On-base percentage (OBP) has become a key statistical indicator in the baseball world over the past two decades. Teams are always on the hunt for players who can stay patient at the plate, and avoid chasing at junk. Every year, the top of the OBP leaderboard is usually dominated by those who excel at just that, as well as dangerous hitters who tend to receive a lot of pitches out of the zone. With all of that said, which players led all of MLB in OBP this past season? Let’s take a look at the top 10 qualified players in on-base percentage.
- Yankees OF Aaron Judge (.425)
- Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman (.407)
- Astros OF/DH Yordan Alvarez (.406)
- Cardinals 1B Paul Goldschmidt (.404)
- Rays 3B Yandy Diaz (.401)
- Padres OF Juan Soto (.401)
- Astros 2B Jose Altuve (.387)
- Mets 2B Jeff McNeil (.382)
- White Sox 1B Jose Abreu (.379)
- Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts (.377)
The top 10 in OBP is full of stars, especially at the top. Yankees outfielder and 2022 AL Hank Aaron Award winner Aaron Judge led all of baseball in home runs and RBIs, as well as on-base percentage. Judge finished 18 points higher than Freddie Freeman, who finished his first season with the Dodgers by leading the National League in OBP.
The 2022 World Series Champion Houston Astros placed two in the top 10. Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez crushed 37 home runs in 2022, while also getting on-base at a .406 clip. Jose Altuve also made the top 10, finishing seventh in the stat.
Also on this list is Padres outfielder Juan Soto. Soto may not have produced at the same clip in 2022 than he did in 2021, but the superstar outfielder did finish the year with a .401 on-base percentage.
Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who is currently a free agent, rounded out the top 10.