2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Projected fWAR — 6.9
Projected slash line — .275/.382/.554 with 44 home runs and 106 RBI
Judge is ranked second on the list … and the numbers that are projected for him in 2023 would actually be considered a down year for him following last season’s MVP performance. That tells you just how good Judge was in 2022 and how much he meant to the Yankees.
With the contract drama behind him, Judge can focus on mashing baseballs and helping the Yankees finally get back to the World Series in 2023. The big question is this: How much will Judge’s teammates really help him in that quest this season? The next-highest Yankees player on the Steamer projection list is Gleyber Torres (coming in at number 55, 3.4 fWAR), so Judge may have to carry the Yankees once again this season (a familiar theme from the team’s 2022 performance).
1. Juan Soto, San Diego Padres
Projected fWAR — 7.1
Projected slash line — .281/.431/.528 with 33 home runs and 95 RBI
At just 24 years old, Soto is projected to be the most dominant MLB player next season. Soto slashed just .236/.388/.390 in 52 games last season after being acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals. This season, with Soto settled in and the Padres constructing a lineup where he is a part of it rather than the focal point, projections have Soto evolving into a monster at the dish, similar to when he finished second in the NL MVP voting in 2021.
San Diego is loaded with potential MVP candidates in 2023, but Soto leads the list not only for his own team but, according to these projections, the entire NL as well.