Much to my surprise, yet again, the MLB season started this afternoon. I was oblivious to this news. I have been more focused on my son's baseball team, we started on Tuesday. I remember the lockout, and them resolving it eventually, but the season always seems to sneak up on me. I just do not seem to give it the same attention I did as a kid. Truth be told, I am much more pumped for the NBA playoffs, which start in about a week.

Like I do every year, I have my version of a "preview" of the season. RD is much more the expert on MLB, but I will give it a go and give you guys some predictions. I'll give division winners, the multiple wildcards, the AL and NL champs, some award winners and my World Series winner. Like I say every year, take this with the biggest grain of salt you can find. I truly am out of my element, but hey, I still like baseball. Here it goes.

The AL seems to be solid. There are some really good teams. I do not remember who the Braves played in the World Series last year, had to look up who won in fact, but there are always big hitting, high run scoring teams in the AL. The Toronto Bluejays seem to be the vogue pick in the East, and I am not different. I adore Vlad Guerroro Jr, and I think he alone can lead them to the playoffs. The Central will be competitive. The Tigers look good on paper, the White Sox won it last season and they appear to be loaded. Most "experts" are picking the White Sox, but I am going to go with the Twins. I have family members that are big time Twins fans, so this is a family fueled pick. For as much as they cheat, the Astros should win the West. They are the far superior team in that division. The Angels cannot seem to get it together and the Mariners are done being everyone's "surprise" team. As far as the three, that is right three, wild card teams, I'll go with the Yankees because they can buy talent, the Red Sox because they too can buy talent and the Rays because they seem to have dope pitching every season.

Moving over the NL, we will start with the East here too. The Mets and Phillies seem to be the vogue picks for the division. But why is no one on the Braves? They won it all last year. They did it without Acuna Jr. And I don't think they lost too much. I'll stick with the defending champs in the East. Man oh man would I love, love, love to pick the Cardinals in the Central. But the Brewers are too loaded. I remember seeing them in the playoffs for a minute last season. They are better than any team in that division. But, at least the Cards will be better than the Cubs. The Brewers will win the Central. The West will be owned by the Dodgers. They have the most talent, the most money and if push comes to shove, they will buy any type of talented player they want. The Dodgers are now the villains of baseball. They are the Yankees of the 90's. They will coast. As for the three wild cards, I am going full homer with the Cardinals in one spot, and the Phillies and the Mets to round it all out.

As for the AL pennant, I think the Bluejays will play the Astros, and the Bluejays will win. Good will prevail. And I just want to see Guerroro Jr get his just due. That kid is awesome. He makes baseball fun to watch. Him, Shoehai Ohtani and Fernando Tatis Jr make the game of baseball watchable nowadays. In the NL, I'm going with the Dodgers over the Brewers. I would love to see the Brewers win for multiple reasons, mainly because that is my dad's team, but the Dodgers are too good. They have so many all stars on that team. And like I said, if someone gets hurt or wants out, they will just replace them with an equal or better player because they have so much money.

I think it is pretty obvious that I have the Dodgers beating the Bluejays in the series and winning it all. Unfortunately. But the sports world will really get to know Vlad Guerroro Jr very well this baseball season. I even think he will find a way to beat out Ohtani for the MVP this season. Well, maybe. I do think that someone, maybe Mookie Betts, from the Dodgers will win the NL MVP. I could see Juan Soto giving a fight, but Betts is probably the best player on the best team. I want, and am predicting, that Shoehai Ohtani will win the AL Cy Young and Max Scherzer will win the NL Cy Young. As for the other stuff, honestly, I have zero idea what is going to happen, and I don't know enough to throw some names out there.

There you have it, my 2022 MLB preview. Play ball.

Ty

Another View

2022 the first “normal” season in years, is all about transition. A few teams are taking one last plunge with their guys. The Cardinals, Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers are all or nothing for 2022. Other teams, like the Padres, Blue Jays, Brewers, and Mariners, are ready to take that next step. Let’s break it down.

The AL East will be the most competitive division in baseball. Every team except the Orioles will have over 85 wins. In the end the Toronto Blue Jays will have the most wins.

The NL East is going to be a paper tiger. The Phillies and Mets look good now, they will not be good in the end. Atlanta takes the division again.

The AL Central is the White Sox and everyone else trying to get into the wild card conversation. Any of them could make it, but Chicago will win the division again.

The NL Central has the good, Milwaukee and St. Louis, and the bad. Chicago, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh will not compete this year. The Pirates may lose over 120 games. They are terrible.

The AL West is like the AL East, just not as good. Texas Anaheim, and Oakland will be bothersome, but it will be a fight between the been there Astros and the upstart Mariners. I’m going with Seattle to win the division.

The NL West will be interesting, yet predictable. No way the Giants win 107 games again, but the Dodgers will still have to contend with them and San Diego. Dodgers will win the division.

The three Al Wild Cards will be the Yankees, Rays, and in a surprise, the Detroit Tigers.

The NL Wild cards will be St. Louis, San Diego, and San Francisco.

The ALCS will pit the surprising Seattle Mariners against the soon to be dynastic Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays win.

The NLCS will be a division matchup between the Cardinals and Brewers. The old guys on St. Louis will win the pennant.

Blue Jays and Cardinals, battle of the birds for the World Series. St. Louis wins with a walk off homerun from Albert Pujols in game seven. Fairytale ending.

RD

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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