The production this season will help set the stage for the next competitive Nationals' team. 4. The bullpen is, well, the Phillies bullpen. ET (ESPN). This year is going to be a bit of a mixed bag forthe Nationals. The Atlanta Braves surprised everyone by winning the World Series. If the snake-bitten franchise gets full seasons from Anthony Rendon, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Noah Syndergaard, its a no-doubt playoff team. There are six divisions in the MLB, divided into three . I like mid-90s for Blue Jays wins in 2022, and that gets us home here. However, the Mets will still be in a prime position to compete and will likely make a big splash in the 2023 postseason. The 2022 Major League Baseball season is nearly upon us. 3. Instead, their big additions were Mitch Haniger, Michael Conforto, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling and Taylor Rogers. But ZiPS doesnt see it that way, and neither does PECOTA. And while the Rays have been able to work around stuff like this the last several years, I don't believe they have the same combination of depth and talent in the bullpen to absorb the starter workload shortfall. MLB OFFSEASON GRADES:Dodgers, Mets earn high marks; Yankees confuse. Toronto Blue Jays. Bo Bichette is talented enough to take another step forward and join Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. as an MVP contender. If Alex Bregman bounces back to what he's capable of, this should remain one of the highest-scoring offenses. However, pitching is a major concern. 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. Thats two huge additions, creating a lineup that should be among the NL leaders in home runs and RBI. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. 5 starter. As for the Cubs, neither system likes their postseason chances despite the signings of Swanson, Cody Bellinger, Jameson Taillon, Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer. Three got there in both 2018 and 2017. Max Scherzer and Justin . Bellinger is coming off of a dreadful 2021 campaign that saw . SEA . Wander Franco, Shane Baz and Shane McClanahan are expected to take up major roles on the team in their second seasons with the club, and Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe will again be dangerous at the plate. Victor Robles still flashes big potential, but has yet to make everything click. The Cleveland Cavaliers (39-26, 26-7 home) return to Ohio on Saturday for an Eastern Conference affair with the lowly Detroit Pistons (15-48, 7-25 away) who are in the gutter of the conference standings. Instead, they missed the playoffs. 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. Losing Kevin Gausman (Toronto Blue Jays and Buster Posey (retirement) are two huge blows, leaving voids that cant be filled directly. The Rockieswere surprisingly the top suitor for Kris Bryant, signing him to a seven-year, $182 million contract Has a team ever lost 110 games as quietly as the Diamondbacks last year? 103 / 103+59 OR 103 / 162 = .636 OR 63.6%. MLB is back, but will fans be after ugly offseason? 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. I'm not a Phillies fan. All Rights Reserved. With the signing of Max Scherzer and the acquisition of Bassitt, the Mets' 1-2-3 punch, when healthy, is now deGrom, Scherzer and Bassitt, and that's before getting to Taijuan Walker and Carlos Carrasco. MLB. Atlanta can erase some of our concerns by acquiring Matt Olson. Get the most up to date picture of the 2022 MLB season standings. The Line: Man City -240 / Newcastle United +550 // Total: 2.5. Robbie Ray, the AL Cy Young winner, is also gone. Things have frantically fallen into place since the new labor deal came together on March 10, with every team trying to jam most of its winter moves into just a few weeks. That is, we'll list the win total for the 2022 season from Caesars Sportsbook and pick whether the team will win more (the "over") or fewer (the "under") games. But that quickly changed, and the result was a disappointing 77-85 season. Weak offense. The model works by using past player data to project how they will perform in 2022. Derek Jeter left the Miami Marlins for a reason, he doesnt believe this team is all-in on winnings. The model really likes the rotation with Steven Matz joining Adam Wainwright and Jack Flaherty, who could miss some time with a shoulder injury. Are the Braves even with the Mets, or way behind? Let's take a look at each game with odds from DraftKings . 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. Close. They added Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and 2021 All-Stars in Adam Frazier and Jesse Winker Nobody really knows what to make of theAngels. 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. Opening Day is set for Thursday (for 14 teams, at least), and thankfully for baseball fans, we'll still have a full, 162-game season in 2022. Case in point, Jon Lester had a 4.36 ERA compared to a 5.40 FIP in 12 starts last season after they acquired him and he's now retired. Comprehensive Major League Baseball news, scores, standings, fantasy games, rumors, and more The reigning World Series winners emerge as the favorites to win their division, with New York and Philadelphia appearing as strong contenders for wild cards. Sure enough, thats exactly what they did. Well give credit to the Chicago Cubs for not tearing everything down and beginning a total rebuild. 