10 players whose 2023 seasons deserve more love

When we look back at the top individual performances from the 2023 MLB season, the options will be plentiful. Shohei Ohtani, Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are all putting up the types of seasons that will be remembered for years to come.

What about the players who have quietly put up seasons that have gone under the radar? While it's easy -- and appropriate -- to focus on the individual greatness of the Ohtanis and Acu?as of the baseball world, there have been plenty of other players who have produced great seasons. In some cases, those players have been the difference makers in their team's playoff push.

We asked 10 MLB.com writers to make their cases for players whose '23 seasons deserve more love. Here's what they had to say.

All stats entering Tuesday

Juan Soto, LF, Padres
Key stats: 153 OPS+, 32 HR, 123 BB, 23.1% of swings producing hard contact

The reigning NL Player of the Week is at it again, doing what he does. He has the lowest swing rate among qualified players (35.9%), the second-lowest chase rate (16.9%, just behind Mookie Betts’ 16.8%) and the third-highest percentage of swings producing hard contact (23.1%). He's choosing his swings wisely, and making them count. The result? 32 homers and an MLB-leading 132 walks. He’s the sixth player with multiple seasons with at least 30 home runs and 100 walks before turning 25, joining Ted Williams (three), Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews, Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx.

Soto has a 153 OPS+ this season, meaning he’s been 53% better than league average, seventh-best among qualified players. He’s on pace to have a fifth qualified season with at least a 140 OPS+, tied for the most by a player through his age-24 season, with Mike Trout, Mantle, Foxx and Ty Cobb. And in 2018, when he was eight plate appearances shy of qualifying? 142 OPS+. If we make it a minimum of 190 PA (to account for the shortened 2020 season), he’s on pace for a sixth season with at least a 140 OPS+, most by a player through his age-24 season, surpassing the above names at five each.

Simply put, Soto is doing what he’s done every year of his career, combining power with superb plate discipline.

-- Sarah Langs

Christian Walker, 1B, D-backs
Key stats: 2022-23: Most 1B OAA (25), eighth-most HR of any player (66)

May I interest you in baseball’s best defensive first baseman, with back-to-back 30+ homer seasons? Because Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson exist, and because the D-backs are rarely in the spotlight, and because when you do think about them you think about Corbin Carroll, Walker gets overlooked. But last year, he won a Gold Glove while mashing 36 homers, and this year, he’s going to win another Gold Glove with 30+ more homers. Only seven players in the game have hit more homers over the last two seasons.

Maybe getting claimed off waivers three times in a month, as Walker was in 2017, dims the shine of your stardom somewhat. If that’s what has happened, that’s on us. Walker has earned the title of superstar.

-- Mike Petriello

Kodai Senga, RHP, Mets
Key stats: 2.95 ERA, 191 K, 11.1 K/9, 4.2 bWAR, +27 pitching run value

Scherzer who? Verlander who? The Mets still have a Cy Young-caliber pitcher on their staff, and a lot more people should be talking about it. Senga should be considered one of the top Cy contenders in the National League. He's right up there with Blake Snell, Justin Steele, Zac Gallen, Spencer Strider, Zack Wheeler, or whoever you think is going to win the award.

And this is not about the ghost fork. Senga gets most of his headlines for throwing a cool pitch, but he should get even more headlines for being straight-up one of the best pitchers in the league. The Mets' ace ranks third in the NL in ERA, eighth in strikeouts, fourth in K/9 and third in bWAR. And he's been the second-best NL pitcher at preventing runs according to Statcast's pitching run value stat, behind only Snell. Fun fact: Senga this season (+27 runs prevented) has been as valuable as Verlander (+15) and Scherzer (+12) combined.

-- David Adler

Yandy Díaz, 1B, Rays
Key stats: 148 OPS+, 53.6% hard-hit rate, 4.3 bWAR

Admit it: While you might have had a vague idea that Díaz was having a good season, you were unaware -- until right now -- that he’s hitting .319/.398/.503. The Cuban-born infielder is getting it done thanks to an average exit velocity (93.4 mph) and a hard-hit percentage (53.6%) that rank in MLB’s top 10. Plus, his plate discipline remains superb, with a 10.5% walk rate and a 16.0% strikeout rate.

The 32-year-old used to be known mostly for his muscles, but with career highs in hits (160), runs (89), homers (20) and RBIs (73), he’s finally become the offensive stalwart the Rays hoped when they acquired him from Cleveland in December 2018. (And of course, he recently flexed the arms after his first career walk-off homer.)

On a Rays team that has lost a number of star players, Díaz is a stabilizing force atop the batting order. He’s started 126 games at leadoff and failed to reach base via hit or walk in only 16 of those. Díaz also hit .300 or better with an OBP of .391 or better in each of the first five months and could reach those marks in September, too, if he finishes strong.

-- Jason Catania

William Contreras, C, MIL
Key stats: 4.7 fWAR, 120 OPS+, +7 Framing Runs

When the Brewers found themselves in the middle of last offseason’s Sean Murphy trade, they acquired one of the most productive catchers in baseball in Contreras. Following a breakout season with the Braves in 2022 -- he posted a 136 OPS+ and 2.6 fWAR in 97 games -- Contreras has followed it up with a spectacular 4.7-win season (according to FanGraphs) in his first year with Milwaukee.

While his offensive level has dipped a bit, the 25-year-old has offset it by playing in more games (126) and significantly improving his pitch framing. Contreras going from three framing runs below average last year to seven runs above average this year has changed a clear weakness into a strength.

