There was another thing that I didn’t add in the AL Preview. There is an extra Wild Card spot. Now with 6 teams in the playoffs in each league, the pennant races will be incredible and to me it’s the only thing that can put baseball back on the map. The NL might just have the talent to do so.
Atlanta Braves (2019 Toronto Raptors): Even as the defending champs, the Braves are continuing to get little respect from the National Media. This is due to the fact that Freddie Freeman left them for a massive contract and mansion in Los Angeles. Its ok, they can just take Kenley Jansen from LA as a consolation prize. Atlanta still has most of the core back from their World Series championship team last year, and there is good news. Remember Ronald Acuna? The 5 tool centerfielder that missed the 2nd Half with a torn ACL. He recovered quickly. Him coming back is a huge boost for this offense. Plus they did replace Freeman with an All Star in Matt Olsen. (Freeman’s equal but younger) These guys are once again loaded for another deep run and I’m interested to see how the new or returning pieces fit in. With their division only getting stronger it’ll be tough to overcome.
Miami Marlins (No more Jeter): The Marlins once again are trying to use free agency as a way to improve the team. They already have one of the best young pitching staffs in the game but a lack of good hitting cost them a shot at another unexpected playoff berth. Miami signed Avi Garcia and last year’s World Series MVP Jorge Soler to bolster their attack. Their infield got stronger with Jacob Stallings and Joey Wendle coming over from the Rays and Pirates. This should give a massive boost to their young cornerstone in Jazz Chisholm. He had a breakout rookie season, and now with much more talent around him, this kid could be a special player. This may not be a year where they’ll make the playoffs, but they could come very close with the talent they have. All I can do is ownership please don’t mess this up again. Jeter may be gone but that doesn’t mean you have to break up the core if things fail.
New York Mets (Trying recreate the Magic of 1986): Just like last year the New York Mets are hyping themselves as World Series favorites. When a team is coming off a year where they spent 100 days in 1st place yet finished below 500 you shouldn’t be talking any smack. Just like their inner city brothers in the Nets and Islanders, the Mets believe that if they were healthy they would have won it all. Well this year Steve Cohen has decided to throw more money at big names. He brought in Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, and Eduardo Escobar. Thats nice, but how will Lindor overcome a bad year, DeGrom return to Cy Young form, or will Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo stop being home run pastries. Although the memes of LOLMETS could be over thanks to the hiring of their next manager. Buck Showalter. Just like in Baltimore the core players on the team were added before he arrived. If there is any chance for him to finally win a title this could be it. Although the NL East is top heavy, especially near the top. It’s fitting that their rivals down the turnpike are in the same situation.
Philadelphia Phillies (When will you play up to your potential): Spare me the rhetoric of this roster on paper and the fans believing that they will make a deep run before a game has even been played. Look I get you guys signed Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos and brought back Gregorius but the major concern on this roster is the bullpen. Pitching at Citizens Bank Park especially in the summer is a death sentence unless you are a Cy Young candidate. They did add Brad Hand and Corey Knebel which gives them a 2 closer bullpen. On offense they are going to need Rhys Hoskins, and Alec Bohm to overcome bad 2021 seasons. Any team with Bryce Harper is always considered as a threat to make the playoffs. It’s been a decade since Philadelphia has hosted a playoff game, and they hope that this is the year it comes to an end. If not both Dombrovski and Gerardi are getting the ax out of town. I wouldn’t blame the fans for being desperate.
Washington Nationals (The Rebuild is underway, sort of): I thought the Nationals were going to begin a long term rebuild from how I saw them at the end of last year. Apparently, they still think they can compete. Getting an aging but still effective Nelson Cruz will certainly help the hitting core. Especially when that lineup has Juan Soto in his prime. Another positive sign for DC is that Stephen Strasburg will be healthy this year. His void was missed badly last year, and if he’s back in 2019 form it should be a plus. Besides Soto, Cruz, and Josh Bell the offense isn’t really as well known as other teams in their division but they could pull out a shocker or 2. They may not be good this year, but the Nats at least have a foundation that can still be executed. Let’s see how this year will play out?
