Tank's 2022 MLB Preview and Predictions
American League
East
- Toronto Blue Jays 97-65
- Tampa Bay Rays 90-72 (WC1)
- Boston Red Sox 85-77
- New York Yankees 78-84
- Baltimore Orioles 64-98
The Blue Jays were one of the best lineups in baseball in 2021. They have added Matt Champman. The starting rotation could be a question mark, but the Blue Jays will be the team to beat in the East. The Rays will again be in the playoff chase, as young players like Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena form a core that could win a World Series if the Rays ever had the money to fill in the missing pieces. The Red Sox will again bash the ball, but they may not have enough pitching to get to October. The Yankees have become a stagnant franchise; they lack pitching depth and have a poorly constructed lineup; they are set to have their first losing season in 30 years. The Orioles are improving but will approach100 losses again, as they are at least three years away.
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Central
- Chicago White Sox 92-70
- Minnesota Twins 83-79
- Detroit Tigers 82-80
- Kansas City Royals 74-88
- Cleveland Guardians 67-95
The White Sox won the Central Division last season and will again in 2022 by being the only good team in the American League's wasteland. The Twins have made some moves that will make them competitive but not enough to make the playoffs; the Tigers have some young prospects on the rise and could be exciting; the Royals will be pesky but will not be good consistently enough to have a winning record while the Guardians will be among the worst teams in baseball. Guardians, what an awful nickname.
West
- Los Angeles Angels 90-72
- Seattle Mariners 88-74 (WC 2)
- Houston Astros 87-75 (WC 3)
- Texas Rangers 77-85
- Oakland Athletics 57-105
The Angels have added some pitching to help them get into the postseason, as the Western Division will have the best race in baseball. The Mariners coming off a strong 2021, will end their playoff drought thanks to the addition of Robbie Ray. The Astros will miss Carlos Correra but will squeeze into the third Wild Card spot, while the Rangers improved will still have a losing record. The Athletics would be relegated if this was the EPL.
National League
East
- Atlanta Braves 91-71
- New York Mets 89-73 (WC 1)
- Philadelphia Phillies 85-77
- Miami Marlins 77-85
- Washington Nationals 68-94
The Atlanta Braves are defending champions and must be considered the team to beat in the East, as Ronald Acuna wins Comeback Player of the Year. The Mets could be a team to make a run if they are ever healthy, but they are more likely to implode as Jacob deGrom won't pitch, and the Mets will lead the league in injuries for the 20th straight season. The Phillies will be explosive but don't have the pitching and defense to make a postseason run. The Marlins are scrappy but will not be a factor in the playoff chase as the Nationals begin focusing on rebuilding by being prime sellers at the deadline.
Central
- Milwaukee Brewers 90-72
- St. Louis Cardinals 87-75 (WC 2)
- Chicago Cubs 75-87
- Cincinnati Reds 73-89
- Pittsburgh Pirates 66-96
The National Leagues Central will be a dog fight between the Brewers and Cardinals, both will make the playoffs, but neither will advance past the division series unless they add more pieces. The Cubs and Reds are in rebuild mode as the Cubs, after selling off their championship team, are focused on starting anew, while the Reds tore down the roster in the winter and will likely be sellers at the deadline. The Pirates once again will sink quickly as they will be among the bottom feeders in the National League.
West
- Los Angeles Dodgers 120-42
- San Francisco Giants 86-76 (WC 3)
- San Diego Padres 84-78
- Colorado Rockies 73-89
- Arizona Diamondbacks 65-97
The Dodgers could be historically good as they have reloaded with the signing of Freddie Freeman. If they do not win the World Series, it will be one of MLB's all-time failures. The Giants will have difficulty replicating last season's success but should manage to grab one of three wild card spots. The Padres will sorely miss Fernando Tatis Jr. early in the season and will spend the year playing catch-up, falling short of the postseason. Kris Bryant will hit home runs in the light air, but the Rockies will not win many games as the Diamondbacks again wander the desert in last place.
Wild Card
AL
- Angels over Astros in 3
- Mariners over Rays in 3
NL
- Brewers over Giants in 3
- Mets over Cardinals in 2
ALDS
- Blue Jays over Mariners in 4
- Angels over White Sox in 5
NLDS
- Dodgers over Mets in 5
- Brewers over Braves in 5
ALCS
- Angels over Blue Jays 6
NLCS
- Dodgers over Brewers in 4
World Series
- Dodgers over Angels in 5
Awards
Manager of the Year
- AL Joe Maddon-Angels
- NL Buck Showalter-Mets
Rookie of the Year
- AL Spencer Torkelson-Tigers
- NL Seiya Suzuki-Cubs
Comeback Player of the Year
- AL Noah Syndergaard-Angels
- NL Ronald Acuna Jr.-Braves
Reliever of the Year
- AL Raisel Iglesias-Angels
- NL Craig Kimbrel-Dodgers
Cy Young
- AL Lucas Giolito-White Sox
- NL Zack Wheeler-Phillies
MVP
- AL Vladimir Guerrero Jr.-Blue Jays
- NL Freddie Freeman-Dodgers
League Leaguers
American League
- BA Vladimir Guerrero Jr.-Blue Jays
- HR Shohei Ohtani-Angels
- RBI Vladimir Guerrero Jr.-Blue Jays
- SB Cedric Mullins-Orioles
- W-Lucas Giolito-White Sox
- ERA-Robbie Ray-Mariners
- K-Noah Syndergaard-Angels
- SV Raisel Iglesias-Angels
National League
- BA Trea Turner-Dodgers
- HR Ronald Acuna Jr.-Braves
- RBI Freddie Freeman-Dodgers
- SB Starling Marte-Mets
- W Walker Buehler-Dodgers
- ERA Max Scherzer-Mets
- K Zack Wheeler-Phillies
- SV-Craig Kimbrel-Dodgers