Exactly six months after Opening Day, baseball’s second season begins. The 2022 MLB playoffs have arrived with a new format and more teams, and, hopefully, even more drama and excitement.
(That’s how baseball math works, right?)
The additions of Wild Card Series and byes for most division winners bring a new wrinkle to the postseason, and it opens the door for all kinds of storylines and narratives.
MORE: Ranking all 12 playoff teams by their chances of winning the World Series
We all think we have a pretty good idea of how things will unfold, but baseball usually has its own plans. Predicting October outcomes is a fun but silly exercise because we never seem to learn our lesson about baseball’s unpredictable postseason temperament.
But, of course, we’re going to predict stuff anyway. Here are the 2022 postseason predictions from The Sporting News’ baseball staff.
Ryan Fagan, senior MLB writer
National League predictions
Wild card
Cardinals over Phillies
Padres over Mets
NLDS
Braves over Cardinals
Dodgers over Padres
NLCS
Braves over Dodgers
American League predictions
Wild card
Mariners over Blue Jays
Guardians over Rays
ALDS
Astros over Mariners
Guardians over Yankees
ALCS
Astros over Guardians
World Series prediction: Braves over Astros
Thoughts:
— As much as I hate picking a rematch, the Braves and Astros just look so very tough and it’s easy to see it happening. The question, of course, is which team has this year’s Eddie Rosario or Jorge Soler, the good players who play like Hall of Fame players in the October spotlight. Waiting for those unlikely heroes to emerge is part of the fun of the postseason.
— I understand the drama, but I’m so glad MLB ditched the one-game wild-card “series” in favor of a setup that’s more “baseball” … the entire season is comprised of a cavalcade of three-game series, so it makes sense that October has one, too. This one just has a bit more importance.
— I kinda love the condensed LCS schedules, without the off-day between Games 5 and 6. What that means is the two teams will play five days in a row, placing a lot more importance on pitching depth, especially rotation depth, and giving an edge to the deeper, more well-balanced teams.
*****
Jason Foster, senior MLB editor
National League predictions
Wild card
Cardinals over Phillies
Mets over Padres
NLDS
Braves over Cardinals
Dodgers over Mets
NLCS
Braves over Dodgers
American League predictions
Wild card
Mariners over Blue Jays
Guardians over Rays
ALDS
Astros over Mariners
Yankees over Guardians
ALCS
Astros over Yankees
World Series prediction: Braves over Astros
Thoughts:
— Will the four elite teams (Dodgers, Astros, Braves, Mets) blow through the competition or will one or more of them get bounced early? On paper, there really is a stark difference between these four teams and the rest of the field. But in October, paper is worthless. Along those lines …
— I’m most looking forward to the surprises. Which team will shock everyone with a long run? (Hello, Guardians) Which player(s) will unexpectedly go nuclear and carry their team(s) to glory? What defining, historic moment will happen between now and early November? This is why we watch.
— Will the teams with byes show any rust when the division series start? Getting time off to rest and set rotations would seem to be a huge benefit, but five days off is a long time between games. Will the down time make it harder to “turn it on” again? That’s doubtful, but you never know.
*****
MORE: MLB postseason betting guide: World Series odds, best bets
Edward Sutelan, content producer
National League predictions
Wild card
Cardinals over Phillies
Mets over Padres
NLDS
Braves over Cardinals
Mets over Dodgers
NLCS
Mets over Braves
American League predictions
Wild card
Guardians over Rays
Blue Jays over Mariners
ALDS
Guardians over Yankees
Astros over Blue Jays
ALCS
Guardians over Astros
World Series prediction: Guardians over Mets
Thoughts:
— Let’s address the elephant in the room first: picking the division champion with the fewest wins to claim the title. The Guardians are a team that seem to buck almost every trend. They don’t hit home runs. They don’t strike out. They don’t walk much. They’re fast. Cleveland is a team uniquely built to face almost any team. This team has defied expectations all season. Don’t count them out now.
— Can you remember a postseason with a better group of pitchers all in the same field? Collectively, nine pitchers in the field have won a Cy Young. Sure, David Price and Corey Kluber aren’t who they used to be, but Justin Verlander might make it 17 Cy Youngs by year’s end, and Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Bieber have all been exceptional. That’s not to mention Shane McClanahan, Nestor Cortes, Alek Manoah, Julio Urias, Max Fried and others. Expect it to be a low-scoring postseason.
— It is a shame that the Mets and Dodgers would have to face off in the NLDS. I think everyone would want to see deGrom and Scherzer face Kershaw and Urias multiple times. That seems unlikely in a best-of-five. Even if the Braves caught New York down the stretch in the NL East race, I still view the Mets as the team no one wants to face on the National League side.
*****
Kevin Skiver, content producer
National League predictions
Wild card
Cardinals over Phillies
Mets over Padres
NLDS
Braves over Cardinals
Dodgers over Mets
NLCS
Dodgers over Braves
American League predictions
Wild card
Mariners over Blue Jays
Guardians over Rays
ALDS
Astros over Mariners
Yankees over Guardians
ALCS
Astros over Yankees
World Series prediction: Dodgers over Astros
Thoughts:
— The biggest thing I want to see in this postseason is how the format affects the way pitchers are handled. The Mariners coming in with a shorter pitching staff is an interesting strategy but a reasonable one with Sam Haggerty out. Meanwhile, teams like the Mets seem well-suited to a longer postseason rotation wise, but a thin middle bullpen could be their biggest issue. Which philosophy will win out?
— How will new additions fare? Will Luis Castillo be a difference-maker for the Mariners? Can Juan Soto become the glass slipper for the postseason Padres? Will the Cardinals and/or Yankees benefit from adding Jose Quintana and Jordan Montgomery or Frankie Montas and Harrison Bader, respectively? The Braves were a snake in the grass at last year’s deadline, and they struck in the playoffs. Which team can fit that mold this season?
MORE: Full MLB playoff bracket, schedule
*****
Tom Gatto, senior editor
National League predictions
Wild card
Cardinals over Phillies
Mets over Padres
NLDS
Braves over Cardinals
Dodgers over Mets
NLCS
Dodgers over Braves
American League predictions
Wild card
Blue Jays over Mariners
Rays over Guardians
ALDS
Astros over Mariners
Rays over Yankees
ALCS
Astros over Rays
World Series prediction: Dodgers over Astros
Thoughts:
— What effects will the new Wild Card Series have on the Division Series? Will teams have to make multiple roster moves with their pitchers if the WCS is really tough? Will the teams that earned a week off before the LDS be too rusty for a game or two?
— Likewise, whose bullpen can handle up to 22 postseason games the best? Can Josh Hader hold up in San Diego? How about the Rays’ committee? Will Emmanuel Clase become an October legend in Cleveland? Which starters will make contributions out of the ‘pen?
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