Put it all together and Contreras has been the most valuable catcher in the Majors according to fWAR. For a Brewers team that saw its catchers finish near the bottom of the league last year in many categories, having one of the top catchers in baseball has been one key reason why they’re in position to win the NL Central.

-- Brent Maguire

Logan Webb, SP, Giants
Key stats: 201 innings pitched, 1.05 WHIP, 3.7% walk rate

Some say the best ability is availability, and no pitcher can top Webb in that category in 2023. He is the only pitcher to reach 200 innings so far, making him one of the most durable starters in MLB. That goes a long way, especially on a Giants team that has hardly had a consistent starting rotation throughout the year. But Webb isn’t just your average innings-eater: He’s one of the league’s most effective pitchers.

Sure, Webb’s 23.2% strikeout rate is merely average, but most of his other statistics are up there with MLB’s best starters. His 3.7% walk rate and ridiculous 61.7% ground-ball rate both rank in the 98th percentile in MLB; even with the lack of K’s, Webb ranks in the 87th percentile in chase rate. With a 3.31 ERA and an NL-best 1.05 WHIP, Webb is clearly one of the league’s best starters -- but he’s hardly being talked about as such. (He was outside the top five in our latest NL Cy Young Award poll, for example.) More high-volume, efficient seasons like 2023 should help Webb garner the respect he deserves.

-- Theo DeRosa

Bryson Stott, 2B, Phillies
Key stats: 29 stolen bases, 15 Outs Above Average, 15.1 percent whiff rate

Stott has been a steadying presence on a Phillies team full of superstars. The second baseman’s numbers won’t jump off the page, but he’s become one of the best all-around players in baseball during his sophomore season.

After finishing second-to-last in terms of Outs Above Average last season, Philadelphia is roughly average in the field in 2023, thanks in large part to Stott’s 15 Outs Above Average, which are tied for the sixth-most in the Majors. Armed with a 90th percentile Sprint Speed, Stott has also been excellent on the bases, stealing 29 bags and providing one extra run on the basepaths.

Stott has also cut down on his strikeouts while making better contact this season, helping him slash .285/.332/.428 with a 106 OPS+. At nearly every facet of the game, Stott is above-average, quietly making him one of the more underrated players in the game.

-- Dylan Svoboda

Zach Eflin, SP, Rays
Key stats: 4.4 fWAR, 7.48 K/BB, MLB-leading 1.01 WHIP

The Rays’ decision to sign Eflin to the largest free-agent contract in franchise history ($40 million over three years) last December seemed curious at the time, given the right-hander had a lifetime 4.49 ERA and never made 30 starts in a season over seven years with the Phillies. However, the move has paid off in a big way for Tampa Bay in Year 1.

Eflin ranks first among qualifying pitchers in WHIP (1.01), second in K/BB ratio (7.48) and fifth in FIP (3.07). He has also posted personal bests in ERA (3.44), strikeouts (172), starts (29) and innings (167 1/3). His performance and durability have been crucial for the Rays, who lost starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs for the season and were without Tyler Glasnow for nearly two months to start the year. No other Tampa Bay pitcher has thrown more than 115 innings.

-- Thomas Harrigan

George Kirby, SP, Mariners
Key stats: 8.78 K/BB, 0.9 BB/9, 4.0 fWAR

I’m going to be honest: Kirby is not the most exciting player on this list. He throws strikes. That’s his whole game. And yet, boring as his game might be, his 4.0 fWAR is tied for 12th in MLB and is well above that of teammate and potential AL Cy Young finalist Luis Castillo (3.3).

Here’s the thing. In June, Kirby actually asserted that he doesn’t believe in walks. Quite a statement, but he’s yet to write a check his arm can’t cash. In 171 2/3 IP this season, he’s walked 18 batters. Like most committed strike-throwers, he draws quite a bit of contact -- his 23.2% whiff rate ranks in the 30th percentile of qualifying pitchers -- but he still has 158 strikeouts. That strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.78) would be the seventh-highest in a qualifying AL/NL season since 1901. Just to put that in perspective, Greg Maddux, who ranks sixth on that list, had an 8.85 K/BB in 1997 -- also the only season in which he had a K/BB above 8. What’s more, Maddux, that year, was playing his 12th Major League season. This is Kirby’s second.

Thrilling? Maybe not. Deserving of a lot more love? I should say so.

-- Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru

TJ Friedl, CF, Reds
Key stats: 14 HR, 24 SB, 3.4 fWAR

The Reds rookie class helping drive the team toward the postseason includes some much-hyped prospects. The 28-year-old Friedl is neither a rookie nor someone whose arrival in Cincinnati was hotly anticipated. He wasn’t even drafted in 2016, due to confusion over his eligibility. A year ago, Friedl was the definition of an “up-and-down guy,” getting called up to the Reds five times -- and sent back to Triple-A Louisville four times. This year, he’s been essential to the team’s success, even as his profile outside the state of Ohio likely remains minimal.

There’s nothing loud in Friedl’s game, but per both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, he’s been one of the Reds’ two most valuable players this season, along with rookie Matt McLain. Why? He’s well-rounded. Friedl is one of just three center fielders in 2023 who has been worth at least 5 batting runs and 5 fielding runs above average, per Baseball Reference, and his 3 baserunning runs top the other two players in that group (Luis Robert Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski). He also fills a void in Cincinnati. In the past 20 seasons, the only Reds center fielders with a higher WAR than Friedl were Shin-Soo Choo in 2013 and Ken Griffey Jr. in 2005.

-- Andrew Simon