2022 MLB Season - Team Expectations: AL/NL East
National League East
Atlanta Braves - The 2021 World Series Champions are looking to defend their title after their first fall classic victory since 1995. The biggest story going into the off season was the free agency decision of Freddie Freeman, the face of their franchise. Unfortunately, the 2020 MVP and the Braves never seemed to have serious talks of a contract and Freeman elected to sign with the Dodgers after 14 years in a Braves uniform. Despite that loss, the Braves still field a great team heading into the 2022 season. They replaced Freeman by trading for Matt Olson, who is no snub. They will also see the return of Ronald Acuna Jr from an ACL injury who will add to a great lineup. The starting pitching and bullpen are also very deep. I believe this team will win the NL East for the 5th consecutive season.
New York Mets - Despite what you may think about this organization, they are looking to win in 2022. The offseason saw the addition of future hall of fame pitcher Max Scherzer to join forces with Jacob deGromm. That is no question the best 1-2 punch in the league, if they stay healthy. They also traded for Chris Bassitt, which adds winning depth to their rotation. The question is, can this team play to their potential? The Mets are known for getting our hopes up and finding ways to fail. Francisco Lindor needs to return to his former self and the team has to stay healthy in order to keep pace with the Braves. I do believe this is a playoff team but as a wild card.
Philadelphia Phillies - Like the Mets, the Phillies are also spending big money to win now. They stacked their outfield with signing both Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber to multi-year contracts to join Bryce Harper. The biggest question for this team is their pitching. The bullpen was one of the worst in the league last season. They are baking on Brad Hand to have a bounce back season which I’m not super confident in. Zack Wheeler had a breakout season in 2021 but that unfortunately coupled with a set-back season from Aaron Nola. The Wheeler-Nola punch has the potential to be as lethal as any in the league but we’ll see how it plays out. I also think this Phillies team has enough to make the playoffs as a wild card.
Miami Marlins - I think if you want any indication of the current state of this team, just look at how Derek Jeter, one of their owners, walked out because he was not happy with the direction the team is headed. That can only mean one thing, this team doesn’t want to spend money, at least not any time soon. So, here’s what you can expect from the Marlins - a half empty stadium fielded by some great, young talent that will eventually be trade bait, and mediocre baseball. They’re not going to be the worst team in the league but they’re not good either. Miami is probably the least interesting team in baseball right now. I have zero expectations for this team.
Washington Nationals - Oh how the mighty fall. It was only a few years ago this team won the World Series and now they are projected to finish toward the bottom of the league. This is a natural cycle for small market teams but it is sad to see either way. The Nationals have been a steady playoff team for a long time but they have some rough years ahead. Juan Soto is the only thing worth paying attention to with this team. He is an absolute stud on the field and deserves to be on a better team. For now, I expect this team to be brutal this season and will finish with one of the 5 worst records in the league.
American League East
Toronto Blue Jays - I like this team a lot. I liked this team last year too but they weren’t quite ready to make a run at the division. They have so much young talent, led by Vladiimir Guerrero Jr. mixed with solid veteran players in both the line up and pitching staff. They also have a full season back home with their great Toronto fan base for the first time since 2019. They did lose reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray but did add Kevin Gausman who had a breakout year in 2021 with the Giants. They also added Matt Chapman from the A’s, a sneaky good move that should be great for this team. I expect the Blue Jays to win the NL East this season.
Tampa Bay Rays - You can never count this team out. The Rays have built a culture of sustained success in a very competitive division. I don’t think the sports world gives them enough credit, it really is amazing. This division will be as close as ever this season and I expect the Rays to be contending for the division title and should find themselves in the postseason once again.
New York Yankees - For as much money as the Yankees spend, they haven’t found a ton of success the past few seasons. They have had winning seasons, sure, but New York is about winning championships…period. I think they have taken small steps in that direction but they key to their success this season will be their health and pitching depth. I’m not so confident with either of those things. I expect the Yankees to sneak in with the wild card spot but I don’t see how they will make a deep playoff run.
Boston Red Sox - They were a huge surprise last season, making it all the way to the ALCS. I thought they had very poor pitching to make it that far but they exceeded expectations. I feel like this team will take a small step back because once again, the pitching is a concern. They sure can hit though, that lineup is incredible and it will keep them competitive. I think they will just barely miss the postseason though.
Baltimore Orioles - Look, a lot of people don’t wanna give this team a mention this season. I get it, they are not a very good team and they will be one of the worst teams in baseball again in 2022. There is something this team has to offer though and that is the possible debut of top prospect Adley Rutschman. I love seeing new, young stars burst onto the big league scene and I think this Rutschman kid is the next big thing.
Standings Predictions
NL East
Atlanta Braves (94 wins)
New York Mets (92 wins)
Philadelphia Phillies (89 wins)
Miami Marlins (78 wins)
Washington Nationals (62 wins)
AL East
Toronto Blue Jays (93 wins)
Tampa Bay Rays (90 wins)
New York Yankees (85 wins)
Boston Red Sox (80 wins)
Baltimore Orioles (60 wins)