Chicago Cubs (They never take no for an answer): Not even one year after trading 3 major cornerstones of the franchise for prospects, the Cubs believe that they can make noise again in the NL Central. Considering that the rest of the division hasn’t done anything significant I don’t blame Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer for spending money again. This time Wrigleyville gets to witness the emergence of 2 young budding hitters in Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel. Willson Contreras and Ian Happ are still around and so is Kyle Hendricks in the rotation. Speaking of the pitching staff they added Marcus Stroman and Wade Miley in an attempt to get the Cubbies back to the playoffs. However their real prize this offseason comes from the Land of the Rising Sun. The Japanese Andre Dawson. (Or Sammy Sosa in 1998) A man who will not only make an impact, but introduce Cub fans to a new audience. One name will cause the division to be aware of his powers, Seiya Suzuki. (Plus he is in the prime of his career) If he plays like he did in Japan this team could make the playoffs. I just want a good team to root for again. (As a diehard of this team the last thing baseball needs is us Cubs fans being insufferable again)
Cincinnati Reds (Who do you think you are?): This is an organization that I really don’t understand. 3 years ago they decided to add pieces at the deadline despite being nowhere near the playoffs in an attempt to compete in the future. What did they do this time when they are close to making the playoffs? BOOM! You may have heard that sound before. I get that Castellanos was a free agent, and Sonny Gray had a massive contract but why? You can’t just rely on Joey Votto because this could be the beginning of a hard decline. At least Nick Senzel is promising, but what happened to their bullpen. Amir Garrett is gone too, didn’t see that coming. Let me guess the organization thinks they can make the playoffs with what they have. I swear its like they saw what the Bengals did and now they want to do the same. The only way you guys even make the playoffs is if the rest of your division falls flat on their faces. (Which was why Joe Burrow and their next door neighbors at Paul Brown Stadium even made the Super Bowl) And I don’t expect that to happen but yet again the NL Central is mediocre for the most part.
Milwaukee Brewers (The Anti Harvey’s Wallbangers): These guys aren’t one of those teams. The Brewers just happen to be a team that is starting to build a foundation for being one of the most consistent franchises in baseball. 4 straight playoff appearances will do that. Unlike previous Brew Crew teams, Milwaukee has been beating teams by way of the pitching staff. When you have 3 Cy Young Award candidates in the starting rotation, there’s a good chance you can make a long run. There is one thing that concerns me. The backend of the lineup. I know they have Yelich and Adames but part of me feels like they are going to have to play over their heads like last year. But like I said, when your rotation and bullpen is one of the best in the game, you don’t need to score runs. They might have to bring back 2011 Braun and Fielder to help them out offensively. (I’m just being hyperbole aren’t I)
Pittsburgh Pirates (A Fruitful Harvest): There is one source of optimism long term for the Pirates. Most of their good players are still producing in the minor leagues. Just like in 2020 and 2021 there will be plenty of tanks around PNC Park. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Brian Reynolds are only getting better but it’s still going to be a long season. At least you have the Steelers and Penguins. (The last thing the Yinzers need is for those 2 teams to be bad, with those front offices I don’t think so)
St Louis Cardinals (Nestalgia AGAIN): Tell me O’Muse about a team that fired their manager after the Wild Card Game last year when he clearly was the main reason as to why they were able to get there. Well it’s because the Cardinals believe they need the right guy to get them over the top. I know like most times over the past couple of seasons that St Louis has a furious hitting lineup but the pitching has me concerned. Is this the end of Wainwright’s prime, is Miles Mikolas cooked? And will their bullpen besides Gallegos not be a mess? There’s still many questions that the Cardinals have to face but something tells me they are trying to regain the old magic. (DRAMATIC MUSIC!) They brought back Albert Pujols. What is this 2011. Looks like he can try and break the home run record with the Cardinals if he stays for another couple of years. (That or have 3 retirement tours on one team with him, Yadier Molina, and Wainwright)
Arizona Diamondbacks (At least you have the Suns): Last year’s disaster of a season will be something that D-Backs fans aren’t going to want to talk about again. This year even though they are looking to be a weak team again, they don’t want another 5-40 stretch. They still have some decent players. Ketel Marte is in his prime, David Peralta is still raking, and Zac Gallen looks like the ace of the future. But other than that it could be another tank year. I wouldn’t tell them to panic yet. If I’m Arizona I would just let the start of the season play out because the Diamondbacks are very good at doing the exact opposite of what people believe they will do. You can call me crazy for saying that, but it’s reality. Also be prepared for a brutal division with all of Cali loading up.
