Players with the most to prove down the stretch

As the days fall away during the season’s final month, some players have exceeded expectations and put themselves on the map. Others, however, haven’t found success or have dealt with injuries. These players may have an everyday job or might be waiting in the wings, but one thing is for certain: all of them have something to show during the final few weeks of the 2022 season.

Here’s one player from each team with the most to prove down the stretch.

All stats as of Sept. 10 unless otherwise noted.

Blue Jays: Bo Bichette
Bichette is off to a fine start, catching fire in early September, but he can quickly wipe out a difficult five months with a strong finish and postseason run. An All-Star at just 23 years old in 2021, Bichette didn’t carry that over into the early months of this season, bringing the understandable regression talk along with it, but the Blue Jays have remained confident that Bichette is one of the premiere young players in the American League. He’s starting to show just that, and when Bichette gets on a true hot streak, he’s one of the most exciting players in the game to watch on a nightly basis. 

Orioles: Austin Hays
For baseball’s first half, Hays was nearly untouchable. He was throwing out runners at a torrid clip, hitting for both power and average — and hammering one of a few second-deck home runs in Camden Yards’ history. But ever since he accomplished one of baseball’s rare feats — a cycle in just six innings in June — his numbers have fallen off, with just a .575 OPS across his next 59 games. Hays, battling his share of wear and tear, will need to show which version of him is the true one who can possibly be an anchor in the Orioles’ outfield next year and for the ones to come. Plus, his bat is sorely needed for a team trying to remain in a pennant chase.

Rays: Wander Franco
This season hasn’t gone according to plan for Franco and the Rays. Yet here they are with a chance to make everyone forget about the past five months by storming through September and October, with their franchise shortstop leading the way. Aside from rehabbing aces Shane McClanahan and Tyler Glasnow, Franco was Tampa Bay’s last big-time contributor potentially returning from the injured list this season. He hasn’t put up the numbers you’d expect coming off a sensational rookie year and a massive contract extension, as injuries limited his playing time and production. But now, the 21-year-old switch-hitter has a chance to remind the…