Opening Day is set for April 7, as the 99-day lockout came to an end two weeks ago. Teams assembled for a hasty spring training, with games starting March 17 and 18, and it will be interesting to see how the pitchers fare on such a limited phase-in. Teams can have as many pitchers as they want on their major league rosters until April 30 (and can have 28 players up on the big club overall, two above the usual 26). What can we expect to see in 2022? We have some thoughts about teams that may influence your online MLB betting decisions.
MLB News: Favorites, Smart Picks and Dark Horses for the 2022 Season
Favorites
The Dodgers did lose Max Scherzer and Corey Seager to free agency, but Trea Turner will return to shortstop. The only real problem, if you can call it that, is a need for a couple more arms in the starting rotation, but given the deep pockets of the franchise, nabbing a few more free agents should not be a problem. They have brought Clayton Kershaw back, but while he will eat up innings, his performance in the last few postseasons has shown that he is on the downward swing in his career trajectory.
The White Sox have a terrific starting rotation led with Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease and Lance Lynn, along with the majority of their playoff squad from a year ago. They still need a right fielder and a second baseman, and their bullpen has some question marks, but the bats should deliver once again this time around, and so long as they can avoid injury in the early going, those first three starters should win a lot more than they lose.
Tampa Bay broke the 100-win barrier for the first time thanks to a young collection of pitchers who had never really done much at this level before, and the Rays look to ride them again. Josh Fleming and Ryan Yarbrough are back, and Tommy Romero and Yonny Chirinos are the youngsters looking to break through this year. Luis Patino, Drew Rasmussen, Shane Baz and Shane McClanahan are also looking to make their mark.
The Mets have brought manager Buck Showalter to see what he can do with a roster that has the talent on it to win the NL East. Max Scherzer joins the starting rotation, Eduardo Escobar will upgrade the infield, and Mark Canha and Starling Marte will bring big bats to the outfield. Their rotation needs one more arm, and their bullpen could use a lefty, but this is another team for whom money is really no object.
Smart Picks
Should you ever leave the Yankees out of a postseason discussion? Their bullpen is solid, but their starting rotation gets a bit iffy after Gerrit Cole. Luis Severino is a promising talent, but he has only made seven appearances since he signed a four-year deal back in 2019, as injuries have sidelined him. The Yankees need at least one more signature arm in their rotation to be taken seriously.
Toronto inked Jose Berrios to a seven-year, $131 million deal to mark him as the ace after bringing him in at the trade deadline. They finished 91-71, just out of the playoffs, and Kevin Gausman joins the team in free agency to co-headline the rotation. He had a breakout season in San Francisco, and he has turned that into a big contract.
Dark Horses
Philadelphia returns Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler, and they added Corey Knebel on a one-year deal to be the closer. Righthander Jeurys Familia, the Mets’ one-time closer, is also in on a one-year deal, and he would make an intriguing setup man. With needs in the outfield and the bullpen, as well as a leadoff hitter, the Phillies have some more shopping to do, but in that small ballpark, fortunes can change in one swing of the bat.
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