2022 MLB Championship Series Preview

New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros

They were on the brink of being eliminated in 4 games by the Cleveland Guardians in the Division Series. Thanks in large part to Gerrit Cole who pitched 7 innings for the Yankees in Game 4 that was avoided. Cole struck out 16 batters in his two starts for the series with a 2.03 ERA thus earning his salary. Nestor Cortes in his two starts had a 2.70 ERA and Clay Holmes didn’t allow a run out of the bullpen in his 4 appearances. The bats were alive and well with Giancarlo Stanton leading the way with 6 RBI and half of those coming from a 3-run HR in Game 5. Anthony Rizzo batted .294 with 4 RBI and Harrison Bader had 3 home runs and batted a respectable .267. Aaron Judge didn’t have a great series, but his presence was felt with him getting 2 home runs. If New York wants to return to the World Series, their pitching staff will need to be near perfect the rest of the way.

Continue reading →

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 Wild Card Series Preview

American League Wild Card Series

3. Cleveland Guardians vs. 6. Tampa Bay Rays

The one constant for the Rays the past decade has been a pitching staff that has plenty of depth and is the main reason they are Postseason participants. That is no different this year as their rotation is as strong as its ever been with Shane McClanahan as their ace. Tyler Glasnow has returned from Tommy John surgery and could be that extra spark to make a deep run. Jason Adam has been a force in the bullpen this year and with the return of Pete Fairbanks that only adds to their arsenal. Randy Arozarena had a fantastic run in September and his Postseason heroics of 2020 weren’t that long ago. Expect him to make some noise again. There needs to be more from the lineup if they want to play in the Division Series. Could that be Wander Franco with his return from injury?

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

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 →