The question is simple enough: Who were baseball's best power/speed players in 2022?

However, rather than simply looking at home runs and steals, I decided to take a more analytical approach to compile my list while still valuing those counting numbers.

The first step was to decide which statistics best quantify contact ability.

After some digging and debating, I landed on these four:

• Home Run Total (HR): Each player's home run total from the 2022 season.
• Isolated Power (ISO): A measure of a player's power production that takes into account only extra-base hits. The league average is generally around .140.

• Stolen Base Total (SB): Each player's stolen base total from the 2022 season.

• Sprint Speed (ft/sec): A player's top running speed measured by his fastest one-second window. The league average is generally around 27.0 ft/sec.

The question was how to use those statistics to best demonstrate the difference between Player A and Player B in terms of their combined power and speed abilities.

My methodology and scoring system is outlined on the following slide.

Catch up on other 2023 Skill Rankings articles: Power Hitters, Contact Hitters

Methodology

The first requirement for inclusion in these rankings was to have at least 200 plate appearances. This served to eliminate small sample sizes that might have otherwise skewed the rankings.

From there, I implemented a point system that awarded points under two categories as follows:

• Power: 1 point for every home run
• Power: 1 point for every .002 above the league average of .140 in ISO
• Speed: 1 point for every steal
• Speed: 1 point for every 0.1 ft/sec above the league average 27.0 in Sprint Speed

From there, power and speed totals were tallied, and players had to have at least 20 points in each category to be eligible for a place in the rankings. Each player's final point total is a reflection of their power and speed numbers added together.

No bias. No preconceived notions. Just a set of statistical parameters and a straightforward point system to determine the 25 best power/speed combo players in baseball.

The full data can be found here.

Honorable Mentions

These players represent the next 10 in the rankings, as each qualified for inclusion under the established parameters but fell short of earning a top 25 spot:

• Christopher Morel, CHC (73.0 Points)
  
• Dansby Swanson, CHC (72.0 Points)
• Trevor Story, BOS (72.0 Points)
• Tyler O'Neill, STL (68.5 Points)
• Francisco Lindor, NYM (66.5 Points)
• Cody Bellinger, CHC (63.5 Points)
• Starling Marte, NYM (62.0 Points)
• Lane Thomas, WAS (60.5 Points)
• Seiya Suzuki, CHC (51.5 Points)
• Trent Grisham, SD (50.5 Points)

Most Surprising Omissions

I fully expected Ronald Acuña Jr. to earn a spot on the list, even with diminished production in his return from a torn ACL. Instead, he fell just short of fulfilling the power requirements with a .148 ISO and 15 home runs in 119 games. Will he return to being a legitimate 40/40 threat another year removed from that injury?

The other big surprise was Mookie Betts, who failed to meet the speed portion of the requirements. His 27.3 ft/sec sprint speed put him in just the 49th percentile leaguewide in that category, though he still managed 12 steals in 14 attempts.

Don't be surprised if both of those guys, as well as past power/speed standouts Trevor Story and Cedric Mullins, find their way back to the rankings in 2023.

Nos. 25-21

25. Jeremy Peña, Houston Astros (73.5 Points)

Metrics: 22 HR, .173 ISO, 11 SB, 29.4 ft/sec

Peña still needs to refine his overall approach at the plate, but the raw tools are there for him to be a perennial 20/20 player. His 29.4 ft/sec sprint speed ranked sixth among qualified shortstops, and his 22 home runs were tied for sixth at the position with the man he replaced in Houston, Carlos Correa.

24. Jack Suwinski, Pittsburgh Pirates (74.5 Points)

Metrics: 19 HR, .209 ISO, 4 SB, 28.7 ft/sec

Suwinski turned some heads with 19 home runs in 372 plate appearances as a rookie, but he also logged some surprisingly good speed metrics for a 6'2", 215-pound corner outfielder who fits more of a traditional power-hitting profile. His speed may translate better in going from first to third and roaming the outfield than it does in the stolen base column.

