Whatever else the 2022 MLB season is recalled for, it deserves a spot in baseball history for the profusion of rookie talent that has emerged.
The season has produced legitimate rookie talent at literally every position. Beyond that, several of the game’s best first-year players have delivered critical performances under the pressure of post-season contention.
So deep is the 2022 rookie class that it is not only possible but fairly easy to construct an all-rookie team which – if it took the field as a stand-alone unit — would be competitive with the game’s upper tier of clubs.
If you find that statement hard to believe, consider this. The 2022 All-Rookie team presented below contains 15 names (that’s 11 short of a full major League roster) from 10 different teams, or one-third of all the MLB franchises. As measured by Wins Above Average (WAR), the production of just those 15 rookie players alone totals 43.4 wins.
What actual MLB teams total a WAR value of 43 or better at this late stage of the season? There are only six, and five of them are division leaders. Here’s the list.
LA Dodgers — 57.8
Houston — 49.6
NY Yankees — 48.5
NY Mets — 45.7
Atlanta — 45.4
St. Louis — 43.3
If it played in the AL Central, the numbers say the 2022 rookie team would be comfortably in front of Cleveland (35.6 WAR). It would be in a virtual tie with St. Louis in the NL Central, and would lead all wild card contenders in both leagues, the strongest of which (based on WAR) is Toronto (39.9).