MLB teams are always looking to strike gold and have a young player break out and outproduce his expectations.
That’s what gives organizations better odds at contending: the unearthed gems that develop into star performers.
These three players are the most impressive breakout performers of the 2022 season so far.
3. Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers have been bad this year, with a mediocre 16-28 record.
But that certainly hasn’t been Tarik Skubal’s fault.
The young left-hander made his MLB debut in 2020, and has improved his ERA every year.
That season, he finished at 5.63 in 32 innings.
The following campaign, 2021, saw him earn a permanent spot in the Tigers’ staff, and posting a solid, if unspectacular 4.34 ERA in 149.1 innings.
As a solid prospect with a good fastball (still the most important pitch a pitcher can have), there was always room for growth once he improved his command and overall consistency.
That has happened in 2022.
The 25-year-old lefty is currently sporting a solid 2.44 ERA and a 2.04 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in 51.2 frames.
He has significantly cut his walk rate (from 7.4 percent last year to 4.4 percent in 2022) and his home run rate (2.11 home runs per nine innings last season; 0.35 during the ongoing campaign) and has reached the elite.
Lots of things have gone wrong in Detroit, but they have an ace for years to come thanks to Skubal’s emergence.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss Tarik Skubal beginning a massive breakout. pic.twitter.com/sUWYz79ep0
— Dan Hasty 🎙 (@ThatDanHasty) April 23, 2022
2. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B/SS, Miami Marlins
Miami Marlins’ middle infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. made his debut in the shortened 2020 season, and while he showed some flashes, he wasn’t really an above-average player.
He improved in 2021, with 18 home runs and 23 stolen bases, but his .722 OPS indicated he was more of an average hitter than an offensive star.
The much-awaited breakout came this year.
The 24-year-old player, one of the most refreshing young stars in the game, brings some flair and style to the league.
Oh, and he backs that up with elite play, too.
He developed into quite a hitter: he is currently slashing .290/.341/.581 with seven round-trippers and six stolen bases.
He runs the bases well, he is a good defender, and he is comfortably above-average at the plate.
Add it all up and you have a star.
1. Taylor Ward, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Depending on your definition of young, this one may or may not qualify; but we just couldn’t leave Taylor Ward out of a breakout players conversation.
The 28-year-old outfielder has taken a step forward and become one of the most feared sluggers in baseball.
Ward missed a few games with neck and shoulder issues, but returned on Thursday to keep proving he can hang with the best hitters in baseball.
So far, Ward is slashing .367/.477/.706 with nine home runs, 27 runs, and 23 RBI.
He is somewhat of a late-bloomer, as he is breaking out at 28.
However, he is not a product of luck; or a fluke: he was a first-round draft pick by the Angels back in 2015.
Development is not linear, and some prospects just need more time than others.
In some cases, there isn’t an opportunity in the major leagues, and in others, the prospects don’t develop at all.
That last one isn’t true for Ward, thankfully: better late than never.
Ward’s 1.184 OPS is higher than his superstar teammate Mike Trout, and he has been one of the reasons the Angels have been so good in the early going.
Talk about a breakout season …@Warrdyboy7 has set a new career high in HR (9). It's May 17th. pic.twitter.com/WX2CF3yPiW
— MLB (@MLB) May 18, 2022
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