most sURPRISING hITTERS OF THE season thus far
Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press
With two months of baseball almost in the books, some players have left their mark to the surprise of fans. These hitters have surpassed exceptions with many becoming league leaders in certain offensive categories. Lets get into it:
LAA: TAYLOR WARD
LAA: TAYLOR WARD
It’d be criminal to not include Taylor Ward first on this list. To everyone’s surprise within the baseball community Taylor Ward has exploded on the scene. Being regarded as one of the best offensive players on the Angels is a tough task when you aren’t mentioning Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout in the same breath. Ward is producing at an extraordinary rate with a .370/.481/.713 slash line. According to Baseball-Reference, Ward leads baseball in on base percentage, and OPS. Additionally, Ward is top ten in WAR, batting average, slugging percentage, and adjusted batting wins.
As Ward adds to the stacked halos offense looking to make a deep run this season. The Angels are two game behind the Astros in the AL West.
COL: CJ CRON
COL: CJ CRON
CJ Cron is having the season of his career many did not expect as Cron hopes to continue riding the wave. Cron is tied for first with Manny Machado in slugging percentage in the National League and third in OPS and average. The Colorado Rockie ranks within the top ten in OPS, hits, homers, total bases, RBI’s, runs created and extra base hits.
Cron plays an integral part in the Rockies offense which leads all of baseball in team average, ranking third in OBP, and fourth in OPS. The Rockies are 20-23 in the NL West.
SD: Eric Hosmer
SD: Eric Hosmer
The Eric Hosmer of old is officially back with an impressive 2022 campaign thus far. After signing to the Padres in 2018, Hosmer struggled to find his footing in San Diego with a combined .264/.323/.738 slash line from 2018-2021. Hosmer revitalized himself this season with a .320 average and .839 OPS. The former Kansas City Royal started off the season at an incredible rate with an average over .380 but has struggled the past few weeks.
However, Hosmer is playing a role in the success the Padres are having at 28-16 with one and half games behind the rival Dodgers. The Padres have been on fire losing three games out of the past 10. All of this is being done without the contributions of Fernando Tatis Jr. who is recovering from a fractured left wrist.
SEA: Ty France
SEA: Ty France
One of the more underrated hitters this season is in the emerald city. Ty France, first baseman for the Mariners, has quietly been the most consistent hitter the past eight weeks. His .331/.406/.489 slash line is impressive given France is out there day in and day out. France has been the most durable player in the American League tied for first in games played with Cedric Mullins. France leads the American League in plate appearances and MLB in singles. Moreover, France ranks top ten in offensive war, batting average, on base percentage, hits, and adjusted batting wins.
France will lead the Mariners offense hoping to create more magic towards the end of the season and clinch their first playoff berth since 2001.
