From Shohei Ohtani to Jose Ramirez: Here are MLB's top 5 international players in 2022

Although the MLB and baseball in general are considered America's Pastime, the game has become increasingly more popular in other countries over recent years. The game saw its first outreach outside of the United States in Central America in the mid-to-late 20th century, then an influx of players from Japan and South Korea started around the 1990s. Due to this, Major League Baseball has seen much talent coming from all parts of the world, thus making the game popular on an international scale.

"'I’m here to tell you that Ichiro threw something out of Star Wars!' #OTD in 2001, Ichiro let ‘em know." - Seattle Mariners

Nowadays, a large part of the MLB's elite are made up of international players. Some of the best players in the league today come from outside the States. These players make the game exciting to watch and elevate the competition of Major League Baseball.

This season, international players are taking over the league on both sides of the diamond, and some of these players are currently putting up video game-like numbers so far. Here are the five best international MLB players so far in the 2022 season.

#5 Martin Perez - Texas Rangers

Venezuelan Martin Perez pitches for the Texas Rangers against the Oakland Athletics.

Texas Rangers' ace Martin Perez is quietly putting up some amazing numbers this season. The Venezuela native currently has a 4-2 record with a 2.13 earned run average through 81.1 innings pitched. Perez has been a starter in the MLB for a while, with his rookie year being 2012 with Texas. He has started to catch some fire, and it looks like he is going to have a great season.

#4 Sandy Alcantara - Miami Marlins

Dominican Sandy Alcantara pitches for the Miami Marlins against the Washington Nationals.

Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara is putting up some truly dominant numbers on the mound this season. Alcantara, who is from the Dominican Republic, entered the league in 2017 and has been a solid pitcher ever since. This season, however, Alcantara has is 6-2 with a 1.68 ERA through 13 starts with Miami. If he keeps this up, he will likely be in the 2022 National League Cy Young conversation.

#3 Yordan Alvarez - Houston Astros

Cuban Yordan Alvarez gets a hit for the Houston Astros in a game against the Seattle Mariners.

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is having one of the best offensive seasons the MLB has seen in the past few seasons. The Cuba native is currently batting .312 with an OPS of 1.027, along with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in just 57 games played this season.

"Yordan Alvarez has two home runs today: 469 ft 444 ft. THAT'S 913 FT WORTH OF HR TODAY" - FOX Sports: MLB

If Alvarez keeps this up, he will be the frontrunner for the Hank Aaron Award, which is given to the best hitter in Major League Baseball.

#2 Shohei Ohtani - Los Angeles Angels

Two-way Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani bats for the Los Angeles Angels against the Seattle Mariners.

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani absolutely broke the MLB when he entered the league in 2018. The Japanese two-way phenom is truly one of a kind in Major League Baseball. This season, his offensive stats have been solid, having hit 13 home runs already on the year. His pitching has looked sharp as well, racking up 71 strikeouts in just 54.1 innings pitched. His ablilty to both hit and pitch at the highest level is what makes him so special to the game of baseball.

#1 Jose Ramirez - Cleveland Guardians

Dominican Jose Ramirez gets a hit for the Cleveland Guardians against the Oakland Athletics.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez is having a special season that will be remembered in the history books. Ramirez, who is from the Dominican Republic, entered the MLB in 2013, and since then, he has been a star in the league. However, he has taken his game to a new level this season, hitting .307 with a 1.053 OPS so far. He also has 16 home runs and 11 stolen bases, and he is leading the league in triples with four and RBIs with 62 in just 58 games played.

"José Ramírez is the most exciting player in baseball and it feels like nobody else is talking about it. Let's change that." - Cleveland Guardians

Jose Ramirez is on pace to have a historical season, and he could possibly take home the 2022 American League MVP Award. He is absolutely tearing up the MLB, and the rest of his season will be special to see.