It’s been a long road to get here, but the 2022 Major League Baseball season is finally upon us.
Baseball’s winter of discontent – featuring a 99-day lockout – gave way to a shortened spring training, setting the stage for the first games of the regular season on Thursday.
The reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves are expected to compete for another title this year, but the balance of power may have shifted back to the West Coast when they let first baseman Freddie Freeman leave as a free agent. The club icon of course signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who the Braves have met in the NLCS two years in a row.
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Our preseason predictions favor the Dodgers, with three of the seven USA TODAY Network reporters and editors picking Los Angeles to win the World Series.
Here’s how our experts see the 2022 season playing out:
Bob Nightengale
- AL East winner: Blue Jays
- AL Central: White Sox
- AL West: Astros
- AL wild cards: Mariners, Yankees, Rays
- NL East: Braves
- NL Central: Brewers
- NL West: Dodgers
- NL wild cards: Cardinals, Mets, Padres
- ALCS: Blue Jays over White Sox
- NLCS: Braves over Dodgers
- World Series: Braves
Awards:
- AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
- NL MVP: Austin Riley, Braves
- AL Cy Young: Lucas Giolito, White Sox
- NL Cy Young: Max Fried, Braves
- AL Rookie: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
- NL Rookie: Seiya Suzuki, Cubs
Gabe Lacques
- AL East: Blue Jays
- AL Central: Twins
- AL West: Astros
- AL wild cards: Rays, Red Sox, White Sox
- NL East: Phillies
- NL Central: Brewers
- NL West: Dodgers
- NL wild cards: Braves, Padres, Cardinals
- ALCS: Blue Jays over Astros
- NLCS: Dodgers over Brewers
- World Series: Blue Jays
Awards
- AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
- NL MVP: Manny Machado, Padres
- AL Cy Young: Shane McClanahan, Rays
- NL Cy Young: Walker Buehler, Dodgers
- AL Rookie: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners
- NL Rookie: Bryson Stott, Phillies
Steve Gardner
- AL East: Blue Jays
- AL Central: White Sox
- AL West: Astros
- AL wild cards: Rays, Yankees, Twins
- NL East: Braves
- NL Central: Cardinals
- NL West: Dodgers
- NL wild cards: Mets, Brewers, Padres
- ALCS: Blue Jays over White Sox
- NLCS: Dodgers over Brewers
- World Series: Dodgers
Awards:
- AL MVP: Byron Buxton, Twins
- NL MVP: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
- AL Cy Young: Lucas Giolito, White Sox
- NL Cy Young: Sandy Alcantara, Marlins
- AL Rookie: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
- NL Rookie: Seiya Suzuki, Cubs
Bobby Nightengale
- AL East: Blue Jays
- AL Central: White Sox
- AL West: Angels
- AL wild cards: Yankees, Astros, Twins
- NL East: Braves
- NL Central: Brewers
- NL West: Dodgers
- NL wild cards: Padres, Cardinals, Mets
- ALCS: White Sox over Yankees
- NLCS: Brewers over Dodgers
- World Series: Brewers
Awards:
- AL MVP: Byron Buxton, Twins
- NL MVP: Juan Soto, Nationals
- AL Cy Young: José Berrios, Blue Jays
- NL Cy Young: Brandon Woodruff, Brewers
- AL Rookie: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
- NL Rookie: Oneil Cruz, Pirates
Scott Boeck
- AL East: Rays
- AL Central: White Sox
- AL West: Astros
- AL wild cards: Yankees, Blue Jays, Mariners
- NL East: Braves
- NL Central: Brewers
- NL West: Dodgers
- NL wild cards: Padres, Phillies, Mets
- ALCS: Rays over Yankees
- NLCS: Padres over Brewers
- World Series: Padres
Awards:
- AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
- NL MVP: Matt Olson, Braves
- AL Cy Young: Shane McClanahan, Rays
- NL Cy Young: Corbin Burnes, Brewers
- AL Rookie: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
- NL Rookie: Joey Bart, Giants
Jesse Yomtov
- AL East: Rays
- AL Central: White Sox
- AL West: Astros
- AL wild cards: Blue Jays, Yankees, Red Sox
- NL East: Braves
- NL Central: Brewers
- NL West: Dodgers
- NL wild cards: Giants, Padres, Mets
- ALCS: Blue Jays over Astros
- NLCS: Dodgers over Braves
- World Series: Dodgers
Awards:
- AL MVP: Luis Robert, White Sox
- NL MVP: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
- AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Astros
- NL Cy Young: Max Fried, Braves
- AL Rookie: Spencer Torkelson, Tigers
- NL Rookie: Bryson Stott, Phillies
Stephen Borelli
- AL East: Blue Jays
- AL Central: White Sox
- AL West: Astros
- AL wild cards: Rays, Yankees, Mariners
- NL East: Braves
- NL Central: Brewers
- NL West: Dodgers
- NL wild cards: Cardinals, Phillies, Padres
- ALCS: Blue Jays over Rays
- NLCS: Dodgers over Brewers
- World Series: Dodgers
Awards:
- AL MVP; Tim Anderson, White Sox
- NL MVP: Juan Soto, Nationals
- AL Cy Young: Alek Manoah, Blue Jays
- NL Cy Young: Max Fried, Braves
- AL Rookie: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners
- NL Rookie: Seiya Suzuki, Cubs