8,128 plate appearances. The introduction of the DH to the NL should help Dominic Smith and Robinson Cano produce at a higher rate as well. Despite employing Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the Halos missed the playoffs for the eighth straight season in 2022. How this works: Elo ratings are a measure of team strength based on head-to-head results, margin of victory and quality of opponent. Eric Lauer and Adrian Houser help round out a rotation that has a case for the MLB's best, in front of a bullpen that has some star power with Josh Hader and Devin Williams. MORE:Cody Bellinger is struggling again, but Dodgers are so good that it might not matter. The bullpen lost Jansen, but added Craig Kimbrel to go along with Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol. Trevor Story is out, but he had a down year anyway and Kris Bryant is in. The rotation could be in tatters behind Zack Wheeler. If Byron Buxton is healthy, he's one of the games' brightest stars, but that continues to remain a big "if.". They'll hover around .500 without the season-altering winning streak this time around. 11m ago. This should be very difficult, as every team -- at least in theory -- should have a total right around where it is expected to finish. Not many expected the Braves to win their fourth World Series title at the beginning of the 2021 season. Even after Gausman walked in free agency, San Francisco still returns Logan Webb, who is coming off a fantastic postseason, and bring back Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood. New York received good news with the restrictions on unvaccinated players being lifted. Picking the White Sox to run away with the division is certainly correct, but the rest of the standings feel a bit jumbled given recent history. Despite signing Trea Turnerin free agency, neither ZiPS nor PECOTA views the Phils as a major threat to win this division. Instead, the club went 81-81 and missed the postseason, finishing 11 games behind the upstart Guardians. March 4, 2023 7:30 am EDT. The reason the model likes the Cardinals over Milwaukee comes from the lack of trust in the Brewers' lineup, but if Willy Adames can repeat and Christian Yelich can bounce back somewhere closer to his 2019 levels, it could have just enough to support Milwaukee's tremendous pitching staff. It should be a fourth consecutive last-place season for the Pirates, who hope Ke'Bryan Hayes bounces back and prospectOneil Cruz brings some excitement. Alek Thomas should make his debut at some point in 2022 to join fellow young bats like Ketel Marte, Daulton Varsho and Carson Kelly. KC Kansas City Royals. Were using an Elo-based system that also accounts for starting pitchers, travel distance and rest, with an average team rating of about 1500. 2 spot. The Fernando Tats Jr. injury creates a bigger separation from the Dodgers in the projected MLB standings, but hell be back by July. . Framber Valdez and Luis Garcia are two bright young arms in the rotation, while Verlander looks to return to his Cy Young-winning ways since coming back from Tommy John surgery. Disappointment in 2021 compelled the New York Mets to spend even more money this offseason. Welcome to our NHL projections and probabilities page where you will find each team's projected . Look, I know they do some sort of sorcery there, but the pitching depth is depleted and that's a rough division. As for the Washington Nationals, the greatest hitter in MLB (Juan Soto) cant fix their rotation, bullpen nor take multiple spots in the batting order. The Cherries are 19th in the standings with 21 points but trail Leeds United by one for 17th place. They battled through adversity and were able to outlast the Houston Astros en route to a world series trophy. Is the NL West a two- or three-team race? The only six teams with greater than a 5 percent chance of reaching the World Series are the four leaders in the AL East and the White Sox and Astros. They'll be one of the best home teams in baseball this year. This section is showing information that is up to date as of the end of the 2022 MLB season. Major League Leaders . It's a win-win, really. Major League Baseball's arduous 2021-22offseason featured a 99-day lockout that ultimately resulted in an abbreviated spring training and a delayed Opening Day. Ultimately, this is a total rebuild and the organization isn't thinking about the final MLB standings in 2022. The Angels are playoff contenders and the Rangers aren't. 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. This forecast is based on 100,000 simulations of the season and updates after each game. PECOTA, however, sees a sizable gap of roughly five games between them, with the Mets on top. 2 starter acquired before being more optimistic with our MLB predictions. Perhaps it would be a bit closer if two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper were healthy, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in November and might be out until July. Everyone should. As far as my place in all this, feel free to jump over to my SportsLine page to see my picking acumen from last season. Hes going to be one of the best players in MLB before long and some even think hell get MVP votes in 2022. 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. After all, the Friars signed Xander Bogaerts, will be getting back Fernando Tatis Jr. from injury/suspension and will benefit from having Juan Soto and Josh Hader for a full season after acquiring both at the 2022 Trade Deadline. Are the Blue Jays even with the Yankees, or way behind? 