2022: Candy’s List of Top 100 MLB Players

Highlights:

• Leadoff Series Legendary 1:1s
• International Payments
• Queue & Transaction Details

To celebrate the start of the 2022 baseball season, and our MLB ICON Leadoff Series, we want to introduce you to the Legendary ICONs. There will be 100 Legendaries spread throughout the 2022 MLB ICON Leadoff Series collection.

Before we get to the 100 players you’ll be hoping to pull in packs beginning next week we have a few more announcements.

International payments are here!

The following regions will be available on the Candy platform by our first 2022 MLB ICON Leadoff Series pack drop on April 12:

• UK
• Japan
• Australia
• Hong Kong
• Germany
• France
• Spain
• Portugal

International fans in the regions listed above can now register for accounts on the Candy platform. Payments and the option to verify your identity are not yet enabled. We will announce when this is live in the coming days.

*Note that the status of international payments will be in a beta status. Fans in regions above will be able to transact on both the primary and secondary markets using Visa/Mastercard, and withdraw via wire.

Queue Details:

• The queue system for the 2022 MLB ICON Leadoff Series packs will work on a first come, first serve basis.
• After you make a transaction, you will automatically be placed at the back of the line in case you’d like to make a second transaction.
• If there are Early Access fans in the queue at the time the General Access opens, your spot will be saved in line - make sure you stay in there and don’t exit

Transaction Details:

• Each transaction allows for a maximum purchase of 10 packs
• There is no limit to how many packs fans can purchase in a given drop
• There will be an option to select anywhere between 1-10 packs to purchase. The default number will be 1, so make sure you select the correct number of packs you’re looking to purchase before you checkout.

At Candy, we’re huge fans of the game. We live and breathe baseball. We plan on delivering content that showcases the fandom within Candy, both internally and within the community. In our list of 100 Legendaries, some names will be familiar to existing collectors, but a majority of these players will have a Legendary ICON for the first time. Here is an in-depth look at 30 of the 100 Legendaries.

American League

EAST

• Baltimore Orioles: Cedric Mullins made his major league debut back in 2018 after three seasons in the Orioles farm system. 2021 was a breakout year for Mullins after he stopped switch hitting and instead focused on the left side. Mullins brings an exciting power/speed combo with great defense in center field. Representing Baltimore in the 2021 All-Star Game, Mullins ranked second in stolen bases in the AL and won a Silver Slugger award with 30 home runs and 59 RBI on the season.
• Boston Red Sox: Third baseman Rafael Devers is about to enter his sixth MLB season. Devers is a doubles machine, hitting 107 doubles over the last three seasons. Devers is the reigning American League Silver Slugger winner at the hot corner.
• New York Yankees: First overall pick in the 2011 draft, Gerrit Cole has nine MLB seasons under his belt. The right-handed pitcher has 1,673 career strikeouts and a Win-Loss Percentage of .650. Cole has finished in the top five in Cy Young voting in each of the last four seasons.
• Tampa Bay Rays: Wander Franco made his debut just last year in June of 2021. Shortly after Franco’s debut, the Rays signed the 20-year-old to an 11-year, $182 million extension. The switch-hitter drove in 39 runs and connected on seven home runs in his abbreviated rookie campaign.
• Toronto Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made his MLB debut in 2019 at just 20 years old. He flirted with the Triple Crown last season, posting ridiculous numbers across the board, and earning the Silver Slugger, All-Star Game MVP, and Hank Aaron Award. Vladdy is “Miggy-like” in his game approach, a comparison that earned him a superstar label so early on.

CENTRAL

• Chicago White Sox: Luis Robert is still pretty new to the big leagues with parts of only two seasons under his belt. That doesn’t negate his skill though; he won a Gold Glove award in his rookie season and brings even more upside with the bat. Robert was out for a good chunk of last season due to a hip injury, but he still managed to hit .338 with 13 home runs in 68 games.
• Cleveland Guardians: José Ramírez has been in Cleveland since his debut in 2013. Since then he’s been a three-time AL All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger. The switch hitting Ramírez has finished in the top six in MVP voting four times in his career.
• Detroit Tigers: Javier Báez is entering the first season of a six-year, $140 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. Báez’s résumé includes a 2020 Gold Glove, 2018 Silver Slugger, and 2016 NLCS MVP. Last season, Baez split his time between the Cubs and Mets, finishing on fire in Queens and slugging a total of 31 homers.
• Kansas City Royals: Salvador Perez has built up an impressive résumé in his 10 seasons in KC. He is a four-time Silver Slugger, five-time Gold Glove winner, 2015 World Series MVP, and the 2020 Comeback Player of the Year. Perez has a total of 200 career home runs with 48 of them coming last season, the most in a single campaign for a catcher in MLB history.
• Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton is one of the most electrifying players in baseball when healthy. Buxton brings power, elite speed, and Gold Glove defense to the table. The Twins committed $100 million to him this offseason, keeping his talents in Minnesota for a long time.

