After the NL East race came down to the wire in 2022, with the Braves edging the Mets via tiebreaker after both won 101 games, the two teams had drastically different offseasons. Just when everyone thoughtthe Rockiesmight be headed toward a rebuild, they go out and make a big splash by signing Kris Bryant. See how your team stacks up against the rest of Major League Baseball with league, division, and playoff standings. The model isn't as bullish on San Diego as others due to concerns over Tatis' ability to play a full season and the depth in the lineup, but it's easy to see this being the magical year for which many have been waiting. Even more surprising, potentially letting Freddie Freeman walk in free agency. So does former wunderkind Alex Reyes. MLB. The model has them in third in the AL East, but it would surprise no one to see them win the division. Payroll is the one thing keeping the Cleveland Guardians from putting up a great fight against Chicago. If this is the year, Los Angeles could be in for a rise, especially with promising young talents Jo Adell, Reid Detmers and Brandon Marsh expected to be regulars in 2022. MORE:Trading for Matt Chapman a better fit for rising Blue Jays than signing Freddie Freeman. Fans of the Yankeesare disappointed that New York wasn't able to land any major name in free agency, but that doesn't stop the model from being bullish on the Bronx Bombers' chances to make the playoffs. The Phillieswere one of several teams competing near the end of the season for a wild card spot before the Cardinals went on their wild winning streak to take away that final spot. . But there was actually a lot that went wrong with the Padres' pitching staff last season and they were still 67-49 through Aug. 10, a pace of 94 wins, before melting down the rest of the way. Projection rollouts have become a time-honored tradition in the lead up to every baseball season, and FanGraphs writer Dan Szymborskis ZiPS and Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA are two of the most trusted projection systems around. Major League Baseball's arduous 2021-22 offseason featured a 99-day lockout that ultimately resulted in an abbreviated spring training and a delayed Opening . Acquiring Sonny Gray improves the rotation, but it could still use a front-line starter. The fourth and final 2022-23 regular-season meeting in the Battle of Florida is set for Tuesday as the Florida Panthers head to Tampa to take on the Lightning and their No.1 home offense. Mega Picker; . Chicago averaged nearly five runs a game with injuries limiting . They'll hover around .500 without the season-altering winning streak this time around. The Rays have won the division two years in a rowbut didn't do much to upgrade,and have a lot riding on Wander Franco (and his new 11-year, $182 million contract)taking a significant step forward Yankees fans may have hated the offseason, but the team didn't get significantly worse over the winter. Three key contributors in the lineup Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Mike Yastrzemski are 30 or older, and while they aren't getting younger, their bats certainly did not appear any slower in 2021. The bullpen, which was already one of the best last year, improved with the signing of Kenley Jansen to join Will Smith, Tyler Matzek and AJ Minter. March 1st, 2023. Thats two huge additions, creating a lineup that should be among the NL leaders in home runs and RBI. MLB is back, but will fans be after ugly offseason? The model's concerns for Seattle stem from its uncertain pitching depth beyond Ray and Marco Gonzales and the risk of an underperforming infield, but make no mistake, the future is bright in Seattle. Most of all, the Rockies will continue to flex their muscles in Coors Field, where they were 48-33 last season. Statistical data provided by Gracenote. Our 2022 MLB predictions panel. MLB predictions for the AL East are the most fun, theyll even vary on a weekly basis. 2023 projected standings for major league baseball teams. There has been a lot going on in the AL West since the 2021 season came to an end, and the model expects the standings to turn out about as one might expect. The tip-off is set for 7:30 pm ET at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Dropping $500 million on a new middle infield (Corey Seager and Marcus Semien)got plenty of attention for the Rangers An ongoing clearance sale has the Athletics expected to finish last,but Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas give Oakland a little bit of upward mobility if they don't get shipped off, too. 2018 ABC News Internet Ventures. The Blue Jays were widely considered to be one of the AL favorites to reach the World Series entering 2022, but they ended up finishing seven games behind the Yankees in the AL East and were swept by the Mariners in the AL Wild Card Series. Landing Carlos Correa is a monumental upgrade at shortstop, improving this teams fielding and run production. The . MLB.com. I'm more a fan of being right and this one was just pulling me in. Here are the way too early MLB 2022 standings predictions for the American League. The deepest lineup in baseball got deeper when it signed Freddie Freeman to help offset the loss of Seager. It also highlights the risk of a starting rotation with so many durability worries. With that, multiple analysts within The Athletes Hub have sat down and explained their personal opinions on what could take place. PECOTA projects both the Twins and Guardians for 88 wins, with the White Sox at 78. [ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA] After the break for the 2022 World Cup, the Premier League . Bellinger is coming off of a dreadful 2021 campaign that saw . CHW Chicago White Sox. Justin Verlander's return is hugefor the Astros, coming off their third World Series appearance in five years. Losing Kevin Gausman (Toronto Blue Jays and Buster Posey (retirement) are two huge blows, leaving voids that cant be filled directly. This should be very difficult, as every team -- at least in theory -- should have a total right around where it is expected to finish. 