Colorado Rockies (Drinking the Stupid Juice): This is the one organization in baseball that I don’t understand. Last year the Rockies should have blown up the core by trading Marquez and Story at the deadline. Instead they kept those 2 around because they thought that they could compete for a playoff spot in 2022. Well they lost Story to the Red Sox, but instead of letting Marquez go, Colorado not only re-signed him they made another foolish move. They threw massive amounts of money at Kris Bryant. I get that he hasn’t been the MVP player he was since 2016 but you overpaid him by at least 12 million in guaranteed money. Something tells me that the Rockies just want to be a good team. Nothing shows me that they are ready to compete for playoff berths. You’re not ready. STOP SAYING THAT YOU ARE!
Los Angeles Dodgers (Superteam 101): If there is one thing the city of LA knows how to do its attract talent for not only large money but to grow their brand. This offseason the Dodgers did just that. Even if Max Scherzer left for the Mets and Kenley Jansen left for Atlanta, they did get two of the biggest fish on the market. Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel. (TAKE THAT BRAVES!) Plus they brought back Kershaw too. Once again the Dodgers are loaded and if healthy they should be favorites to win another title. Most of that will rely on a bounce back year from Cody Bellinger, and the emergence of Gavin Lux. There also is still no news on Trevor Bauer. Whether he’ll be back or not is still up in the air. If he comes back their rotation could be deadly. The last thing LA needs is another superteam flailing out. Just ask the Lakers how that went for them.
San Diego Padres (Slam Diego Returns): Coming off one of the greatest collapses in baseball history, the Padres are trying to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Last year one of their biggest issues was team pitching. They at least tried to fix this with Sean Manaea who should fit in well. Let me guess Friars you’re going to be running a 6 man rotation. In today’s game it’s something that is unheard of but hey I’ll give them a chance. The offense will have an uphill climb to start the season because of one thing. CRACK! Fernando Tatis Jr is injured again and is on the 60 day IL. At least they have a young promising prospect in CJ Abrams set to make his big league debut at some point. As long as Manny Machado, and Wil Meyers are still crushing the ball they have a shot to make noise before Tatis comes back. And when he does, the swagger of Slam Diego will be back in session.
San Francisco Giants (Trying to build off of last year): Even if the Giants won 100+ games last year, I’m not so sure if they can repeat the magic. Kevin Gausman may be gone but they replaced him with a lefty ace in Carlos Rodon to pair him with Logan Webb. The hitting core will look somewhat different thanks to Kris Bryant leaving plus the longtime face of the franchise in Buster Posey retired this offseason. But with Crawford, Darin Ruf, Mike Yastrzemski, and Joc Pederson the offense should still be in the Top 10 in runs scored. I don’t know if they can win the NL West again, but definitely will have a chance to make the playoffs again. If Joey Bart becomes the next Posey then they could have even greater ambitions. Doesn’t it feel good when you don’t have to hear Gabe Kapler being described as a bad manager. Just don’t tell Philly that. PAUSE. The NL is very top heavy, especially in the NL East and West. There will be a few teams that will just miss out on the playoffs. Lets see who we have?
NL East
- Braves 97-65 #2
- Mets 93-69 #6
- Phillies 87-75
- Marlins 81-81
- Nationals 75-87
NL Central
- Brewers 90-62 #3
- Cubs 84-78
- Cardinals 84-78
- Reds 71-91
- Pirates 67-95
NL West
- Dodgers 103-59 #1
- Giants 100-62 #4
- Padres 96-66 #5
- Rockies 78-84
- Diamondbacks 70-92
NL Wild Card
#6 Mets over #3 Brewers 2-1
#5 Padres over #4 Giants 2-0
NLDS
#1 Dodgers over #6 Mets 3-1
#2 Braves over #5 Padres 3-0
NLCS
#1 Dodgers over #2 Braves 4-1
2022 World Series
#1 Dodgers over #2 Red Sox 4-2
NL MVP: Juan Soto, Nationals
NL Cy Young: Logan Webb, Giants
NL Rookie of the Year: Seiya Suzuki, Cubs
NL Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin, Padres
Bragging Rights Sports 