Top 3 Free Agent Hitters This Coming Offseason

While the playoff races heat up, many teams and players still have the offseason on their minds, when a slew of top free agents will hit the market. 

With that, let's have an early look at the top hitters that will be available this winter. 

1. Aaron Judge

New York Yankee fans may not like to talk about it, but Judge will be a free man after the season, as he and the team were unable to work out a contract extension. And with Judge in line to win the MVP with a monstrous season thus far, it's going to get mighty pricey to get him to sign on the dotted line.

In his tremendous rookie season Aaron Judge carried an OPS+ of 171, or 71% better than league average. This year it is currently 196, which means he is nearly 2x as productive as the league average.

Have we mentioned lately that he is a free agent after this season?

— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) August 8, 2022

Judge is threatening the all-time single-season home run record in the American League, with 46 already, on pace for a mind-boggling 66, which would smash the mark of 61 by Yankee alumnus Roger Maris in 1961. 

He also leads all of the majors in RBIs (100), runs (96), OPS (1.088) and slugging (.688).

2. Trea Turner

Yes, it's going to be another shortstop-heavy free agent class, as the Los Angeles Dodgers power-speed threat Turner tops the SS market. The two-time All-Star led the majors in batting last season at .328, and is once again over the .300 mark at .309. He has 18 HR and 20 SB, and should be in line to get every bit as large a contract as any of the big-time shortstops of these past two seasons.

3. Carlos Correa

He is expected to opt out of his $35M player option with the Minnesota Twins, and try once again for the $300M+ payday he was expecting, but couldn't find, last offseason. He's dealt with a few injuries again this season (as he almost always does—he's only played more than 140 games twice in his 8-year career), but he's brought a winning attitude and some clutch hits to the Twins this season, while batting .267 with 13 homers and 37 RBIs. 

Honorable mention goes to other prime-time shortstops like Xander Bogaerts (who will surely be exercising his opt-out), and Dansby Swanson. 

Photos:  Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports, Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports