mlb standings predictions 2022 mlb standings predictions 2022

while Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez bring the kind of veteran bats any team needs when it wants to make a leap in the . Just when everyone thoughtthe Rockiesmight be headed toward a rebuild, they go out and make a big splash by signing Kris Bryant. Robbie Ray, the AL Cy Young winner, is also gone. Acquiring Sonny Gray improves the rotation, but it could still use a front-line starter. Milwaukee finished with a DEF of 56, which was eight more runs than the next best team. 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. MLB.com. Back # WL Div GB # AL WL Pct GB # WL Div GB # Ultimately, this is a total rebuild and the organization isnt thinking about the final MLB standings in 2022. However, the starting rotation just doesnt seem good enough in a long season. MLB playoffs 2023: MLB postseason predictions, World Series and playoffs info, Longest MLB hitting streaks ever: 2022 to baseball history, 5 biggest winners from 2022 MLB offseason, MLB top prospects 2022: Tracking latest stats and potential call-up dates, 3 Chicago White Sox trade targets to replace Lance Lynn, 2022 Boston Red Sox schedule, roster and predictions, MLB MVP race 2023: Evaluating 2023 AL, NL candidates and MVP history, MLB trade rumors Latest MLB rumors entering July, What is the fastest pitch ever? Unfortunately, the starting rotation and lineup arent remotely good enough to even challenge for 72 wins. . 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 | Cleveland might be trending the wrong direction compared to most teams, but finishing last still feels like a bit of a stretch. Justin Verlander's return is hugefor the Astros, coming off their third World Series appearance in five years. All Rights Reserved. This is tough. Watch out, Milwaukee is a darkhorse World Series threat. Major League Leaders . Instead, the club went 81-81 and missed the postseason, finishing 11 games behind the upstart Guardians. TeamRankings.com is not affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or March Madness Athletic Association, neither of which has supplied, reviewed, approved or endorsed the material on this site. There has been a lot going on in the AL West since the 2021 season came to an end, and the model expects the standings to turn out about as one might expect. Washington Nationals (88-74) The NL East is loaded, but any team anchored by Max Scherzer and Juan Soto can't be overlooked. The Mariners may have somethingto say about that, though, making some big moves in hopes of ending baseball's longest postseason drought dating back to 2001. I took the Rays' under (it was 86) last year and got badly burned. . Trevor Rogers nearly won Rookie of the Year, and Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez each had ERAs south of 3.20. But much of the rest of the lineup is unproven. 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. . Everyone is just waiting forthe Angelsto finally live up to their potential. Like the Tigers,the Royals are loaded with MLB-ready talent from Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez and Nick Pratto all expected to reach the big leagues at some point during the season to add to an offense that already includes Salvador Perez, Nicky Lopez and Whit Merrifield. The St. Louis Cardinals strengthened their rotation depth this offseason, signing Steven Matz. It was a surprise to see theCubs spendsemi-big onSeiya Suzuki and Marcus Stroman and Chicago enters the new season with most of the roster turned over Cincinnati stayed in the hunt into September last season, but now they'vetraded Sonny Gray, Jesse Winker andEugenio Suarez. The moves made this offseason ensure this team will be competitive, maybe even enough to play in October under a 14-team playoff format. ZiPS has it as a much closer race, projecting the Yankees for 89 wins and the Blue Jays for 88. The Sporting News is unveiling a model to project the 2022 MLB season and make predictions based on the results. The model is also high on the pitching of the Giants, giving San Francisco a major edge going into the postseason even as a wild-card team. Fans of the Yankeesare disappointed that New York wasn't able to land any major name in free agency, but that doesn't stop the model from being bullish on the Bronx Bombers' chances to make the playoffs. 2005-2023 Team Rankings, LLC. MLB OFFSEASON GRADES:Dodgers, Mets earn high marks; Yankees confuse. Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon showed they can make a promising tandem fans of the franchise can build around. Having also crammed these past few weeks, USA TODAY Sports presents its 2022 record predictions, an annual exercise in prognostication attempting to make sense of what went down this offseason and how it fits into team trajectory. Standings. The 2022 MLB season is finally here. Thats enough to push them ahead of New York in our MLB predictions. 1. Joey Votto has never hit 40 homers in a season. The rotation is still thin and the bullpen is a mess, so they will fall short of being swept in the 2022 MLB postseason. Factoring in that advantage along with an electrifying Cardinals bullpen, elite defense and a sufficient lineup, we expect St. Louis in a Wild Card Game. The Angels are playoff contenders and the Rangers aren't. We also like Clevelands pitching. AL East This is undoubtedly the toughest division in baseball. Sidelined until June, in a best-case scenario, that wipes out multiple wins in our MLB predictions. With the last few days of build up comes all kinds of predictions, picks, best bets and the like. We do like the Sean Manaea addition, it solidifies one of the best rotations in baseball. With the new campaign comes the intrigue over how it will turn out. Are the Blue Jays even with the Yankees, or way behind? With the last few days of build up comes all kinds of predictions, picks, best bets and the like. If there werent enough concerns, early IL stints for Evan Longoria and Lamonte Wade Jr. heighten worries with the Giants lineup and its diminishing depthj. Adley Rutschman and Grayson Rodriguez aren't far away from reaching the majors, and bats like Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle have already proven they can mash in the big leagues. 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. Find the best projected stats of the 2023 MLB season and build the best Fantasy Baseball team. Losing Carlos Correa hurts, its why were not projecting the Astros to win the AL pennant, but theres a real gap between Houston and its competition in the division. Everyone wants to see his light-tower power in the thin air of Coors Field, just as CJ Cron in his first year in Colorado. They will join Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. 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. However, its outfield will be problematic and the starting rotation is even worse. 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. The 2020 World Series champions have +600 odds to lift the Commissioner's Trophy in 2022, while the Pirates, Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks are tied for the lowest at +25000. It also highlights the risk of a starting rotation with so many durability worries. PECOTA, however, sees a sizable gap of roughly five games between them, with the Mets on top. The key tothe Giants'success in 2021 was a standout rotation. A complete list of this year's voters: . Jesse Yomtov. The offense added Starling Marte and Mark Canha to a lineup that was already strong with Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso in the infield and Brandon Nimmo in the outfield. The Mariners, as currently constructed, are going to be a better, more well-rounded baseball team in 2022 than they were in 2021. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted MORE:Cody Bellinger is struggling again, but Dodgers are so good that it might not matter. There is going to be some competition in Texas soon enough for the AL West crown. The slugging corner infielders of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado make up a powerful middle-of-the-order tandem, and Tommy Edman should help at the top of the lineup. If the rookies can play up to their projections and immediately become impact talents, this could be an underrated team in 2022. Wed also feel comfortable projecting a Willson Contreras trade in our MLB predictions, coming in July. Nov. 4, 2022. Until those issues are addressed, even a .500 record feels unlikely. The predicted standings for each team are the average wins and losses in the 20,000 simulations. MLB insider Bob Nightengale examines if the fans will forgive league for ugly offseason. But it's easy to see them beat those projections. The Cubsare engaging in a rebuild/reload to try and keep the team competition, while also building up its young core again. This section is showing information that is up to date as of the end of the 2022 MLB season. As part of our year-round MLB coverage, we'll provide analysis, the latest news and MLB trade rumors . The problem is so often health, and that is the concern the model has for the Angels. New York Mets - 94-68 (101-61 in 2022, 2nd in NLE) It's tough to predict a regression for the Mets, but we truly believe their 2023 campaign will be a bit less successful than their 2022 campaign. 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. It's always possible Aaron Nola gets back to ace level and Ranger Surez has all kinds of talent, possibly giving the Phillies a Big Three. Way Too Early MLB 2022 National League Standings Predictions. NEW YORK YANKEES 103-59. NHL 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoff chances and projected standings. My hunch this year is they'll be less extreme and steadily work toward somewhere in the low-to-mid 80s in wins. mlb preview 2022. But after an offseason spent filling out their roster with solid role players, ZiPS and PECOTA both think they have a good chance to break their ignominious drought in 2023. Now, the Red Sox also have Trevor Story, who should certainly enjoy teeing off the Green Monster. The NL Central is mediocre, at best, and the Cardinals are a part of the mediocrity. Is it as simple as looking at their negative-51 run differential, which carried with it and expected 76-86 record? The Mets committed nearly $500 million to free agents this offseason, re-signing Edwin Daz and Brandon Nimmo while also inking Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and Jos Quintana to replace departed starters deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker. O/U wins: 91.5. 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. 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. MLB Spring Training Standings 2023. We know there are moving parts and differences every single season and the Blue Jays have to replace the career year from Marcus Semien. I don't buy the Padres or Giants as 90-plus win teams, either. A lineup that already featured the reigning MVP in Bryce Harper added the dynamic bat of Nick Castellanos and left-handed slugger Kyle Schwarber. The Padres are absolutely a fringe playoff contender in the NL, but I'm not seeing them on the cusp of 90 wins. EX. They've got that again in 2022. 2022 Year to Date: 2023 Projected Rest of Season: 2023 Projected Full Season: Team G . The Tigersare in a position where it feels like they are on the verge of putting it all together at the big-league level. For now, with everyone healthy, this looks like a Wild Card team that doesnt reach the ALDS. The Rays have won the division two years in a rowbut didn't do much to upgrade,and have a lot riding on Wander Franco (and his new 11-year, $182 million contract)taking a significant step forward Yankees fans may have hated the offseason, but the team didn't get significantly worse over the winter. 3 - New York Mets. How this works: Elo ratings are a measure of team strength based on head-to-head results, margin of victory and quality of opponent. Scorched. But there was actually a lot that went wrong with the Padres' pitching staff last season and they were still 67-49 through Aug. 10, a pace of 94 wins, before melting down the rest of the way. Someone is going to have to take the crown away fromthe Astrosbefore anyone, even the model, would consider picking against them. Texans spent heavily on Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, adding two All-Star hitters to the lineup. Despite signing Trea Turnerin free agency, neither ZiPS nor PECOTA views the Phils as a major threat to win this division. The team will also get another look at breakout star Jazz Chisholm in his second year of action. They've lost key names over the past several years from George Springer to Justin Verlander (for a season due to injury) and now, most recently, Correa. Get the most up to date picture of the 2022 MLB season standings. The Los Angeles Dodgers might have lost the NL West in 2021, but theres no doubt this is the best team in the division entering the 2022 season. This doesn't necessarily mean they'll win the World Series and a surprisingly disappointing season is always possible. 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. 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. The defense is terrible. The rotation might be even better in 2022 with the return of Mike Soroka to join Max Fried, Ian Anderson, Charlie Morton and Huascar Ynoa. This is not expected to be the year that the Oriolesmake a surprising surge to the playoffs and shock the baseball world, but it feels like that time is at least getting closer. The model likes the Dodgers to win the pennant and finish with the best record in baseball, while the Giants are the second-most likely team to win the pennant, barely edging out the Braves, who are likely to earn the second bye by virtue of winning their division with the second-best record among division winners. SEA . Tyler Stephenson finishes with 20+ home runs, 80+ runs, and 80+ RBIs. The Rockies don't figure to be in the mix for the playoffs in 2022, but that lineup could be fun to watch. AL Central predictions. 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. But in this new season, expectations are once again high for them. The Blue Jays will, once again, be one of the best fourth-place finishers since MLB went to the six-division format in 1994. 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. The Guardiansfeel like the biggest surprise in the division. The model's concerns for Seattle stem from its uncertain pitching depth beyond Ray and Marco Gonzales and the risk of an underperforming infield, but make no mistake, the future is bright in Seattle. 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? They'll be one of the best home teams in baseball this year. Pitching depth will be crucial because of the compressed training period before the regular season starts. 2022 MLB preseason predictions: World Series, MVP and Cy Young bets we're counting on this year. The speedy outfield of Tyler O'Neill, Harrison Bader and Dylan Carlson returns as the best defensive unit in baseball, and they're each expected to improve offensively. Milwaukee had a relatively quiet offseason after finishing seven games behind St. Louis last season, but PECOTA projects the teams vaunted pitching staff to allow 41 fewer runs than that of St. Louis. 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. 2023 Playoff Odds, . By no means do I think the Rockies are good, nor will they come close to playoff contention. We're on to the American League West in our 2022 MLB standings predictions. With Chris Bassitt, Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer lined up . 