Each MLB season there are a few players that come out of nowhere with incredible seasons.
Based on opportunities or changes they made to their game, some players always find a way to break out.
For instance, no one saw rookie Jeremy Pena taking over the playoffs.
Or Luis Arraez winning the American League batting title.
Or Aaron Judge breaking the single-season AL home run record.
Every year some great players take their game to a new level.
So who will it be in 2023?
Here are two MLB players who could surprise next season.
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
One player whose rookie season went under the radar was Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals.
Witt Jr. started the season in the majors and ended up producing a rookie-of-the-year-worthy campaign.
The only issue for him was that the AL was loaded with rookies this past season.
Now, Witt Jr. looks to show the rest of the league what they missed in his first year.
The 22-year-old hit .254 with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases this past season.
Bobby Witt Jr., baseball’s No. 1 prospect, shows off the pop AND the speed with a 2-run triple for the @Royals: pic.twitter.com/dbXXTa2vdc
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 14, 2022
Witt Jr. should be able to improve in all those categories this season.
He is a 30/30 player waiting to happen and could even make a run at AL MVP next year.
Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox were one of the biggest flops in the MLB in 2022.
Coming into the season they were favorites to win the AL Central, but their lackluster season had them miss the playoffs entirely.
One player they need to surprise in 2023 is outfielder Luis Robert.
The 25-year-old has yet to reach the sky-high expectations set for him when he was coming up through the minor leagues.
In his three MLB seasons, he has yet to hit over 13 home runs.
Also, he has never played over 100 games in a season.
Robert needs to be healthy and he needs to produce like the player everyone thought he would be in 2023.