The 2022 New York Yankees season was a good one for fans, as there were more wins than losses. During the first half of the season, the team played very quickly, and they were able to get through a terrible stretch of injuries and bad play in the late summer. The team seems to have mostly gotten out of their slump with the AL East win and is ready for a run at the playoffs.
A lot of players put in a lot of hard work on their own to get the Yankees to where they are now. They should be recognized for what they did. Aaron Judge has the best chance of winning the AL MVP Award, and he has changed baseball history in the process. Nestor Cortes proved himself to be a top-of-the-rotation starter, and Clay Holmes held down the back end of the bullpen for most of the season. But there were some performances that drew criticism and made fans and the media angry.
Let’s find out who emerged as the best for the Yankees and who are among the worst during the Yankees’ 2022 campaign.
Aaron Judge: The Yankees and AL record holder
He stood out the most. Aaron Judge is not only the team’s MVP, but he’s probably also the American League MVP, and he changed history in 2022 with 62 home runs, a new record for both the team and the American League.
Giancarlo Stanton: Inconsistent but power threat
After a promising end to 2021, Giancarlo Stanton took a huge step back in 2022. He got hurt a lot. His batting average dropped even when he was healthy. The player wasn’t a consistent enough power threat the Yankees needed in the middle of the lineup.
Nestor Cortes: Big man with a small figure
Cortes’ ERA in 2022 was about half of what it was for the rest of his career, and he helped the Yankees win a lot of important games.
Gerrit Cole: A record haul
Cole turns out to be the Yankee with the most single-season strikeouts at 257. He is the workhorse that could lead this team deep into the playoffs and become their x-factor. But his mediocre September often runs the risk of betraying the assessment.
Luis Severino: Strong finish gets admiration
Lat strain kept him out of action for two months, but he finished strong and proved he’s ready for a run in the playoffs.
Gleyber Torres: Emerged late but when needed
For most of the season, it didn’t look good for Gleyber Torres. But he changed a lot in the last month of the year. Torres got back to the shape he was in five years ago. After a .180 BAA in August, he hit .319 in September with 23 RBIs and an OPS of over .900.
Jameson Taillon: Standing tall
In the shadow of Cole, Cortes, and Severino, had a good season in his last year before becoming a free agent.
Oswaldo Cabrera: New man on the horizon
The Yankees called up Cabrera to the MLB as a cover for their injured stars. But he became a star on his own. He not only played his way onto the roster, but also into the starting lineup and, most likely, the playoff lineup as well.
Because he can play both in the field and at the plate (he is a switch-hitter), and is always upbeat and full of energy.
Aroldis Chapman: Turning Worse
On the other hand, it looks like Aroldis Chapman’s time in both New York and Major League Baseball may be coming to an end. Chapman was one of the most feared pitchers in baseball for about a decade. But his sense of where to hit has quickly gotten worse and he had a hard season.
Jose Trevino: Stepping up
Trevino was acquired from Texas to begin the year as the Yankees’ third catcher. Kyle Higashioka’s lack of consistency made room and he became the team’s everyday catcher and a reliable backstop since Jorge Posada retired in 2010.
Frankie Montas: Things went wary
Montas struggled in his few starts early in the fall and was then put on the injured list. His trade hasn’t worked out very well.
Jonathan Loaisiga: Back on track
After a 7.85 ERA in his first 20 games, he had a 1.82 ERA in his 30 second-half games.
Aaron Hicks: Punched but not out
With the addition of Harrison Bader, the rise of Oswaldo Cabrera, and the possibility of Aaron Judge and Andrew Benintendi re-signing in the winter, it looks like Aaron Hicks may soon be looking for a new team.
Though he had some big hits and good games, but his lack of consistency at the plate and in the field probably means that his career will end soon. Fans want the Yankees to part away with him.
Anthony Rizzo: Still he has the firepower
Lower back problems dampened the second half, the offense was good and the defense stopped runs.
Josh Donaldson: 50-50 man
Offensively, he had a mostly bad and inconsistent year, but he was mostly healthy and played well on defense.
Aaron Boone: The leader of the squadron
Held it together as a huge lead shrunk down to a two-game lead in the loss column by early September. Both the lineup and the bullpen were hurt, which made it harder for the team to play well. He inspired the team with his slamming act.
Brian Cashman: Trade failures haunt him
The biggest trade deadline moves for Montas and Benintendi didn’t work out because of injuries. This came after Trevino and Carpenter made big moves that didn’t get much attention.
Let’s know what do you think about the analysis?
