The 2022 MLBbro.com All-Bro Team | The Best Black MLB Players

The 2022 MLBbro.com All-Bro Team | The Best Black MLB Players

by | Dec 16, 2022 | THE LEAD OFF

Since its founding MLBbro.com has been committed to promoting the game of baseball and Black and brown players that have helped contribute to its enduring legacy and eternal appeal.

At the end of each season, we celebrate the very best of those players with the naming of our annual All-Bro Team.

The All-Bro Team includes one player at each infield position, three outfielders, two designated hitters, a starting pitcher and a reliever.

The team is led by American League MVP Aaron Judge and includes four all-stars, the 2022 All-Star Game MVP, and a Gold Glove winner. 

2022 All-Bro Team:

CATCHER

Chuckie Robinson, Reds

Former 21st round draft pick Chuckie Robinson became the first Black catcher to play since 2018 and the first in more than 20 years to spend significant time behind the plate for a major league team, appearing in 25 games for the Reds.

After batting .266 in AA/AAA for the Red, Robinson was called up on Aug. 24. He smacked his first big-league home run on Aug. 29 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Chuckie Robinson had a solid defensive season, but will have to improve with his bat in order to stick with the Reds next season.

FIRST BASE

Josh Bell, Padres

Bell split time between Washington and San Diego, but whether he was on the East Coast or the West Coast, Josh Bell provided power at the first base spot all season long.

In 2022 Bell played in 156 games, the second most of his career. His 552 at-bats were a career-high. Bell got off to a great start with the Nationals. In 103 games in the nation’s capital, Bell batted .301, with 14 home runs, 57 RBI, and a combined 41 extra base hits.

After being traded to San Diego to help the Padres’ playoff push, Bell’s numbers weren’t the same. However, once the playoffs began, Josh Bell was at his best. In five games, he batted .353, collecting six hits, driving in three runs, and scoring two more. Now, Bell will take his bat to Cleveland to help boost the Guardians’ offense.

 

SECOND BASE

Marcus Semien, Rangers

The 2021 MLBbro Player of the Year didn’t match his record-breaking totals in 2022, but there’s still no question that Marcus Semien is one of the elite middle infielders in the game today.

Semien got off to a slow start after making the move from Toronto to Texas, but still the finished the season with a slash line of .248/.304/.733. Playing in 161 games, Semien hit 26 home runs, drove in 83, scored 101, and stole a career-high 25 bases.

He’s topped 100 runs scored and 161 games played in three of the past for seasons and has at least 30 doubles in four of the past five. As long as Semien continues to stay healthy, it looks like he’ll continue to put up numbers.

 

SHORTSTOP

JP Crawford, Mariners

Crawford’s biggest achievement this season was helping to lead the Mariners back to the postseason for the first time in two decades though he provided plenty of individual highlights throughout the summer and into the fall.

 

Injuries limited Crawford to 145 games this season, though he still managed to hit 24 doubles, three triples, and drive in 42 runs for Seattle. 

In the playoffs, the Mariners eliminated Toronto before falling to the eventual champion Astros. Crawford had four hits in five games, including a pair of doubles and a homer, and had four RBI. 

THIRD BASE

Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pirates

Hayes may already be the best defensive third baseman in the major leagues. Plays like this make it easy to see why so many have such a high opinion of his work with the glove.

 

He committed only 12 errors all season and has only 15 in 255 career games. Hayes was first in Defensive Wins Above Replacement in the National League (3.0) after finishing fourth in 2021. He also led all NL third basemen in putouts and assists.

With the bat in his hands Hayes isn’t quite as dangerous, though his offensive game continued to expand in his second season. Ke’Bryan stole 20 bases in 2022, good enough for ninth in the National League.

OUTFIELDERS

Aaron Judge, Yankees

All Aaron Judge did in 2022 was 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.

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.

 

Mookie Betts, Dodgers

The discussion surrounding who the best all-around player in the game had started to move away from Mookie Betts. This past season, he re-entered the conversation.

Betts was named an All-Star for the seventh time, won his sixth Gold Glove, his fifth Silver Slugger, and finished fifth in the balloting for National League MVP after leading the Dodgers to their greatest regular season in the history of the franchise.

Betts batted .269 and slammed a career-high 35 home runs while driving in 82, his highest total since 2017. He topped 40 doubles for the first time in three years and led the NL with 117 runs scored.

George Springer, Blue Jays

When healthy, there aren’t many more dynamic lead off hitters than Toronto’s George Springer. Once again the versatile outfielder put up solid numbers that also left fans wondering what could have been.

What Springer was, was highly productive, earning an All-Star selection for the first time since 2019, though he missed the game due to injury. He did play in 133 games, the most he’s seen since 2018. 

 

When he played, the Jays were 76-57, when he didn’t they were 16-13.

Springer finished the year with 25 home runs, 76 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 89 runs scored as the Blue Jays made it back to the playoffs for just the fourth time in the last 28 years. If they’re going to make it back in 2023, Springer will once again have to be the five-tool star all of baseball knows he is.

DESIGNATED HITTERS

Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees

Andrew McCutchen, Brewers

Stanton and McCutchen continued to provide experienced bats for potent offenses in 2022. Stanton was named as an All-Star for the fifth time in his career and his first in the American League since joining the Yankees in 2018. Though he batted a career-low .211, he still slugged 31 home runs and drove in 78 runs in 110 games.

 

“Cutch” made the move from Philly to Milwaukee and almost pushed the Brew Crew into the playoffs. At age 35, McCutchen hit 17 home runs and 25 doubles, his 13th season with at least 25 two-base hits. His 69 RBI gave him a career total of 1002, moving him into 297 on the all-time standings.

 

PITCHERS

Triston McKenzie, Guardians

In his third season Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie established himself as one of the best players under the age of 25 in MLB, regardless of position.

McKenzie went 11-11 over 30 starts for Cleveland, racking up 191 innings and a 2.96 earned run average. He ranked in the top 10 for ERA, WAR, strikeouts per nine innings, hits per nine innings, and innings pitched.

“Dr. Sticks” is on his way to becoming both an ace and a workhorse.

 

Devin Williams, Brewers

The 2020 NL Reliever of the Year and Rookie of the Year may be the Brewers closer of the future after the 2022 season he put together.

Williams appeared in 65 games for Milwaukee, earning a 6-4 record, recording 15 saves, and posting a minuscule 1.93 ERA. He struck out 96 batters in 60.2 innings and was named to his first All-Star team.