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MLB power rankings: Ranking the top 10 2022 MVP candidates

By Noah Yingling

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees watches his fourth inning home run against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on September 07, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees watches his fourth inning home run against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on September 07, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 04: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves looks on before a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 04, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Braves 6-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

8) Padres third baseman Manny Machado

When a player signs a 10-year deal via free agency, oftentimes, the player usually ends up not living up to the deal. Manny Machado still has six years left on his deal but he has been phenomenal for the San Diego Padres, especially this season.

He is hitting .297/.364/.530, which are seventh, ninth, and fifth in the NL. He also has 146 hits (6th), 34 doubles (10th), 26 home runs (10th), and 88 RBI (9th). His OPS+ is 157, which is third in the NL.

Defensively though, he has had mixed numbers. With Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), the former Gold Glove winner has -6 DRS, which is a significant drop from 6 DRS last year and 7 DRS in the shortened 2020 season. However, by Outs Above Average (OAA), Machado has 6 OAA, which is one of the best marks in the league.

His fWAR is 6.2, which is fourth in the NL. The reason why he’s not higher on the list is that he has regressed a bit since he injured his ankle in late June and the Padres have also regressed with him. In the 61 games he has played since then, his OPS has dropped 50 points and the Padres have a losing record (30-31).

7) Braves third baseman Austin Riley

Austin Riley helped the Braves win the World Series last year and he has been a huge reason why they have caught the Mets in the NL East. He’s been most deserving of his 10-year contract extension that starts next year that also has a team option for an 11th year.

This year, Riley is hitting .285 with a .356 on-base percentage and a .561 slugging percentage, the latter of which is third in the NL. He also has 35 home runs, 36 doubles, and 89 RBI, which are second, fourth, and seventh in the NL. His OPS+ is 150, which is fifth in the NL.

Overall, his fWAR is 5.4, which is eighth in the NL among position players.

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