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. RHP Max Scherzer inked a super lucrative three-year deal with the New York Mets, paying him an average salary of $43.3 million. Coming off an 81-81 campaign, San Francisco had an offseason that can best be described as OK. The Giants had grand designs to add a superstar, but they came up short in the Judge sweepstakes and walked away from a deal with Carlos Correa, reportedly due to concerns about his physical. and that rotation is littered with question marks after Joe Musgrove. Are the Braves even with the Mets, or way behind? Should-be ace Jack Flaherty has a shoulder injury. However, there are reasons for why it turned out as it did. 6-keys: media/spln/mlb/reg/free/stories, at CHW Chicago White Sox. So does former wunderkind Alex Reyes. See how your team stacks up against the rest of Major League Baseball with league, division, and playoff standings. 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. ZiPS projects both the Mariners and Angels for 85 wins, putting the two clubs in a tie for the third AL Wild Card spot behind the Blue Jays and Rays. The results of each simulation are tallied together to create the most likely outcomes of the divisions, playoffs and World Series. Instead, the model likes the chances ofthe Cardinalsto win the NL Central. Starting with the winners, there won't be many who will dispute that the White Sox should be the favorite to win the division. The Cardinals often get far too much from their starters than they should. Statistical data provided by Gracenote. 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. We also like the depth pieces added to the staff (Carlos Martinez, Matt Boyd) and it will prove crucial this year. Now that the season is over, the parade is done, and the dust has settled it is time to start looking at the 2022 season. It's a good, though not great, mix of position players. The one thing missing is another quality outfielder to fill out the lineup. It might not matter right now, but it will cost them multiple games and potentially a playoff spot. After adding closer Craig Kimbrel, the gap between Los Angeles and its NL West foes is even wider. 2 spot. The bullpen lost Jansen, but added Craig Kimbrel to go along with Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol. The biggest question mark for Los Angeles is undoubtedly in its rotation, where Walker Buehler will be the unquestioned ace after Scherzer left. Landing Carlos Correa is a monumental upgrade at shortstop, improving this teams fielding and run production. As part of our year-round MLB coverage, well provide analysis, the latest news and MLB trade rumors. A young Tigers team will take another step forward . Projection rollouts have become a time-honored tradition in the lead up to every baseball season, and FanGraphs writer Dan Szymborskis ZiPS and Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA are two of the most trusted projection systems around. In a women's flyweight championship bout on the main card, Valentina Shevchenko takes on Alexa Grasso Saturday at UFC 285 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. By Dom Luszczyszyn. Its not a huge surprise that ZiPS projects the Padres and Dodgers for the same record. The AL playoff picture will likely not come as a surprise. It's Cleveland vs. Minnesota for the AL Central title. There are two MVP candidates in the lineup and the Trevor Story signing creates one of the best infield in MLB. Chicago White Sox. The model expects some regression, but the pitching will keep this as one of the best teams in baseball. 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. Everyone needs to get their two cents in and, why not? The rest of the AL Central is largely thinking about the future. Edwin Diaz was a dominant closer in 2021, and figures again to be among the best relievers in 2022. 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. We like the Zack Greinke return and have optimism for the Royals future, but 2022 wont be great. 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. The increase in the number of teams losing on purpose has left a lot more wins for the good teams to grab. Design and development by Jay Boice. It's fun when you hit it and you get to show you're mature enough to be accountable and use self-deprecating humor when you lose badly. There are question marks all over the place, as I explained in the preview. All posts tagged "MLB" Feb. 22, 2023. . by Retrosheet. 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. The NL Central hasn't had a repeat champion since the Cubs in 2016-17, and PECOTA expects that trend to continue in 2023, giving the Brewers a two-game edge over the Cardinals. Los Angeles Dodgers: +600. The Records are updated Live on the MLB Standings after each game finishes. Thats two huge additions, creating a lineup that should be among the NL leaders in home runs and RBI. Something is going to give there -- in terms of sending one team down to the mid-80s in wins, this time around -- and the Red Sox total is 85.5. All Rights Reserved. However, this is still a loaded team. 1 overall spot in the AL. I was going to be choosing between the Red Sox and Rays and the Rays' number is four higher, so here we are. The Blue Jays were widely considered to be one of the AL favorites to reach the World Series entering 2022, but they ended up finishing seven games behind the Yankees in the AL East and were swept by the Mariners in the AL Wild Card Series. It's hard to see that changing in 2022 with a new crop of players in the AL Central. This team is largely the same one that went on a 17-game winning streak at the end of the season to blaze past the Reds, Phillies and Padres to capture the second wild-card and sneak into the playoffs. The odds of winning the pennant tell the story of just how locked down the field sees the 2022 playoff picture. Many thought they'd be that bad last year and they won 74 games. March 4, 2023 7:30 am EDT. PECOTA views the Bronx Bombers as heavy favorites in the AL East, with Toronto projected for roughly nine fewer wins. 