23. Andrés Giménez, Cleveland Guardians (74.5 Points)

Metrics: 17 HR, .169 ISO, 20 SB, 29.3 ft/sec

One of the biggest breakout stars of the 2022 season, Giménez has always had good wheels with a 38-steal season in the minors in 2018 and 11 steals in 68 games as a part-time player in 2021. His newfound over-the-fence power is what helped take his game to another level, and his hard-hit rate spiked from 30.4 to 37.8 percent in the process.

22. Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates (76.5 Points)

Metrics: 27 HR, .199 ISO, 7 SB, 28.3 ft/sec

One of the most popular names on the offseason trade market, Reynolds has developed into a well-rounded center fielder coming off consecutive 20-homer seasons despite little protection in the Pittsburgh lineup. His seven steals in 2022 were a career high, but his sprint speed suggests there is the potential for double digits still in the tank.

21. Seth Brown, Oakland Athletics (82.0 Points)

Metrics: 25 HR, .214 ISO, 11 SB, 27.9 ft/sec

Brown is one of the more surprising names on this list as a strong 6'1", 223-pound corner player who had 44 steals in 721 professional games entering the 2022 season. He led the Oakland roster in home runs (25) and RBI (73) but also quietly tied with Ramón Laureano and Tony Kemp for the team lead in steals (11).

Nos. 20-16

20. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays (84.5 Points)

Metrics: 25 HR, .205 ISO, 14 SB, 28.3 ft/sec

Springer announced himself as an elite prospect in 2013 with a 37-homer, 45-steal season in the upper levels of the minors. He has not run as much in the big leagues, but he still has plus speed and swiped 14 bases in 16 attempts during the 2022 season to go along with the seventh 20-homer performance of his career.

19. Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays (86.5 Points)

Metrics: 27 HR, .207 ISO, 16 SB, 28.0 ft/sec

Varsho is part of a short list of players who have made double-digit starts at catcher and in center field in the same season, and his athleticism was on full display in the grass as he was a Gold Glove finalist in right field. Those skills give him 20/20 upside, and he has stolen 25 bases in 32 attempts during his time in the majors.

18. Jorge Mateo, Baltimore Orioles (88.0 Points)

Metrics: 13 HR, .158 ISO, 35 SB, 30.1 ft/sec

Mateo hit just .221 with a .267 on-base percentage and an 81 OPS+ in his first season as an everyday player, but he used his top-of-the-scale speed to swipe an AL-leading 35 bases and showed more power than expected with 13 homers and 45 extra-base hits total. The 27-year-old is a good example of a quality power/speed threat who has a limited hit tool.

17. Teoscar Hernández, Seattle Mariners (89.0 Points)

Metrics: 25 HR, .224 ISO, 6 SB, 28.6 ft/sec

Hernández averaged 34 home runs per 162 games during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, but he also flashed some sneaky wheels, including a 12-steal season in 2021. The 30-year-old is a terrific athlete across the board, and he'll now be playing alongside Julio Rodríguez in Seattle.

16. Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers (90.5 Points)

Metrics: 26 HR, .181 ISO, 25 SB, 28.9 ft/sec

Semien earned a huge payday on the strength of a 45-homer, 15-steal season with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, and he continued to provide a healthy mix of power and speed in his Rangers debut with 26 long balls and a career-high 25 steals. He now has seven seasons under his belt with double digits in both categories.

Nos. 15-11

15. Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays (91.5 Points)

Metrics: 20 HR, .183 ISO, 32 SB, 28.8 ft/sec

Arozarena has led the AL in times caught stealing each of the past two seasons, going 52-of-74 during that span, but checks all the boxes as a power/speed standout. He has consecutive 20/20 seasons and the raw tools to suggest a 30/30 performance could be forthcoming in the years ahead.

14. Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros (91.5 Points)

Metrics: 30 HR, .221 ISO, 25 SB, 26.6 ft/sec

The only player on this list with a sprint speed below the league average (27.0 ft/sec), Tucker still managed the first 20/20 season of his career thanks to his long stride and good instincts on the base paths. For what it's worth, he did also have a sprint speed north of 27.0 ft/sec in each of the previous three seasons.

