“All Rise” was the anthem all 2022 season for the Yankees as Aaron Judge bet on himself and put together one of the greatest offensive seasons in MLB history. Appearing in a career-best 157 games, Judge was the driving force behind the American League’s best offense. He set career highs in batting average (.311), OBP (.425), slugging (.686), OPS (1.111), hits (177), runs (133), doubles (28), stolen bases (16), and of course home runs (62), and RBI (131).
His 62 home runs set the new Yankees and American League record and Judge nearly claimed the triple crown. He did take home the American League MVP with 98 percent of the first-place votes to go along with three AL Player of the Week awards and three AL Player of the Month awards. Let’s not forget his abundance of Home Boi Highlights.
His reward? A nine-year, $360 million deal to stay in The Bronx and try to help bring the Yankees that elusive 28th world championship.
After a quarter century in the managerial game and several close calls, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker finally won that elusive World Series. The MLBbro manager came close with the San Francisco Giants in 2002 and fell short with the Astros in 2021. The third time was a charm for Baker, who is among an exclusive group of skippers to have 2,000 managerial career wins. Baker has managed 3,884 regular-season games, 10th-most all-time.
Dusty won his first title as a Los Angeles Dodgers player back in 1981. With his 2022 title, Baker now has two titles spanning 41 years from 1981 to 2022. No individual in baseball history had ever had his title-winning ways reach across that many decades.
Dave Roberts’ Dodgers didn’t win another World Series, but the MLBbro manager had many accomplishments, from leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a franchise-record 111 wins (becoming just the fifth team in AL/NL history to win that many games in one season) to moving up the postseason all-time wins list. Roberts is a steady skipper who has won no less than 91 games in six full seasons at the helm. The one season he did, was a COVID-shortened season in which he had a .717 winning percentage and won the whole ball of wax.
Seattle Mariners captain J.P. Crawford helped lead the team to their first playoff appearance in 21 years. It ended a streak of futility which was the longest in major North American pro sports.
Now, after setting a new standard in the Emerald City, Crawford will look to elevate the franchise to true contender in 2023. With the additions of young stars like 2022 Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez, the missing piece to a championship run is an offensive elevation by their web master.
During their last series of the season, Crawford was officially given the captain role after the retirement of longtime Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager.
Seattle Mariners Finish Strong
The Mariners got off to a slow start in the win column, but Crawford was one of a few players who helped keep a new roster above water until they gelled. He was among the Major League leaders in batting average, on base percentage, runs, OPS and WAR along with his teammate Ty France. Crawford was playing so well it felt almost certain he would get to participate in his first ever All-Star Game in his hometown of Los Angeles.
However, one Sunday afternoon in late June put a halt to those plans.
J.P. Crawford Involved In Wild Brawl
The game took place in Anaheim between the Mariners and the team that ultimately defeated them in that final series of 2021, the Angels. Throughout recent years — and even this season — multiple players, including former first round pick Justin Upton were hit with pitches; his, a fastball to the head a little under two weeks before hand.
With tensions already high, the Angels decided to use an “Opener” to hit a Mariners batter in the back to begin an inning.
Back-and-forth talk between outfielder Jesse Winker and the Angels bench began, which led to Winker charging towards their dugout. A fight ensued as the benches cleared and fists were being thrown until Crawford came into the scuffle to throw an overhand right in defense of his teammate.
“I always tell them, I got their back,” Crawford told reporters the next day. “Just know that I have got your back. When stuff hits the fan, I am going to be the first one out there every time. I am going to do that 10 times out of 10. I have always got my boys back.”
It was one of the biggest brawls in recent Major League Baseball history as a total of eight people were suspended including Crawford who was sentenced to five games.
Although that seemed to end the 2020 Gold Glove winning shortstops All-Star bid, it also lit a fire under the entire clubhouse and sparked the team. Seattle ended up winning 90 games to clinch a wildcard spot and end their 21-year playoff drought.
In the playoffs, the Mariners swept the powerhouse Blue Jays and set themselves up in a matchup against their division rivals in Dusty Baker and the Astros. In Game one, the Mariners pummeled Astros starter Justin Verlander and Crawford had a major blow with a huge home run off the former Cy Young winner.
The Astros would end up winning the game and taking the series 3-0, but Crawford along with his group of young superstars showed the bright lights of October will not bother them.
Crawford ended the season batting .243 with six home runs, a .339 OBP and 24 doubles. In all it was a successful 2022 for J.P. Crawford. Elevation is the key to success.
Despite Houston Astros Jeremy Pena’s strong rookie campaign in which the baby bomber won a World Series and a Gold Glove, we still consider J.P. to be the best defensive shortstop in the Majors. Crawford will, however, have to raise his average and on base percentage if he wants his name solidified as an all-around elite player at his position, especially in a stacked American League.
MLbbro.com correspondent Nick Hamilton was at the winter meetings and interviews Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin about the things rising star #MLBbro Jo Adell has to do to reach that next level of MLB consistency
The Cleveland Guardians won the American League Central division last season and recorded 92 wins. With some young, electrifying arms and a mixture of veteran and young talent, Cleveland is among the early 2023 AL World Series favorites in more than a few projections.
Credit manager Terry Francona with understanding his team and being an ultimate strategist for a well-rounded squad. However, one aspect of offense that Cleveland was missing is power. It’s hard to win a World Series these days without big boppers in your lineup and Cleveland was second to last in MLB with 127 homers, just 17 more than the offensively inept Detroit Tigers (110).
Understanding their needs, the Guardians agreed to terms on a two-year, $33 million contract with free agent first baseman Josh Bell on Tuesday. Adding MLBbro Bell — who has averaged 25 homers and 89 RBI over 162 games in his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres — to play first base also opens up more time at DH for rising star Josh Naylor and definitely gives them another power threat in the lineup.
Bells’s 2022 Season Was A Tale Of Two Cities
The 30-year-old played at an All-Star level with the Nationals, with a strong stat line of .311/.390/.504 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI.
After he was traded to the Padres, though, Bell’s production plummeted to .192/.316/.271 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 53 games, but he did help the team get into the playoffs.
JB had a productive NLCS and delivered some key hits at the dish. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to help his team get over that hump. In the five games against the NL East Champion Phillies, Bell recorded a hit in four of them. The slugger finished the series going 6-for-17 with a home run and three RBI. He had a signature performance in Game 2 as he finished with three hits lifting the Padres to their only win of the series.
Bell was on his way to a career season before he got thrown off by the sudden blockbuster deal to the Padres. Now that the slugger knows where he will be for the next two seasons, it’s not a stretch to expect him to produce 30-homer seasons in the heart of the lineup.
Hall of Famer Andre “Hawk” Dawson, prolific base swiper Vince Coleman and five-tool force Marquis Grissom were all HBCU products from FAMU who became historically-influential MLBbros.
