Henry Roldán
The Major Leagues’ second half of the season begins on Thursday, and Las Vegas is already releasing their picks for various accolades, including MLB Runs Batted In (RBI) Leader
Pete Alonso currently leads the category with 78 hits, but there are several names on the following list that could catch up with the New York Mets’ first baseman.
2022 MLB 2022 RBI Leader Favorites Heading into Second Half
Giancarlo Stanton (+2500)
Giancarlo Stanton finished the first half of the season with 61 RBIs, tied for 10th in the category in the Major Leagues. With the Yankees outfielder 17 behind the category leader and sharing a team with Aaron Judge, it appears unlikely for him to add the amount he needs to duplicate his 2017 title with the Miami Marlins, when he finished with 132.
Freddie Freeman (+2500)
Out of the names in the Top 10 of the Las Vegas odds, Freddie Freeman is the furthest to start the second half for the RBI lead. The Dodgers first baseman totaled 59 before the break and has only twice topped 100 RBIs in his career. Therefore, it is somewhat complicated for him to climb so many steps.
Kyle Tucker (+2200)
The Astros’ young outfielder finished the first half in eighth place on the list by totaling 62 hits for his team. However, Kyle Tucker’s situation is similar to Stanton’s, as having Yordan Alvarez (60 CI), a natural-born hitter, in the lineup will likely split run production again in the second half.
Francisco Lindor (+2000)
While Francisco Lindor still can’t hit for average, the Mets shortstop finished seventh in RBIs in the first half with 66, three more than he had last year in 125 games. The Puerto Rican has been very useful for his team at crucial times, but it remains to be seen if he can maintain his plate appearance rate given that he has never produced more than 100.
Trea Turner (+1500)
The Dodgers’ shortstop is also on pace to set a personal RBI record by finishing fifth in the first half with 68, just nine shy of his career high, set last year.
Trea Turner and Freeman were the top hitters for the Los Angeles club in the first half, but being positioned second in the order makes it tough for Turner to sustain a consistent production rate in order to earn the RBI leader award.
C.J. Cron (+1000)
Making the most of his second stint at Coors Field and with a slightly more interesting offense than last year, the Rockies first baseman could be a threat to Alonso during the second half of the season. C.J. Cron came into the break as the fifth-best hitter with 69, and while he has never produced more than 100 in his career, the starter could cap what is so far the best season of his career with a RBI title.
Paul Goldschmidt (+700)
The leading candidate in the betting for the National League MVP is also close to being the RBI leader by finishing the first half of the season with 70 RBIs. Paul Goldschmidt is just eight hits behind Alonso and if he keeps up the pace of the first 90 games, in which he hit 20 home runs and batted .330, it is very likely that he can lead the St. Louis Cardinals in RBIs.
Aaron Judge +(500)
With 70 RBIs, the all-time major league home run leader will enter the second half of the season tied with Goldschmidt. Aaron Judge is on his way to a spectacular HR performance, and if he can keep it up, there is no doubt that he will collect a high number of homers, putting a lot of pressure on Alonso for the lead.
José Ramírez (+300)
José Ramírez begins the second half of the season as the American League leader in runs batted in with 75 and the main candidate, for Las Vegas, to fight for the title of leader in RBIs against the “Polar Bear”.
The Guardians’ third baseman is having an outstanding season, and while he only has 19 home runs, his 30 doubles and 95 hits have more than compensated. The Dominican has only scored more than 100 runs twice in his career, and this could be a nice opportunity to finish first in the category.
Pete Alonso (+200)
What looked to be a legendary first season for Pete Alonso in terms of RBIs has slowly faded away due to his sluggish performance during July.
After 17 games, the Mets’ starter only got 9 RBIs, allowing his closest pursuers to get within striking distance of snatching the lead. Undoubtedly, the first baseman will have to correct that course if he wants to be crowned leader in RBIs and approach his personal high of 120, which he recorded in 2019 during his rookie year.