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. 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). However, the Yankees lineup could be without 60% of its production whenever it plays in Toronto. The 2022 Major League Baseball season is nearly upon us. Four teams won at least 100 in 2019. ZiPS has it as a much closer race, projecting the Yankees for 89 wins and the Blue Jays for 88. Edwin Diaz was a dominant closer in 2021, and figures again to be among the best relievers in 2022. FanGraphs Membership. This year, no one will sleep on the Mariners. 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. Because of a below-average lineup, on its best days, the Marlins exciting rotation will be wasted. Wed be even higher on this team because of its exciting rotation, if not for the fact Phillys defense is the worst in baseball. But it's easy to see them beat those projections. I do think this team is better and on the right track, but I don't think they'll have the kind of "luck" they did last season, say, in one-run games. Here are predictions for the 2022 MLB season, including complete standings, playoff teams and the World Series winner. To join our email list and get notified when we launch the 2023 MLB section. Witt Jr. could be the future face of MLB and Melendezs bat is convincing Kansas City to give the catching prospect a shot at other positions. Even more surprising, potentially letting Freddie Freeman walk in free agency. Bob Melvin is the perfect skipper for the clubhouse, providing both strong in-game management and a leader who can help keep a lot of personalities in sync. Cactus League. 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. 2022-23 English Premier League Arsenal vs. Bournemouth odds, picks: Predictions and best bets for Saturday's match from proven soccer expert . Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 4:51 PM ET, Park Factors
mlb preview 2022. Pollock is a net win, given Chicagos needs, but the Garrett Crochet injury (Tommy John surgery) is a huge blow. Needless to say, our MLB predictions arent quite as high on the Boston Red Sox. Our MLB projections will impact our projected postseason bracket. Statistical model by Jay Boice and Nate Silver. The winter meetings are quickly approaching and before you know it will be time for Spring Training. 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. Just when everyone thoughtthe Rockiesmight be headed toward a rebuild, they go out and make a big splash by signing Kris Bryant. (As a reminder, Emmanuel Clase did it in 2022 . Below are the picks and predictions made by The Sporting News' model for how the 2022 MLB season is . EX. Picks, tools and data that give you an edge in NFL survivor and knockout style pools. There is potential in this team to over-perform its projections. Get Paramount Plus today and watch live sports for an unbeatable price! And I'll mention again that the Blue Jays were a wrecking crew in Rogers Centre after they went 22-22 in "home" games in Buffalo and Dunedin last year. Tampa Bay Rays The early prelims are on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. If it's the 2022-23 Premier League table you're after, you've come to the right place. As for the Rays, the Wander Franco hype is real. It makes them the team to beat in the NL Central, especially if Christian Yelich rebounds and Kolten Wong stays healthy. MLB predictions 2022: Final standings, playoff projections, World Series odds for every team, Trading for Matt Chapman a better fit for rising Blue Jays than signing Freddie Freeman, Reds, As top list of five MLB fan bases experiencing post-lockout blues, Dodgers, Mets earn high marks; Yankees confuse, Seiya Suzuki has won over Cubs' clubhouse; next impression will come with bat, Cody Bellinger is struggling again, but Dodgers are so good that it might not matter. PECOTA is much less bullish on the Giants, giving them a winning percentage below .500 and less than a 1% chance of winning the division. 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 . Toronto hasnt won a playoff game since 2016. 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 Sporting News' model sees the Blue Jays as a slim favorite to win the division over the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox, but it expects all four teams to reach the playoffs. Despite believing that the Astros are more likely to win the pennant, it sees the Rays as a slightly more likely team to win the World Series. Payroll is the one thing keeping the Cleveland Guardians from putting up a great fight against Chicago. Below, we look at those 2022 World Series odds; be sure to check back for our MLB picks and predictions as the season ramps up. The model's outlook of the AL Central is perhaps what differs from conventional wisdom the most in its projections. The rotation is strong, especially after signing Carlos Rodn. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: mlb | pageType: stories | A starting rotation with two Cy Young candidates (Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff), an All-Star No. The front end of the rotation offers some star arms in Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale and Tanner Houck, who can match up with many of the best in the AL. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted