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. The NL West was incredibly loaded in 2021, with the Giants finishing with the best record in baseball and the Dodgers owning the second-best record in baseball. The Diamondbacksfinished tied with Baltimore for the worst record in baseball in 2021, but like the Orioles, they are starting to see the future of the franchise. Hes going to be one of the best players in MLB before long and some even think hell get MVP votes in 2022. Throw in a few more guys like Gunnar Henderson and DL Hall, and this team could be fun to watch in a few years. They are picked as a slight favorite to win the Commissioner's Trophy, just edging out the Blue Jays. With that, multiple analysts within The Athletes Hub have sat down and explained their personal opinions on what could take place. Vlad Guerrero Jr. ties Joe DiMaggio for the 2nd-most HR . March 1st, 2023. The Rangerswere the talk of the offseason before the lockout when they made two major splashy signings in bringing in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to produce maybe the best middle-infield combination in baseball. Below are the picks and predictions made by The Sporting News' model for how the 2022 MLB season is going to unfold. 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. 5 min read. For now, well keep the Yankees in the No. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Duke vs. UNC odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.. After these rivals, located just 7 miles apart, met in the . Alek Thomas should make his debut at some point in 2022 to join fellow young bats like Ketel Marte, Daulton Varsho and Carson Kelly. Here are predictions for the 2022 MLB season, including complete standings, playoff teams and the World Series winner. The Phillieswere one of several teams competing near the end of the season for a wild card spot before the Cardinals went on their wild winning streak to take away that final spot. 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. If Alex Bregman bounces back to what he's capable of, this should remain one of the highest-scoring offenses. MLB. 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. Carter Kieboom has been hyped for some time, and will finally be given a full opportunity once he returns from his forearm injury. Christian Yelich can only get better after . There were three last season. MLB is back, but will fans be after ugly offseason? But ZiPS doesnt see it that way, and neither does PECOTA. Jesus Luzardo wasn't sharp in his Miami debut, but he's shown off his electric skillset and sky-high potential in Spring Training and will likely be a popular breakout pick. I like getting late in the signing process and just going offense by adding Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to Bryce Harper et al in the lineup, though. Sign In. The introduction of the DH to the NL should help Dominic Smith and Robinson Cano produce at a higher rate as well. 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. MLB predictions for the AL East are the most fun, theyll even vary on a weekly basis. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. After signing Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Jon Gray for a combined $556 million in 2021, the Rangers inked Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, Nathan Eovaldi and Martn Prez and traded for Jake Odorizzi this offseason. 5 starter. The team has pieces that will help it win games, with Frankie Montas at the front of that rotation and top prospect Cristian Pache immediately slotting into the outfield with Ramon Laureano. Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel each had solid debut seasons in 2021, and return as established starters with Ian Happ and Willson Contreras. 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. Victor Robles still flashes big potential, but has yet to make everything click. They have the best hitter of this generation in Mike Trout and the most talented player of all time in Shohei Ohtani, yet they continue to finish below .500. Customized picks for NFL and college football pickem contests (weekly and season long). Is the NL West a two- or three-team race? The biggest thing we like about the Rays is their wealth of pitching, a crucial factor in a season where arms will be tested more than ever. Well give credit to the Chicago Cubs for not tearing everything down and beginning a total rebuild. And I'd win the under. While Atlanta lost longtime franchise fixture Freddie Freeman, it replaced him with Matt Olson from the A's, who should be able to more than match the power output of the former MVP.