which is shaping him up to win his first batting title–and climbed into the top 10 for the first time. time.
8. Michael Harris II, Braves (wasn’t ranked)
Harris has been hot practically since he made his major league debut on May 28, but this is his first time on the roster. The 21-year-old outfielder, who is in a fight with teammate Spencer Strider for NL Rookie of the Year, has posted an impressive .465/.489/.721 offensive line in his last 11 games and has a chance of a campaign of 20 home runs and 20 steals, despite playing his first 46 commitments of the year in the Minor Leagues.
9. Manny Machado, Padres (6)
It’s worth noting that so far in September he’s faced some hurdles, but he’s coming off an August in which he posted a 1.011 OPS. He is among all the NL leaderboards and his 157 OPS+ is still by far his best through a full season.
10. Nathaniel Lowe, Rangers (wasn’t ranked)
Although he’s gotten a little under the radar with a Texan team that’s well under .500, Lowe has still been punishing the ball for the past few months. Before Thursday’s action, Judge and Goldschmidt were the only MLB hitters to rate with a better OPS than Lowe’s (1.072) in the second half. So now Lowe is in the top 10 for the first time.
They also received votes: Venezuelan José Altuve (Astros), Alex Bregman (Astros), Austin Riley (Braves), Justin Turner (Dodgers), Mexican Joey Meneses (Nationals), Tommy Edman (Cardinals), Tyler O’Neill (Cardinals), Cuban Randy Arozarena (Rays), Adley Rutschman (Orioles)
Voters: Nick Aguilera, Doug Gausepohl, Thomas Harrigan, Sarah Langs, Ted Lee, Mike Petriello, Manny Randhawa, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon
We would love to say thanks to the writer of this write-up for this remarkable material
New faces in the latest Power Ranking of Hitters