22 March, 2022
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have finished second in the National League West in 2021, but they are undoubtedly the greatest in the division heading into the 2022 season. Los Angeles has an edge in the starting rotation and the lineup, and its system is superior. The Dodgers are the strongest club in baseball, especially now that Freddie Freeman has joined the mix.
Last season, no one expected the San Francisco Giants to be as good as they were; they exceeded everyone’s expectations. Kevin Gausman (Toronto Blue Jays) and Buster Posey (retirement) are two significant losses that will leave vacancies challenging to replace. The rotation is vital, particularly since Carlos Rodón was signed. Fans also appreciate the addition of depth components to the roaster (Carlos Martinez, Matt Boyd), which will be necessary this year. However, San Francisco is a mile behind the Dodgers due to problems at the catcher and in the outfield.
The National League Central will be a two-team contest. When it comes to MLB predictions, the Milwaukee Brewers have the upper hand. A starting rotation that includes two Cy Young Award possibilities (Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff), an All-Star No. 3 (Freddy Peralta), and a possible Rookie of the Year candidate (Kevin Gausman) (Aaron Ashby). Thanks to a solid and potent offense, the Brewers are the strongest club in the NL Central.
The St. Louis Cardinals added Steven Matz to their rotation depth this summer. Because of the short preparation time before the regular season, pitching depth will be critical. One can predict St. Louis to reach the Wild Card Game thanks to that edge and an exciting Cardinals’ young roster, great defense, and a potent offense. However, if Jack Flaherty is out for most of the season, the Cardinals’ chances of winning alter dramatically.
The World Series victory by the Atlanta Braves astounded everyone. Even more startling was the possibility of Freddie Freeman becoming a free agent. By obtaining Matt Olson, Atlanta can alleviate some of the worries. That’s precisely what they did, to be sure. Atlanta signed Kenley Jansen and Collin McHugh with the money saved by picking Olson over Freddie Freeman. In MLB predictions, that’s enough to put them ahead of New York.
The New York Mets were forced to spend even more money this summer after their disappointment in 2021. Consequently, Marcus Stroman has been replaced by Max Scherzer, with Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar filling in for him. Although this isn’t one of the better lineups in the National League, New York has an advantage because of a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, and Carlos Carrasco.
It was simple to choose the Houston Astros to win the AL West in today’s MLB predictions. Justin Verlander is returning, while Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman are all expected to have healthy seasons. Of course, this is not forecasting that the Astros will win the AL pennant because of the loss of Carlos Correa, but there’s still a significant gap between Houston and its division rivals.
Can the Angels escape poor luck? If Anthony Rendon, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Noah Syndergaard have complete seasons, the snake-bitten squad will be a confident postseason team. This year, the bullpen and rotation are better than last, and the lineup will be compelling. But, in 2022, it will all come down to how many IL appearances the Angels’ Stars manage to boast.
The Chicago White Sox may start thinking about jerseys and caps for the 2022 AL Central champs. Carlos Rodon is no longer with the team, but Michael Kopech is ready to take his place as the No. 5 starter. Not only is Chicago’s rotation one of the greatest in the AL, but so is its lineup. Luis Robert is a dark horse MVP contender, Jose Abreu is dependable, and there’s more All-Star talent on the way (Eloy Jimenez, Yasmani Grandal, Tim Anderson).
Their payroll is the only thing limiting the Cleveland Guardians from putting up a good fight against Chicago. Jose Ramirez has a chance to win the MVP award, Franmil Reyes has a.800+ OPS, and Myles Straw is a promising young player. Unfortunately, Cleveland’s pitching is another thing fans like. There isn’t enough skill around Reyes and Ramirez to make this a playoff-caliber lineup, which will be an expensive mistake throughout the season.
The changes made by Toronto this offseason provide hope that Canada will host a World Series game. Matt Chapman is one of the finest defensive players in the game, and with the quality surrounding him, his bat could look even better. Robbie Ray was removed from the rotation, while Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi were added. This is the best team in the AL East right now.
Behind the Jays, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays could go any way. But, it’s easier to see the Yankees in second place for the time being. One significant issue right now, apart from the front office’s failure to recruit a genuine difference-maker, is that the Yankees are now without numerous starters at home because of immunization limitations. If players like Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton cannot play at home or in Toronto, the Yankees will be at a significant disadvantage.
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