The top of the rotation remains dominant with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, and the biggest weakness the bullpen was improved with the signings of Brad Hand, Jeurys Familia and Corey Knebel. Last year, Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal got a taste of the big leagues and showed promise, and will be expected to take it a step farther in 2022. Each game is then simulated 20,000 times with park factors included in each matchup. Are the Brewers better than the Cardinals, or way behind? Cleveland might be trending the wrong direction compared to most teams, but finishing last still feels like a bit of a stretch. Ronald Acuna Jr. will be back before too long and joins a lineup that still features Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson and Eddie Rosario. Read more . NHL 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoff chances and projected standings. The Sporting News is unveiling a model to project the 2022 MLB season and make predictions based on the results. The NL Central has not had a team repeat as division winner since the Cubs repeated in first place in 2016 and 2017. Was Steven Matz's 2021 season a real change or is he more the guy who was well below average from 2017-20? ET, with the prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. MORE:Seiya Suzuki has won over Cubs' clubhouse; next impression will come with bat. TEX Texas Rangers. by Handedness. I was going to be choosing between the Red Sox and Rays and the Rays' number is four higher, so here we are. The Cubsare engaging in a rebuild/reload to try and keep the team competition, while also building up its young core again. There were three last season. MLB Baseball Standings Projections on TeamRankings.com. The system also thinks theres still a gulf between the Dodgers and Padres, projecting Los Angeles for 96.1 wins and the Padres for 92.6. filling out their roster with solid role players. Even after trading Gray, the rotation looks decent with Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle leading a young rotation that will feature flame-thrower Hunter Greene and control specialist Nick Lodolo. Put yourself out there. Acquiring Sonny Gray improves the rotation, but it could still use a front-line starter. 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. By no means do I think the Rockies are good, nor will they come close to playoff contention. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Lugan Knight has two wins, one second and . TheBrewers Way? Again, I don't think they'll be good, overall, but I have a buffer of 92 losses here, as 70-92 gets the job done. It's Cleveland vs. Minnesota for the AL Central title. Even if they are the only one this time around, I like the Dodgers to keep MLB's 100-win streak going. I just feel like they'll need a miracle this season. Behind the Jays, it could go either way between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. For now, well keep the Yankees in the No. Chicago still finishes atop the AL Central in our MLB predictions, but the separation is decreasing. Download data. Nick Madrigal and Nico Hoerner are a promising young middle-infield combo, who should be big parts of the team's future. 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. Back # WL Div GB # AL WL Pct GB # WL Div GB # Even over 162 games, surprises abound. Spring Training is in full swing, free agency is off the rails, and baseball is officially back. The defense is terrible. My hunch this year is they'll be less extreme and steadily work toward somewhere in the low-to-mid 80s in wins. March 30, 2022. Paired with the expanded 12-team playoff field and the opportunities afforded by the universal designated hitter, more clubs were active in March than expected, setting up some interesting postseason races for the new season. However, there are reasons for why it turned out as it did. If that happens, Tampa Bay is in business. I don't buy the Padres or Giants as 90-plus win teams, either. Sign In. The Tigersare in a position where it feels like they are on the verge of putting it all together at the big-league level. Fastest MLB pitches in 2022, fastest pitch in college, Best batting average of all time: Top MLB hitters by career average, best BA in 2021. So does former wunderkind Alex Reyes. 9:55 am ET, MLB rumors: Dodgers, Yankees seek depth after injuries, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to miss WBC with knee injury, Kik Hernndez recounts on-field bathroom accident, Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter has tender elbow, Max Scherzer fools hitter with new pitch clock rules, Report: Padres looking to extend Juan Soto, Josh Hader, MLB win totals for every team, best bets on over-unders, Phillies top prospect Painter has elbow tenderness, Report: Padres looking to extend Soto, Hader, Report: Mets to use six-man rotation at times in 2023, Dodgers SS Gavin Lux tears ACL, will miss entire season. Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports. Before long, Hayes will soon be joined on the left side of the infield by towering shortstop Oneil Cruz. The Marinerswere the feel-good story of 2021, when out of nowhere, they rose up to post a 90-win season and nearly reach the postseason. It isn't that simple, even if it sounds like it should be. Just looking around the NL West, there are two bad teams. The influx of multiple 100-win teams per season these last handful of years isn't a coincidence, in my view. This doesn't necessarily mean they'll win the World Series and a surprisingly disappointing season is always possible. Top 2023 Gotham Stakes predictions One shocker: Demling is high on Lugan Knight, who is tied for third in the odds, at 6-1. See how your team stacks up against the rest of Major League Baseball with league, division, and playoff standings. Considering the Cincinnati Reds are shopping their starting pitchers and trimming payroll, they belong in the ignore tier for the 2022 season. Toronto's lineup starring Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez is the best in the American League, and its offense will carry it through the season to one of the league's best records. MLB insider Bob Nightengale examines if the fans will forgive league for ugly offseason. The . It has been a discouraging offseason forAthletics'fans, who watched their two core Matts traded off to the Blue Jays (Chapman) and Braves (Olson), and standout arms Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt traded to the Padres and Mets, respectively. Pair that with the injury concerns we have for multiple starters, its enough to put this team a tier behind the Blue Jays. Joey Votto continues to produce at a star talent, but heading into his age 38 campaign, the model expects some regression to take a toll. Milwaukee had a relatively quiet offseason after finishing seven games behind St. Louis last season, but PECOTA projects the team's vaunted pitching staff to allow . That'll change this year, despite his being projected to hit ten to fifteen fewer homers than that. And during the postseason, that anything-can-happen dynamic only grows stronger, with MLB's new, expanded format only increasing the number of potential outcomes. Here are 10 predictions that go against general public sentiment, but I still think have a decent shot at happening. The Padres are absolutely a fringe playoff contender in the NL, but I'm not seeing them on the cusp of 90 wins. The Duke Blue Devils (22-8, 13-6 ACC) finish the season against the North Carolina Tar Heels (19-11, 11-8) Saturday in Chapel Hill. There just isnt enough talent around Reyes and Ramirez to make this a playoff-caliber lineup and that will prove costly over a full season. Plus, in the NL West, the Dodgers are awesome and the Giants are coming off a 107-win season. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. Joey Votto has never hit 40 homers in a season. 1 overall spot in the AL. While the signing of Carlos Correa and the trade for Sonny Gray will help, the rest of the team has a lot of question marks, particularly after Berrios was traded midseason last year and Donaldson was traded in the offseason. They didn't re-sign Miley and traded away franchise icons Winker and Suarez in a salary dump before signing Tommy Pham, Donovan Solano, Colin Moran and trading for Mike Minor. Follow the American League and National League races here from USA TODAY. USA TODAY. They're expected to have the league's highest payroll in 2023, but it won't be enough. After winning 99 games in 2022, the Yankees were able to re-sign Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo in free agency, and they inked All-Star lefty Carlos Rodnto a six-year contract. Even after losing Carlos Rodon, the rotation is still be one of the game's best with Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn and Dylan Cease at the front. 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. Were seeing the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics head in opposite directions. Standings. The East looks like a potential power in the National League, as well as the American League. And yet, they won 90 games last season and I'm going under 84.5 this year. As part of our year-round MLB coverage, well provide analysis, the latest news and MLB trade rumors. The rotation will get a boost from the return of Mike Clevinger and the trade acquisition of Manaea. For historical team ratings, see the Complete History Of MLB. Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver look like they could front Arizona's rotation at some point, but for now, those two spots belong to the more experienced Merrill Kelly and Madison Bumgarner. The Braves, on the other hand, werent a major player in free agency. The moves made this offseason ensure this team will be competitive, maybe even enough to play in October under a 14-team playoff format. There are two MVP candidates in the lineup and the Trevor Story signing creates one of the best infield in MLB. Both of these teams will be in the playoffs, everyones preference between the two is understandable. 1:51. After missing the playoffs by one game last season, 2022 could end up as the perfect year for the Jays to represent the AL in the World Series. But after Los Angeles lost a number of key players and steered clear of this offseasons free-agent bonanza, the clubs grip on the division could be loosening. Tip from Dean E. Smith Center is at 6:30 p.m. Throw in a few more guys like Gunnar Henderson and DL Hall, and this team could be fun to watch in a few years. Matt Chapman is one of the best defensive players in the game and his bat should look better with the talent around it. I don't know why, though. The 2022 Major League Baseball season is almost here and Sportsnaut's MLB predictions offer projections for the standings, award winners and more.. MLB games today will offer daily predictions and the full schedule for the entire season from 2022 Opening Day to the World Series.