Corey vs Yandy

From the first half of the season, it seemed like no one could stop Corey Seager's swing. The shortstop and second hitter for the Texas Rangers opened hitting .359 in April and, as of May 21, was hitting .382.

That was his highest batting average of the season, but then his consistency began to spread. Seager was devouring pitchers, finishing the first half of the season with 12 home runs, 52 RBI and a 1.026 OPS in 269 plate appearances over 59 games. His impressive start to the season secured the fourth trip to the All-Star Game in the ninth season of his career.

Even though he had the second half of the season ahead of him — and some pessimists remembered his injury history — it seemed absurd to project a possible American League batting champion other than Corey Seager. For the Texas Rangers, his recovery was great news. Seager played 151 games in 2022 during his first season with the Rangers. Although he hit 22 home runs and drove in 83 runs, his .772 OPS fell short of his projections after signing a 10-year, $325 million contract.