2022 MLB season: 20 biggest overachievers and underachievers

The Dodgers are known for developing pitchers, but Anderson's breakout season was at a different level. He went 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA over 178.2 innings, as he augmented his changeup and showed elite control. Anderson also benefited from Dodger Stadium and a dejuiced baseball, with an HR/9 that was less than half of 2021. The elite control should continue to make him an effective pitcher as he hits free agency, but we shouldn't expect a repeat of 2022.

Baez has long been a frustrating player because of his strikeouts, but he's made up for it with great offensive stats and baseball instinct. That explains why Detroit gave him a six-year, $140 million contract last offseason, but Baez had one of the worst seasons of his career. He hit .238.17-67 with a .671 along with 26 errors. The Tigers need Baez to turn around his play quickly.

The lowly Orioles saw a 31-win improvement almost out of nowhere, with little action last offseason and a team that actually shed talent at the trade deadline. Youngsters like Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson spurred the team. Veterans like Anthony Santander, Dean Kremer, and Austin Voth helped the team find their footing. With more top prospects on the way, Baltimore has a chance to improve upon its 83-win campaign.

Bellinger has a strong claim on this list in three straight seasons since winning NL MVP in 2019. His .210-19-68 stat line was actually an improvement from 2021, but the 26-year-old was still extremely sub-par as a regular. He approaches his walk year showing almost no semblance of the player we saw early in his career.

After losing the closer role late in 2021, Bard regained and ran away as the Rox closer in 2022. He was arguably the best closer in the league, given his level of difficulty pitching at home in Coors Field, finishing the year with a 1.79 ERA and 34 saves. Colorado signed him to a two-year extension, but history has shown success in Colorado is usually short-lived. For one, Bard's great home run rate (0.4 HR/9) looks unsustainable.

The Jays rewarded Berrios with a contract extension after trading a huge package to acquire him from Minnesota in 2021. The usually reliable starter pitcher was knocked around regularly over 32 starts, resulting in a 5.23 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, leading the AL in hits and earned runs allowed. If there's any good news, Berrios' strong control did hold up, but a K/9 down by nearly two strikeouts from 2021 is a red flag.

Judge was already a household name before last season, even finishing top five in the MVP race twice. Still, his Barry Bonds-esque production at age 30 is an outlier by even his spectacular standards, leading the league with 62 home runs and 131 RBI, along with an incredible 1.111 OPS. Judge conveniently produced extraordinary numbers in a walk year.

At worst, Giolito could be described as a No. 2 starter since his breakout campaign in 2019, posting a cumulative 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP from 2019-21. With a slight drop in velocity, Giolito was a different pitcher in 2022 with a 4.90 ERA in 30 starts. The White Sox need Giolito to rebound next season if they want to get back to the playoffs.

As of the All-Star break, even few baseball insiders knew about Meneses. That changed over the last two months of the season, as he replaced the traded Josh Bell at first base and hit .324-13-34 in 240 plate appearances as a 30-year-old rookie. His minor league numbers of the last three seasons show a productive hitter but not the elite bat we saw in his debut. Either way, it's a story to cheer for as a late bloomer.

With truly electric stuff, Hader seemed immune to the volatility of relief pitchers before last season. Milwaukee traded Hader at the deadline after posting a 4.24 ERA in 37 appearances as their closer, but his 15.6 K/9 and 4.92 K/BB ratio indicated the Padres had little to worry about. Hader's mechanics hit a snag with San Diego, however, and he had a 7.31 ERA in only 19 appearances while struggling to throw strikes. After finishing the year with a 5.22 ERA, it was good to see Hader right the ship in the playoffs.

The Cardinals certainly hoped for a rebound season from Mikolas after consecutive years of injuries, but it would have been foolish to rely on it. The right-hander was able to take the mound every fifth day, making 32 starts with a 3.29 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while tallying over 200 innings. Mikolas' history shows the effectiveness wasn't a fluke, but it was still completely unexpected after the injury bug bit him so severely.

Rogers was one reason some had such high hopes for the Marlins last season, finishing 2021 with a 2.64 ERA and 10.6 K/9 over 25 starts. He looked fine in Spring Training before collapsing in the regular season, with a 5.47 ERA in 23 starts and multiple injuries. Perhaps Rogers was pitching through pain, but the performance was a setback.

Teams have been searching for the elite prospect Perez was at one time in Texas, but until last season, he had a career 4.71 ERA and posted a sub-4.00 ERA only once in 10 seasons. At age 31, Perez finally turned a corner by going 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA over 196.1 innings as the Rangers ace. Teams would still be well-advised to exercise some caution as Perez approaches free agency, with a mediocre 2.45 K/BB ratio and ERA metrics that were worse than the final product.

Cleveland was thought to be set in center field with the speedy Straw, who set the table with a .349 on-base percentage and 30 steals in 2021. While still showing plus defense, he forgot how to hit last season with a futile .221 batting average and no home runs resulting in a .564 OPS and demotion from the leadoff spot. It remains to be seen if Straw will still be a regular next season.

The addition of Pujols in Spring Training was seen more as a sideshow than an impactful on-field move, with the three-time MVP posting a cumulative .700 OPS over the previous five seasons for the Angels and Dodgers. At age 42, he played like he was young again, going on a second-half tear (.323-18-48) to eclipse 700 career home runs and will the Cardinals to an NL Central title. The performance was how Pujols deserves to be remembered after a remarkable career.

Tatis Jr. failed to appear in an MLB game last season, and his outlook has gone from the face of the game to potentially a legendary flameout in a year. He fractured his wrist in a motorcycle accident and delayed surgery while keeping the injury secret from the team until Spring Training. Upon his rehab return, Tatis Jr. was suspended after testing positive for PEDs. The Padres had some playoff success despite his absence, but they'd sure like to have the superstar back in their lineup.

No one should dispute Urias' status as an MLB ace, but even aces can overachieve. He won the ERA title with a 2.16 mark, yet the peripherals were much worse than in 2021, when his ERA was nearly a run higher. The left-hander's 3.71 FIP was mediocre, with less than one strikeout per inning and a poor 1.2 HR/9. Don't be surprised if we see some regression next season.

Winker was the centerpiece of a blockbuster Spring Training trade with the Reds as an under-the-radar star who posted an OPS above .900 in back-to-back seasons. The production fell off a cliff in Seattle, as Winker hit only .219-14-53 in 547 plate appearances, finishing with a sub-.700 OPS. Entering a walk year, there's a chance Winker sees another change of scenery this offseason.

A late bloomer in Arizona, Walker hit 29 home runs with a .825 OPS during his breakout 2019 season, but he's barely held onto a starting job since then. That changed as one of the top first basemen in the league last season, producing a 5.1 WAR as a result of 36 home runs and great defense. Walker has long held plus power, but not many saw the elite season coming.

It's not so much the IL stints that make Wood an underachiever, given his lengthy injury history, but rather his performance when he did pitch. He produced a 5.10 ERA in 26 starts for the Giants, even as the left-hander's peripherals (9.0 K/9, 4.37 K/BB) and ERA metrics were strong. If healthy, there's reason to believe Wood will rebound in 2023.