Two Months In, Here Are Your AL And NL Stat Leaders
Today, we take a look at the pitchers and hitters leading the way in the American and National Leagues and check out some of the best highlights so far this season.
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Pregame Pepper
. . . Now that the MLB season has reached the two-month mark, here are a few jaw-dropping highlights from the action so far in 2022.
Longest Home Run — Jesús Sánchez, 496 feet
Most Impressive Home Run Robbery — Eli White
Best Individual Pitching Performance — Reid Detmers’ No-Hitter
Leading Off
Major League Baseball Leaders Through Two Months Of 2022
By Matthew Veasey
All stats entering play on Tuesday.
We are now through two full months of the 2022 season in Major League Baseball. With Memorial Day weekend passed and the calendar now having flipped to June, it’s a good time to look at the standings and leaderboards across the game.
In the American League, the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, and Houston Astros have each established themselves at the top of the standings in their respective divisions. Three other clubs – the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Angels – hold the Wild Card positions. These are the only six teams in the AL with a winning record into the final day of May.
The National League has three division leaders whose positions appear just as solid. The New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers hold sway for now. The Wild Card spots in the NL are controlled by the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals. As in the AL, these six are the only clubs with winning marks.
So far, the Twins are easily the best surprise team in the game. After a last-place finish in the AL Central Division a year ago, few picked them to contend. However, Minnesota has allowed just 3.7 runs per game, tied for fourth in the Majors. They hold a solid lead over the preseason favorite Chicago White Sox, who have struggled along around the .500 mark.
If it’s disappointments that you’re looking for, my hometown Philadelphia Phillies have been as frustrating as any. The Phils hoped to power their way to the postseason. Instead, the club has sunk to seven below the .500 mark through Memorial Day and manager Joe Girardi is clearly on the hot seat. A couple of disappointing AL teams include the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.
Baseball’s top offensive team is the Dodgers, who have scored 267 runs across their first 48 games, or more than 5.5 per game. The Dodgers’ .770 OPS also leads all of MLB.
The Brewers’ total of 69 home runs leads all MLB clubs. Both the Angels and the Yankees have 67 to pace the American League.
In St. Louis, team speed has helped the Cards take charge of a playoff spot. They lead all of baseball with 39 stolen bases. The Texas Rangers, with 36, are pacing the AL in that category.
At 16-31, the Cincinnati Reds are tied with the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in baseball. But it’s not team defense that is hurting either club. Cincy leads all of MLB in team fielding percentage, and the club’s 14 errors are the least in the game. The Royals’ fielding percentage is second-best in the AL.
The following are the individual AL leaders in various offensive categories:
AVG
J.D. Martinez, BOS - .369
Luis Arraez, MIN - .361
Tim Anderson, CWS - .356
HR
Aaron Judge, NYY – 18
Yordan Alvarez, HOU – 14
Mike Trout, LAA – 13
José Ramírez, CLE – 13
RBI
José Ramírez, CLE – 51
Aaron Judge, NYY – 37
Trevor Story, BOS – 37
Runs
Aaron Judge, NYY – 38
Rafael Devers, BOS – 38
Mike Trout, LAA – 37
Steals
Julio Rodríguez, SEA – 14
Jorge Mateo, BAL – 13
Cedric Mullins, BAL – 11
The following are the individual NL leaders in various offensive categories:
AVG
Manny Machado, SD - .353
Paul Goldschmidt, STL - .352
José Iglesias, COL - .317
HR
Mookie Betts, LAD - 15
Pete Alonso, NYM – 13
C.J. Cron, COL – 13
RBI
Pete Alonso, NYM – 47
Paul Goldschmidt, STL – 42
Francisco Lindor, NYM - 40
Runs
Mookie Betts, LAD – 50
Francisco Lindor, NYM – 37
Tommy Edman, StL - 37
Steals
Harrison Bader, STL – 13
Tommy Edman, STL – 11
Trea Turner, LAD – 10
The following are the individual AL leaders in various pitching categories:
Wins
Justin Verlander, HOU – 6
Adam Cimber, TOR – 6
Nine pitchers – 5
Quality Starts
Framber Valdez, HOU – 8
Alek Manoah, TOR – 8
Martín Pérez, TEX – 7
Saves
Jordan Romano, TOR – 15
Liam Hendriks, CWS – 14
Raisel Iglesias, LAA – 11
Strikeouts
Shane McClanahan, TB – 81
Dylan Cease, CWS – 76
Gerrit Cole, NYY - 72
WHIP
Justin Verlander, HOU – 0.83
Nestor Cortes, NYY – 0.85
Triston McKenzie, CLE – 0.86
The following are the individual NL leaders in various pitching categories:
Wins
Walker Buehler, LAD – 6
Tyler Anderson, LAD – 6
12 pitchers - 5
Quality Starts
Joe Musgrove, SD – 9
Corbin Burnes, MIL – 8
Five pitchers - 7
Saves
Josh Hader, MIL – 18
Taylor Rogers, SD – 17
Kenley Jansen, ATL - 12
Strikeouts
Corbin Burnes, MIL – 78
Aaron Nola, PHI – 74
Carlos Rodón, SF - 64
WHIP
Corbin Burnes, MIL – 0.82
Zac Gallen, ARI – 0.91
Aaron Nola, PHI – 0.94
Several first-year players have begun to assert themselves across the game, some as impact players since Opening Day, others emerging over the ensuing weeks. To this point, the top American League rookies have been shortstop Jeremy Peña in Houston and outfielder Julio Rodríguez in Seattle. In the National League, San Diego pitcher MacKenzie Gore and Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki are the early Rookie of the Year favorites.
There remains plenty of baseball left to be played in this 2022 campaign. Four full months remain on the regular-season schedule. The MLB All-Star Game remains seven weeks off in the distance. We’re still a little over a month away from the game reaching the halfway mark. June will be a very important month for the disappointments, both individuals and teams, to begin salvaging their seasons.
Matt Veasey is retired after serving three decades in Philadelphia law enforcement. You can find him as @PhilliesBell on Twitter providing Philadelphia Phillies news, history, and much more, as well as general baseball items of interest. His email is matthew.veasey@verizon.net.
Extra Innings: Some Quirky Moments From The First Two Months Of The 2022 Season
Mike Trout homers off son Beckham, flips his bat
Shohei Ohtani directs Raimel Tapia back to first base after an out
Fan at Great American Ball Park catches ball while bottle-feeding baby