2023 Season; 2022 Season; 2021 Season; 2020 Season; 2019 Season; 2018 Season; CFB FBS. The bullpen lost Jansen, but added Craig Kimbrel to go along with Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol. The NL West was incredibly loaded in 2021, with the Giants finishing with the best record in baseball and the Dodgers owning the second-best record in baseball. The Cardinals pitching may be a question mark, but the club has an excellent defense and good roster depth, not to mention a lineup featuring reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt at first base, perennial All-Star Nolan Arenado at third and new addition Willson Contreras at catcher. All rights reserved. We should also mention the Phillies, who went further than both the Mets and Braves in the 2022 postseason before losing to the Astros in the World Series. Everyone should. Sure, Opening Day was pushed back a week, but the MLB season is set to play a full 162 games, which was not a given earlier this winter. However, the Mets will still be in a prime position to compete and will likely make a big splash in the 2023 postseason. The bullpen is, well, the Phillies bullpen. This doesn't necessarily mean they'll win the World Series and a surprisingly disappointing season is always possible. The Phillies enter the season probably, objectively, a worse team than both the Braves and Mets in the NL East. It was only the Cubs in 2016 and Cardinals in 2015, but the point stands. Luis Robert is a darkhorse MVP candidate, Jose Abreu is consistent and there is even more All-Star talent (Eloy Jimenez, Yasmani Grandal, Tim Anderson). Statistical model by Jay Boice and Nate Silver. while Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez bring the kind of veteran bats any team needs when it wants to make a leap in the . The Blue Jays have constructed one of the most talented rosters in the AL, combining impressive young players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk and Alek Manoah with veteran stars such as George Springer, Kevin Gausman and Matt Chapman, but the club has yet to break through as an AL powerhouse. But more than anything, the model is high on the pitching, with Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Jordan Montgomery and a healthy Luis Severino leading the team in 2022. They have the best hitter of this generation in Mike Trout and the most talented player of all time in Shohei Ohtani, yet they continue to finish below .500. The pitching staff is worrisome. Pittsburgh is waiting for the Mitch Keller breakout to happen this spring, he's shown glimpses that it could be on the way as the rotation starts to weave in younger arms like Bryse Wilson and Roansy Contreras. The results, Marcus Stroman being replaced by Max Scherzer and holes in the lineup being filled by Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar. I don't know why, though. As for Oakland, it already traded Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman. Major League Baseball's 2022 season has arrived. Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the brightest stars when he's healthy and Manny Machado gives him powerful protection in the lineup. How this works: Elo ratings are a measure of team strength based on head-to-head results, margin of victory and quality of opponent. PECOTA has the Halos four games ahead of the Mariners and gives them a 54.9% chance of reaching the postseason, the seventh-highest odds in the AL. MLB games today will offer daily predictions and the full schedule for the entire season from 2022 Opening Day to the World Series. Ryan Fagan ( @RyanFagan ) There were three last season. We're using an Elo-based system that also accounts for starting pitchers, travel distance and rest, with an average team rating of about 1500. They lost Rodn, Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt. Someone is going to have to take the crown away fromthe Astrosbefore anyone, even the model, would consider picking against them. The Line: Man City -240 / Newcastle United +550 // Total: 2.5. by Handedness. 15 seasons. Maybe it's a case where I just didn't learn my lesson. Related: 2022 Boston Red Sox schedule, roster and predictions, Related: MLB trade rumors Latest MLB rumors entering July. However, its outfield will be problematic and the starting rotation is even worse. They'll have thump. Last Year's Record: 91-71 Over/Under: 92.5 The Blue Jays were just one game shy of making the postseason last year in a division that featured four teams winning more than 90 games. What is surprising, however, is that ZiPS also puts the Giants squarely in this race at 88-74. USA TODAY. Only enabled for screen sizes > 1024px. But in this new season, expectations are once again high for them. Derek Jeter left the Miami Marlins for a reason, he doesnt believe this team is all-in on winnings. They've got that again in 2022. The bottom line is the recent history of teams that ducked and dodged their way past unseemly run differentials to post winning records isn't rosy in the ensuing season. Having also crammed these past few weeks, USA TODAY Sports presents its 2022 record predictions, an annual exercise in prognostication attempting to make sense of what went down this offseason and how it fits into team trajectory. Are the Blue Jays even with the Yankees, or way behind? There is going to be some competition in Texas soon enough for the AL West crown. The Jays were 91-71 last season and I believe they are better. Wed be even higher on this team because of its exciting rotation, if not for the fact Phillys defense is the worst in baseball. Projected Standings, Roster Management, Draft Results, Keeper Management; Coming early January 2023! Across the division, the Twins had a perplexing winter. We also like the move to acquire both Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez. With just days to go until Opening Day, hope is high among all teams that this will be their year to win a World Series or at least have an enjoyable 162-game season. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Tip from Dean E. Smith Center is at 6:30 p.m. And the Cardinals were basically a .500 team last season, save for a 17-game winning streak in September. We just saw that I like the Blue Jays for around 95 wins. Follow the American League and National League races here from USA TODAY. With considerable improvement expected from Ronald Acua Jr. and Ozzie Albies, ZiPS thinks Atlanta is in good shape, projecting the club for another tie with the Mets at 94 wins apiece. 11m ago. The rotation lost Robbie Ray but added Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi. Read on for predictions for every game involving a Top 25 team on the schedule over the next seven days. All Rights Reserved. Cody Bellinger returns to All-Star form. Below are the picks and predictions made by The Sporting News' model for how the 2022 MLB season is going to unfold. The predicted standings for each team are the average wins and losses in the 20,000 simulations. As part of our year-round MLB coverage, we'll provide analysis, the latest news and MLB trade rumors . The St. Louis Cardinals strengthened their rotation depth this offseason, signing Steven Matz. TEX Texas Rangers. TeamRankings.com is solely responsible for this site but makes no guarantee about the accuracy or completeness of the information herein. The Tigers also signed a pair of top free agents in Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez to provide some more established threats to the team. The Red Soxsurprised some people with their run to the ALCS in 2021, and Boston expects to be back in the mix for the playoffs again in 2022. The Braves, on the other hand, werent a major player in free agency. 2022, 2021, 2022 MLB Pitching, 2022 MLB Batting, 2022 MLB Standings, 2022 MLB Attendance, 2022 MLB Rookies , . I was going to be choosing between the Red Sox and Rays and the Rays' number is four higher, so here we are. Why Original Predictions About The War In Ukraine Were So Off They could match that in 2022. March 4, 2023 7:30 am EDT. MLB OFFSEASON GRADES:Dodgers, Mets earn high marks; Yankees confuse. While Atlanta lost longtime franchise fixture Freddie Freeman, it replaced him with Matt Olson from the A's, who should be able to more than match the power output of the former MVP. New York received good news with the restrictions on unvaccinated players being lifted. Needless to say, our MLB predictions arent quite as high on the Boston Red Sox. When the MLB playoffs begin, well provide predictions, matchup analysis and provide the full schedule for October baseball. They've got a good young rotation led by Sandy Alcantara and are going to causeheadaches for the division's presumed contenders Juan Soto Extension Watch is going to be 2022's dominant storyline for the Nationals, who did sign 41-year-old DH Nelson Cruz. March 30, 2022. Watch out, Milwaukee is a darkhorse World Series threat. Milwaukee had a relatively quiet offseason after finishing seven games behind St. Louis last season, but PECOTA projects the teams vaunted pitching staff to allow 41 fewer runs than that of St. Louis. MORE:Seiya Suzuki has won over Cubs' clubhouse; next impression will come with bat. The Los Angeles Dodgers might have lost the NL West in 2021, but theres no doubt this is the best team in the division entering the 2022 season. since the new labor deal came together on March 10, and his new 11-year, $182 million contract, seemingly have to prove themselves all over again, signing him to a seven-year, $182 million contract, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Notably, ZiPS and PECOTA both project the Angels to be significantly better than the Rangers, whose moves have been much splashier than the Halos in the past two offseasons. Instead, they missed the playoffs. RHP Max Scherzer inked a super lucrative three-year deal with the New York Mets, paying him an average salary of $43.3 million. Kyle Tucker will now be seen as one of the offensive leaders, along with slugger Yordan Alvarez. ZiPS has it as a much closer race, projecting the Yankees for 89 wins and the Blue Jays for 88. April 7, 2022 2:14pm More On: mlb preview 2022 MLB video preview: Joel Sherman and Mike Vaccaro on who to watch, what's changing and how far Yankees and Mets can go in 2022 But the top two teams in the NL are the same as last year's: the Dodgers and Giants. Bookmark this page for in-season updates to our MLB predictions. Milwaukee finished with a DEF of 56, which was eight more runs than the next best team. Rather astounding. After adding closer Craig Kimbrel, the gap between Los Angeles and its NL West foes is even wider. It's been more than a decade since the Phillies made the playoffs but with Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber on board, this may be the best all-around team they've put together in recent years Credit to the Marlins for spending some money on Avisail Garcia ($53 million) and Jorge Soler ($36 million).