13. J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies (92.0 Points)

Metrics: 22 HR, .202 ISO, 21 SB, 28.8 ft/sec

There's a reason Realmuto is widely regarded as the best all-around catcher in baseball, and he stole a career-high 21 bases in 22 attempts in 2022. The 31-year-old is well on his way to becoming just the fourth full-time catcher in MLB history with 100 home runs and 100 steals, joining Carlton Fisk (376 HR, 128 SB), Iván Rodríguez (311 HR, 127 SB) and Russell Martin (191 HR, 101 SB).

12. Adolis García, Texas Rangers (94.5 Points)

Metrics: 27 HR, .207 ISO, 25 SB, 27.9 ft/sec

After earning an All-Star selection as a 28-year-old rookie in 2021, García solidified his place as a core member for a Texas squad on the rise with a 27-homer, 25-steal, 3.5-WAR season last year. With a strong 6'1", 205-pound frame and quick-twitch athleticism, he can impact the game in a wide variety of ways.

11. Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (95.0 Points)

Metrics: 17 HR, .218 ISO, 10 SB, 29.9 ft/sec

Those metrics above are just the tip of the iceberg for Cruz, as he has a chance to make a serious run at the No. 1 spot in these rankings in 2023. The 24-year-old rookie ranked 12th in the majors with a 29.9 ft/sec sprint speed and he also recorded the hardest-hit ball of the year with an eye-popping 122.4 mph exit velocity.

10. Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies (95.5 Points)

Metrics: 21 HR, .169 ISO, 27 SB, 30.3 ft/sec

Trea Turner has developed into more of a power threat as his career has unfolded, but his 21 home runs and .446 slugging percentage last year left him a bit lacking in the power department relative to the players ranked ahead of him.

That said, he is one of just 11 players with a sprint speed above the 30.0 ft/sec threshold, and he led the majors with 131 bolts, which measures individual running events where a player's max speed eclipses 30 ft/sec.

There's a case to be made that he gets the most out of his speed of any player in baseball, so the fact that he's also developed into a 20-homer threat is icing on the cake.

9. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals (101.0 Points)

Metrics: 20 HR, .174 ISO, 30 SB, 30.4 ft/sec

Only Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll (30.7 ft/sec) had a faster sprint speed than Bobby Witt Jr. during the 2022 season, and Witt used those wheels to swipe 30 bases in 37 attempts.

The 22-year-old still has room to grow into his 6'1" frame a bit, so it's not out of the question to think he could lose a step once he maxes out physically, but for now he's legitimately one of the fastest players in the sport.

With a season under his belt and a greater level of comfort in the big leagues, a 30/30 sophomore campaign is not out of the question.

8. Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves (101.5 Points)

Metrics: 19 HR, .217 ISO, 20 SB, 29.4 ft/sec

Atlanta Braves rookie Michael Harris II came one home run short of a 20/20 debut, which is even more impressive when you consider that he didn't make his MLB debut until the end of May.

The 21-year-old skipped Triple-A entirely and didn't miss a beat upon arriving in the majors, and the Braves saw enough during his NL Rookie of the Year performance to sign him to an eight-year, $72 million extension.

After hitting primarily out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order to help ease some of the pressure on him as a rookie, it will be interesting to see where he slots into the batting order in 2023, whether it's as a table-setter or in more of a run-production role.

7. Jose Altuve, Houston Astros (103.5 Points)

Metrics: 28 HR, .233 ISO, 18 SB, 28.1 ft/sec

A perennial 30-steal threat early in his career, Jose Altuve had mostly stopped running heading into the 2022 season with just 13 steals in 318 games over the previous three seasons.

However, he was back to using his wheels in 2022 with 18 steals in 19 attempts as the team's primary leadoff hitter, and he also continued to be one of the biggest power threats at second base with 28 home runs and a .533 slugging percentage.

Even at 32 years old, few players in baseball boast Altuve's combination of hit tool, power tool and speed tool.

6. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (111.0 Points)

Metrics: 34 HR, .246 ISO, 11 SB, 28.3 ft/sec

Further proof that Shohei Ohtani is truly a baseball unicorn.

