The baseball season was in jeopardy just a few months ago. America’s greatest game could have been taken away from us, but then, as spring blossoms bloomed and the grips of winter began to loosen, pitchers took the mound and batters stepped into the box to embark on another journey.
When we look back on the 2022 MLB season, what will be said? Will we feel gratitude for being able to watch our favorite teams? Will we see players that we think of as foes in a different light? Will we have witnessed evolutions in a way a player approaches the game?
Whatever we will feel when baseball fades away into the cold winter months, the game we all love will have written itself a new chapter, a revealing story, into what it all means.
The 2022 season has been defined by pure ecstasy and agonizing defeat, imposing power and delicate finesse, familiar faces reminding us of their otherworldly talent, and unfamiliar ones announcing themselves to the world.
We have seen great resilience, pure domination, moon-shots, essential infield singles, offensive showdowns, pitching duels, and everything in between.
As the MLB calendar swings into the dog days of summer, let’s take a look back at what moments have inspired us, amazed us, and reminded us of the essence of the National Pastime.
May 10 – Reid Detmers Throws Season’s First No-Hitter
No-hitters are always special. When a rookie tosses a no-no, it is something out of a baseball story book. The 22-year-old Angels southpaw Reid Detmers became the youngest pitcher in team history to throw a no-hitter, tossing 108 pitches and striking out only two batters.
Although Detmers was just sent back down to the minors, this performance is the crowning achievement of his young career.
May 15 – Pirates Beat Reds Without Getting a Hit
For the sixth time in MLB history, a team won a game without recording a hit. In the midst of an embarrassing month of May for the Cincinnati Reds, this loss was the most embarrassing.
Rookie Hunter Greene and reliever Art Warren combined for a complete game with no allowed hits, but the Pirates broke through and scored a run on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ RBI ground-out in the bottom of the eighth.
May 24 – Jose Trevino Honors Father with Walk-Off Hit
Jose Trevino dreamt of this moment when he was a little kid. The Yankees catching sensation played out heroic late-game scenarios at Yankee Stadium with his late father in a small backyard in Corpus Christi, Texas.
And it came true.
As Trevino seared a line-drive into the left field corner, lifting the Yankees over the Orioles 7-6, he raised his arms to the sky, screamed “Papi,” and reminded Yankee fans of the one-of-a-kind bond that baseball provides.
Is the Yankees’ success sustainable? Read more from Baseball Spotlight’s Jacob Urish.
May 30 – Jesus Sanchez Hits Monster 496-Foot Blast
It was high, it was far, and it was out of there. Miami Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez recorded the longest home run of the season when he launched a near 500-foot shot against the Colorado Rockies.
June 2 – Carlos Carrasco Pitches First Game with Dad in Attendance
New York Mets pitcher Carlos Carrasco has played 11 years in the Majors and has started 221 games, but none was more important than the one his father was finally in attendance for.
Carrasco threw five shutout innings in a 5-0 Mets victory over the Washington Nationals, but his great performance meant nothing that day. His father, Luis, got to witness his son doing what he does best after so many missed opportunities.
“Eleven years playing in the big leagues, this is the first time he saw me pitch,” the younger Carrasco said. “We tried before and it couldn’t happen. So, today, he made it. So, I’m really happy for it.”
June 24 – Freddie Freeman Returns to Atlanta
Freddie Freeman wants to be an Atlanta Brave. You could see it in his eyes, his remorse-like expressions.
“I still love the Braves organization with all my heart,” Freeman said to reporters during an emotional press conference. “That will never change.”
It was awesome to see Braves fans shower Freeman with love and appreciation for what he meant to the organization. He was a home-grown kid and led Atlanta to its first World Series championship in nearly three decades. That will always mean something.
