By: Mike Carter
AL East: With the improvements the Toronto Blue Jays have made, they should be the favorite in the always competitive AL East. There are four teams with legitimate playoff aspirations here. Adding Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi to the impressive core of Vladimir Guerrero, Jr, Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez will make a tough team even tougher in 2022. Yet the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are all contenders as well.
AL Central: The Chicago White Sox, with significant improvements to the back end of their bullpen, hold off the upstart Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers to win their second consecutive AL Central crown. This team is still lacking another starting pitching option and one big bat to be able to contend for the World Series. But who knows how the cards might break?
AL West: Many will likely pick the Houston Astros, who return a mighty core for another deep run, but I am picking the Seattle Mariners to win the AL West. They added Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, traded for Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker, and feature an impressive core in Mitch Haniger, Ty France and foundation pieces Jerred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez. Should be lots of fun this summer in the Emerald City.
Wild Card Format: Remember, the rules for the Wild Cards are different this year. Three teams, as opposed to two, will make the Wild Card round. The two playoff teams with the best records will both get byes in the first round. Then the third seed will host the sixth seed for a best-of-three series, and the fourth seed will host the fifth seed, with the winners moving to the next round.
AL Wild Card Predictions: Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros
NL East: The Atlanta Braves are the reigning world champions and will remain an excellent team. While losing franchise icon Freddie Freeman to free agency, securing Matt Olson is a nice consolation prize. They also resigned Eddie Rosario and plucked Kenley Jansen from the Los Angeles Dodgers. That said, there will be competition from the upstart New York Mets and maybe even the Miami Marlins.
NL Central: It appears the top of the division will be a fight between the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals. I favor the Brewers with deeper pitching and a rebound year from Christian Yelich and a breakout year from Rowdy Tellez.
NL West: Can anyone beat the new evil empire, the Los Angeles Dodgers? The guess here is that the San Diego Padres finish a distant second. It’s an embarrassing case of the rich getting richer, adding Freddie Freeman to what was already a video game-like lineup. The one downfall of the Dodgers could be their starting pitching; do they have enough behind Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw? Whatever they lack they will acquire at the trade deadline.
NL Wild Cards: New York Mets, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants
AL MVP: Luis Robert. The biggest obstacle in the way for Robert is health. His skills have been on display when healthy for two years now. If he could muster 600 at bats this year, a 30/30 season is very possible and he’s already a Gold Glover in center field. If his skills coalesce like they could (and should), Robert could take a huge step forward in 2022.
NL MVP: Trea Turner. Hitting atop a lineup that looks like it has been taken from a video game, Turner could easily hit 20 home runs, steal 40 bases score 120 runs and hit .300. Oddly, he’s never finished higher than seventh in the voting. With Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and a host of others behind him, he could be in for a monster season.
AL CY YOUNG: Logan Gilbert. Yes, I know you think I may have lost my marbles here. But Gilbert could easily become a star. He’s a tweak or two away from stardom and pitching for an improved Seattle Mariners club. Gilbert raised eyebrows when he revealed that he had been working out with Jacob deGrom during the offseason and shared that he had been working on his secondary pitches. Outside of a putrid August where he went 0-3 with an ERA over 9.00, Gilbert proved he belonged in the major leagues last year. He’s just a couple of mechanical tweaks away from being one of the best in the American League.
NL CY YOUNG: Brandon Woodruff. Not exactly a bold prediction, but this is the year Woodruff puts it all together and becomes known for being one of the best pitchers in the National League. He’s never been a big winner, with only nine wins last year, but he features a nasty five-pitch mix, and can throw any of those pitches anytime for a strike. This could be the year he takes a major step forward; fantasy players know he is already one of the five best hurlers in the game.
AL ROY: Jeremy Pena. The talk of the race will be Bobby Witt, Jr., who is a special talent. But we do not know when he will debut for the Royals. We know that as of today, Pena is the starting shortstop on a playoff contender and veteran ballclub in Houston. He could easily hit double digit home runs and chip in with a dozen steals as well. Other names to watch could be Kyle Isbel, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene.
NL ROY: Keibert Ruiz. As above, the talk will be on the freakishly talented Oneil Cruz. But let me tell you a bit about Ruiz. He was one of the crown jewels in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ system before being traded to Washington last summer in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner acquisition. Ruiz is known for his high bat to ball skills and excellent contact. He has an easy path to playing time on a retooling Washington team and could catch 120 games. If he gets that playing time, 15-20 home runs with a .275 average is easily in play for him. Other names to watch: Alek Thomas, Nick Lodolo, Bryson Stott.
AL Champion: Chicago White Sox/Toronto Blue Jays. I am torn. I want the White Sox to win the whole thing, but they are a player or two away from being a World Series contender. As constructed, they could win with some luck, but are missing pieces. The Toronto Blue Jays are a more complete team, and they have room for improvement. They have bolstered their starting staff, have some booming bats who could scarily get better in Bichette and Guerrero, and are solid all over the diamond. Plus, they have the financial backing to get whatever they may need at the trade deadline. Look for the Blue Jays to win the American League.
NL Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers. I do not see a way this team loses a seven-game series with this many options to beat you offensively. But here’s the thing we know: pitching wins the big games, right? The Dodgers will simply play the season, identify what they need, and then go get what they need. In this case, it may be pitching. They have Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw, and are looking for Andrew Heaney and Tony Gonsolin to step up in the rotation as well. If that doesn’t happen, the front office will identify teams that are selling pieces and will get what they need. Watch and see. They are the new Evil Empire. Sorry, Kelly.
World Series Winner: The Los Angeles Dodgers