It takes an elite toolbox of skills to be one of the best power/speed players in baseball, and this guy just so happens to have also finished fourth in AL Cy Young balloting during the 2022 season.

After stealing 26 bases in 2021, he didn't run as much last year and he wasn't particularly efficient when he did with 11 steals in 20 attempts, but his sprint speed and his 14 triples over the past two years speak to his plus wheels.

Meanwhile, no one will question that he has some of the best raw power in the sport, and his 34 home runs were the second-highest total of anyone who qualified for a spot in these rankings behind only teammate Mike Trout (40 HR).

5. José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians (111.5 Points)

Metrics: 29 HR, .235 ISO, 20 SB, 28.5 ft/sec

José Ramírez has produced four 20/20 seasons in the last five years, including a 39-homer, 34-steal showing during the 2018 season when he finished third in AL MVP voting and won his second of four Silver Slugger Awards.

The 5'9" third baseman is one of the league's most unassuming superstars, but he is also one of only seven active players with 150 career home runs and 150 career steals.

Entering his age-30 season and with a good young supporting cast around him, he will continue to be a 30/30 threat and a safe bet for at least a 20/20 season each year for the foreseeable future.

4. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami Marlins (119.0 Points)

Metrics: 14 HR, .282 ISO, 12 SB, 29.2 ft/sec

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was well on his way to a breakout season when a stress fracture in his lower back brought his 2022 campaign to an abrupt halt at the end of June.

The 24-year-old still earned an All-Star selection, and his 2.4 WAR tied for 13th among second basemen, despite the fact that his 60 games played were far and away the fewest of any player in the top 20 on that list.

All of that is an elaborate way to say the young infielder is poised to be one of the game's most dynamic offensive players and the face of the franchise for the Miami Marlins if he can return strong from that injury and stay healthy going forward.

3. Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners (123.5 Points)

Metrics: 28 HR, .225 ISO, 25 SB, 29.8 ft/sec

Here's a full list of all the players in MLB history with a 25-homer, 25-steal rookie season:

• Mike Trout, 2012—30 home runs, 49 steals
• Julio Rodríguez, 2022—28 home runs, 25 steals
• Chris Young, 2007—32 home runs, 27 steals

That's exclusive company for Julio Rodríguez, who truly took baseball by storm with a 6.2-WAR season that also saw him lead the Seattle Mariners to their first postseason appearance in 21 years.

It's a tired cliche to say the "sky's the limit" as far as a player's long-term potential is concerned, but in J-Rod's case it's the truth, as he checks all the boxes to develop into the best player in the sport at some point in his career.

2. Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (136.5 Points)

Metrics: 28 HR, .303 ISO, 6 SB, 29.1 ft/sec

Byron Buxton played only 92 games in 2022, and that was still enough for him to secure the No. 2 spot in these rankings.

Over the past two seasons, he's logged a 150 OPS+ with 47 home runs, 15 steals and 8.5 WAR in 153 games, or roughly one full season's worth of action. If he can find a way to stay healthy for a full 162-game schedule, he will be squarely in contention for AL MVP honors.

The 29-year-old has only topped 100 games played once in his career, so that's a big if, but at this point even a half season worth of Buxton is more productive than that vast majority of other center fielders around baseball.

1. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (168.5 Points)

Metrics: 40 HR, .347 ISO, 1 SB, 29.4 ft/sec

Even with a 6'2", 235-pound frame that more closely resembles an NFL middle linebacker than a center fielder, Mike Trout still posted an elite 29.4 ft/sec sprint speed that ranked in the 95th percentile across baseball.

The 31-year-old is no longer the base-stealing threat he was early in his career when he swiped 49 bases as a rookie and had two other 30-steal seasons, but that's more by design to try to avoid freak injuries than it is an indication that he's lost a step.

That's exactly why we opted for a scoring position that didn't just record counting numbers like home runs and steals, but also dug deeper into the advanced metrics that better illustrate a player's raw tools.

Metrics courtesy of Statcast via FanGraphs, while other statistical data also came from Baseball Reference and Baseball Savant.