2022 MLB Division Series Preview

American League Division Series

1. Houston Astros vs. 5. Seattle Mariners

The strength of the Astros starts with their lineup, but they have a bevy of arms at their disposal for the rotation and bullpen. Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez and Christian Javier each struck out at least 185 batters during the season. Their bullpen has been solid at the back end with Ryan Pressly saving 33 games and having a 0.89 WHIP. Rafael Montero had 14 saves with a 2.37 ERA. Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman were the run producers for Houston with each of them driving in at least 93 on the year. Jose Altuve was his usual self getting on base consistently scoring 103 runs. If Jeremy Pena can add some extra pop or likewise deadline acquisitions Trey Mancini and Christian Vazquez, Houston will be in a good position for another ALCS appearance.

Continue reading →

2022 MLB All-Star Teams

For the 92nd year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball goes to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The last time the mid-summer classic was played in LA was in 1980. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some of it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either, nor the commissioner’s office. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 32 players for each league.

Continue reading →

2022 MLB World Series & Awards Predictions

MLB Awards

NL MVP – 1B Matt Olson – Atlanta Braves

AL MVP – P/DH Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Angels

NL Cy Young – Max Scherzer – New York Mets

AL Cy Young – Jose Berrios – Toronto Blue Jays

NL Rookie of the Year – P Hunter Greene – Cincinnati Reds

AL Rookie of the Year – OF Julio Rodriguez – Seattle Mariners

NL Manager of the Year – Craig Counsell – Milwaukee Brewers

AL Manager of the Year – Charlie Montoyo – Toronto Blue Jays

Postseason Projections

NL Division Winners – Dodgers, Brewers, Braves

NL Wild Card Winners – Cardinals, Padres, Mets

AL Division Winners – White Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners

AL Wild Card Winners – Rays, Astros, Angels

NLCS – Dodgers over Brewers

ALCS – Blue Jays over White Sox

World Series – Dodgers over Blue Jays

National League East

* – indicates new to team

+ – indicates injury

1. Atlanta Braves

Repeating as World Series champions is always difficult, but it will be interesting to see if they do so without Freddie Freeman.

2. New York Mets

They spent a lot of money acquiring many players, but if deGrom isn’t healthy it won’t matter in the end.

3. Philadelphia Phillies

Their lineup got a lot better and their bullpen looks much better than in years past.

4. Miami Marlins

Pitching is still a strength for them, but I’m not sure if their lineup is good enough to get past other Wild Card contenders.

5. Washington Nationals

It’s gonna be another rough year, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

Player to Watch: 1B Matt Olson – Atlanta Braves

Best Acquisition: P Max Scherzer – New York Mets

New Kid on the Block: P Edward Cabrera – Miami Marlins

Continue reading →

2021 World Series Champions

In an eerily similar fashion to 2019 when the Washington Nationals went on an improbable run to win the World Series. The Atlanta Braves in 2021 went on a similar run from August to October. This is a franchise that went on one of the most dominant runs in sports history winning 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005. That run of success resulted in only one World Series title in 1995. They have won the NL East for four consecutive seasons currently and they could be starting another long run of success.

Continue reading →