WEST

• Houston Astros: Kyle Tucker made his big league debut in 2018 after being the fifth overall draft pick in 2015. Tucker has above average offensive capabilities, belting 30 home runs and 92 RBI last season. Tucker is poised on the cusp of superstardom in Houston.
• Los Angeles Angels: Eight-time Silver Slugger, three-time MVP, two-time Hank Aaron Award winner, two-time All-Star Game MVP, and the 2012 Rookie of the Year; by now you should know we’re talking about Mike Trout. Trout is entering his 11th season with the Angels and has already established himself as one of the best to ever play.
• Oakland Athletics: Frankie Montas is coming off of a career year  in 2021. The hard throwing right-hander made 32 starts, pitching to a 3.37 ERA while striking out 207 batters in 187 innings.
• Seattle Mariners: Robbie Ray is one of the many new faces in Seattle. He is also the most expensive. The 2021 AL Cy Young winner signed a 5-year, $115 million deal with the up-and-coming Mariners to anchor their rotation and help them reach the postseason for the first time in 20 years.
• Texas Rangers: 2021 Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner Marcus Semien is moving to Dallas for his tenth season. The Rangers needed a new second baseman and Semien was the best choice on the market. Semien crushed a career-high 45 homers while playing stellar defense for the Blue Jays last season and joins Corey Seager as baseball’s most expensive middle infield.

National League

EAST

• Atlanta Braves: Ronald Acuña Jr. might have missed the second half of last season, including the World Series, but that didn’t knock him off our list. The 2018 Rookie of the Year will be back for his fifth season in Atlanta, and is one of the best hitters in the league. Acuña already has 105 home runs and 246 RBI to his name, and has yet to see his 25th birthday.
• Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcantara has quickly become one of baseball’s most electrifying arms. No pitcher in the entire league threw more pitches 98 mph and above than Sandy. The Marlins ace has the secondary stuff to back it up.
• New York Mets: Jacob deGrom is a two-time Cy Young winner and the 2014 Rookie of the Year. The right-hander has been with the Mets for his whole career, and seems to get better with age. Before his injury last season, deGrom was pitching better than he ever had (and maybe better than anyone ever has) carrying an ERA of 0.67. deGrom looked strong in Spring Training and is poised to be a Cy Young favorite as always.
• Philadelphia Phillies: Bryce Harper is entering his eleventh season in the league and fourth in Philly. His resume is extensive: two-time Silver Slugger, two-time MVP, two-time Hank Aaron Award winner, and don’t forget his Rookie of the Year award in 2012. He’ll be back in Philly this season to defend his MVP and to add to his 267 career home runs.
• Washington Nationals: The wunderkind Juan Soto begins his fifth year in the nation's capital. At just 23 years old, Soto has already established himself as the most difficult hitter to get out in the game, reaching base safely at a near .500 clip over the last two seasons.

CENTRAL

• Chicago Cubs: The longest tenured Cub, Kyle Hendricks boasts pinpoint accuracy and a nasty changeup. The 32-year-old owns a sterling 3.36 ERA through his eight seasons in Chicago and is one of the most successful MLB players to come out of the Ivy League (Dartmouth).
• Cincinnati Reds: Starting pitcher Luis Castillo is entering his sixth season in Cincinnati. He has one of the best changeups in the game as well as a fastball that hits triple digits. Castillo does a great job of combining strikeouts with a ton of ground balls making it hard to put up runs against the Reds’ ace.
• Milwaukee Brewers: Corbin Burnes had a standout season last year with 234 strikeouts and a league-best 2.43 ERA, earning the 2021 NL Cy Young Award. Burnes is up there among the favorites to win the Cy Young again in 2022.
• Pittsburgh Pirates: Bryan Reynolds has quietly turned into a star for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds is an elite outfielder who can hit for average and some power. After making his first All Star appearance for Pittsburgh last season, the Pirates seem keen on building around their star center fielder.
• St. Louis Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt’s rookie season was back in 2011 where he started his eight-season run with the Diamondbacks. In 2019, he was dealt to St. Louis to help anchor their offense. Goldy brings a ton to the table, offering power, on-base skills, Gold Glove caliber defense, and sneaky speed. He’s going into his 12th major league season with 280 career home runs and 927 RBI.

WEST

• Arizona Diamondbacks: Starting his career in 2015 with Seattle, Ketel Marte made the move to Arizona for the 2017 season. Marte has a total of 70 home runs and 286 RBIs. His 2019 season was his best with 32 home runs and 92 RBI.
• Colorado Rockies: Kris Bryant spent the second half of last season in the Bay Area after being traded from the Cubs. Bryant hit the free agent market this year with a long list of potential suitors, but it was the Rockies who stepped up and paid him $182 million over seven years. A former MVP who looked to regain much of that form last season, Bryant is expected to reap the rewards of the “Coors effect” in Denver.
• Los Angeles Dodgers: Back in 2014, Trea Turner was the number 13 overall draft pick; he was brought up to the majors just a year later. Turner is one of the fastest players in baseball and has now added power to his game. The Dodgers coughed up two top 50 prospects to pry Turner away from the Nationals and the exciting shortstop is set to take over Corey Seager’s spot up the middle.
• San Diego Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. is quickly becoming a superstar and the face of baseball. El Niño has only played three seasons in the big leagues and already has two Silver Sluggers to complement his 81 home runs and 195 RBI. Tatis will be with the Padres in San Diego for years to come after signing a 13-year contract.
• San Francisco Giants: After seven seasons pitching in the south side of Chicago, Carlos Rodón has moved to San Francisco. Rodón has a career average ERA of 3.79 and 701 Ks. The starting pitcher has a winning record of 42-28 since his debut in 2015.