Three of The Game Day’s MLB writers were tasked with making 2022 baseball season predictions for the World Series winner, playoff teams, and player award winners.
Read their 2022 MLB season predictions for which team will lift the WS trophy; which squads will win their MLB division; and which players will take home the hardware in the AL and NL for MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year.
All MLB betting odds are current as of April 6, 2022, at Caesars Sportsbook.
World Series Pick 2022
| Team | World Series % | World Series Breakeven Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | 20.00% | 401 |
| New York Yankees | 19.90% | 402 |
| New York Mets | 15.30% | 554 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 10.60% | 841 |
| Atlanta Braves | 7.90% | 1161 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 7.20% | 1292 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 5.30% | 1788 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4.40% | 2189 |
| San Diego Padres | 2.90% | 3358 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 2.60% | 3812 |
| Seattle Mariners | 2.00% | 4890 |
| Minnesota Twins | 0.80% | 12526 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 0.70% | 13269 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 0.20% | 43003 |
| Field | 0.20% | 43003 |
Toronto Blue Jays defeat Los Angeles Dodgers
Both teams have loaded lineups, but the Dodgers will prove to have the edge in pitching, and only look more formidable after acquiring Craig Kimbrel. — SCOTT ENGEL
- Play ball with our full 2022 World Series Predictions & Odds.
Toronto Blue Jays defeat Philadelphia Phillies
Two teams that were held back by awful bullpens look poised to take the leap into World Series contention. The Blue Jays and Phillies each have what you need for a championship: a stacked offense, well-rounded rotation, and improved bullpen. — FRANK AMMIRANTE
Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto might be the most talented team in the American League, while Los Angeles has the best roster in all of baseball. If these teams do meet up in the Fall Classic, I’m taking the Dodgers because of their superior pitching. —TYLER MAHER
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AL Playoff Team Picks
| Team | Pennant Win % | Breakeven Odds |
|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 47.6% | 110 |
| Houston Astros | 36.4% | 175 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 5.4% | 1764 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 4.2% | 2254 |
| Minnesota Twins | 3.3% | 2919 |
| Chicago White Sox | 1.0% | 9590 |
| Boston Red Sox | 0.9% | 10913 |
| Cleveland Guardians | 0.6% | 16907 |
| Seattle Mariners | 0.3% | 34147 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 0.1% | 146959 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 0.1% | 118948 |
| Texas Rangers | 0.1% | 67468 |
| Detroit Tigers | 0.0% | #DIV/0! |
| Kansas City Royals | 0.0% | #DIV/0! |
| Oakland Athletics | 0.0% | #DIV/0! |
NL Playoff Team Picks
| NL East | NL Central | NL West | NL Wild Card | NL Wild Card | NL Wild Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Ammirante | Phillies | Brewers | Dodgers | Mets | Padres | Giants |
| Scott Engel | Mets | Brewers | Dodgers | Phillies | Braves | Padres |
| Tyler Maher | Braves | Brewers | Dodgers | Mets | Phillies | Padres |
Check out our full pennant and division previews
AL & NL MVP Picks
| AL MVP | NL MVP | |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Ammirante | Byron Buxton | Juan Soto |
| Scott Engel | Luis Robert | Freddie Freeman |
| Tyler Maher | Mike Trout | Juan Soto |
AL MVP: Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
NL MVP: Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Robert is going to have a major breakout season as he leads Chicago to a division title, and Freeman will be the crux of the best lineup in the National League. — SCOTT ENGEL
AL MVP: Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota Twins
NL MVP: Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals
Buxton slashed .306/.358/.647 while playing elite defense last season. If he can stay healthy, he’s going to have a chance to win AL MVP.
Soto put up a ridiculous .329/.489/.589 slash from June 1st onwards last season. He’s got a ceiling that we haven’t seen yet and the Nationals don’t need to make the playoffs for him to win this award. — FRANK AMMIRANTE
AL MVP: Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
NL MVP: Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals
Injuries and the pandemic have cost Trout a lot of time over the past two seasons, but he’s still one of the best players in baseball when healthy. He’s only 30, so he should have at least one more MVP left in him.
A slow start probably cost Soto the award last year, but he still finished runner-up thanks to a monster second half and arguably should have won over Bryce Harper. If he picks up where he left off, he’ll win this award easily. — TYLER MAHER
Read our full 2022 MVP predictions
AL & NL Cy Young Picks
| AL Cy Young | NL Cy Young | |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Ammirante | Gerrit Cole | Brandon Woodruff |
| Scott Engel | Gerrit Cole | Max Scherzer |
| Tyler Maher | Gerrit Cole | Walker Buehler |
AL Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer, SP, New York Mets
Cole does not have enough competition at the top of the AL field, and Scherzer will flourish in New York because of his big-game mentality. —SCOTT ENGEL
AL Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees
NL Cy Young: Brandon Woodruff, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Cole is the model of consistency, good for 180-200 innings per season with an elite strikeout rate and ratios.
Woodruff has developed into one of the best pitchers in baseball. He has the high volume and terrific strikeout-to-walk ratio to win this award. — FRANK AMMIRANTE
AL Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees
NL Cy Young: Walker Buehler, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
After four straight top-5 finishes in the AL Cy Young voting (including runner-up twice), this is the year Cole finally gets over the hump and wins his first career trophy.
As the best starting pitcher on the best team in baseball, Buehler is a good bet to win this award. Few pitchers are capable of matching his combination of quality and volume, as he ranked second in the NL in innings (207 & 2/3) and third in ERA (2.47) last year. — TYLER MAHER
See our full 2022 Cy Young predictions
AL & NL Rookie of the Year Picks
| AL ROY | NL ROY | |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Ammirante | Bobby Witt Jr. | Seiya Suzuki |
| Scott Engel | Bobby Witt Jr. | Seiya Suzuki |
| Tyler Maher | Julio Rodriguez | Oneil Cruz |
AL Rookie of the Year: Bobby Witt Jr., 3B/SS, Kansas City Royals
NL Rookie of the Year: Seiya Suzuki, OF, Chicago Cubs
It seems unfair that Suzuki is a rookie, but he will be an instant sensation, and Witt will fully arrive as a star. — SCOTT ENGEL
AL Rookie of the Year: Bobby Witt Jr., 3B/SS, Kansas City Royals
NL Rookie of the Year: Seiya Suzuki, OF, Chicago Cubs
Witt is a super prospect with a power-speed profile that gives him legitimate 25-25 upside, even as a rookie. He should make an immediate impact and looks like the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year.
Suzuki is an advanced hitter who put up 38 home runs in his final season at Hiroshima. We could see him leadoff for the Cubs this year. —FRANK AMMIRANTE
Explore our full 2022 Rookie of the Year predictions
AL Rookie of the Year: Julio Rodriguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
NL Rookie of the Year: Oneil Cruz, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
Witt Jr. may be the betting favorite, but Rodriguez has been sensational during camp. The dynamic outfielder is lighting up spring training and appears ready to take MLB by storm.
An exciting shortstop with power and speed, Cruz figures to be one of the few bright spots for the Pirates this year. He hit well during spring training as well as his brief call-up last year, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come. — TYLER MAHER