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Every season brings unexpected breakouts, players who were either flying under the radar before reaching the big leagues or who had previously been unable to reach the high expectations placed upon them.
In 2023, though, these eight guys announced their presence with undeniable authority. Going forward, you’ll remember their names.
Here are the most surprising breakout players of the year.
Bradish was a below-average starter for the upstart 2022 Orioles, a young guy with some potential who still got knocked around for a 4.90 ERA in 23 starts. The Orioles had enough rotation issues heading into 2023 that he got another shot this year, and the stuff the Baltimore brass had seen brewing emerged, big time.
Bradish firmly established himself as the team’s ace, raising his strikeout rate, dropping his walk rate and cutting his home-run rate almost in half. The result was a 2.83 ERA — a full two-run drop — and a fourth-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting. The Orioles still need some rotation help, but with Bradish and fellow breakout Grayson Rodriguez, they clearly have two spots locked down.
Remember back when Crawford was just a disappointing Phillies prospect? But did that ever change in 2023. Crawford ended up leading the AL in walks (94), and he found his power swing, jumping from six homers to a career-high 19. His OBP went up more than 40 points to .380, and his slugging more than 100 to .438. The result was down-ballot AL MVP votes and a reputation for coming through in the clutch and being a team leader.
Heading into 2023, Jones may have registered less than anyone else on this list, despite spending a few years as a top-100 prospect. He started the year at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he hit .356 in 39 games before getting called up in late May. He was basically the best player on this team the rest of the year.