Adam Dawson's 2022 MLB Preview: My Predictions and Fantasy Baseball Rankings

Introduction: We have finally made it! The 2022 MLB season will actually happen, and not only that, it will also be a full 162-game season. Knowing that the season is upcoming and Spring Training is almost over, I have decided to write a post on some of my predictions for the 2022 season. This could be anything from my postseason predictions to my predicted home run leader, as well as my fantasy baseball rankings. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy reading my preview!

Adam's Predicted Division Winners and Standings:

AL East Division Winner: Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays

New York Yankees

Tampa Bay Rays

Boston Red Sox

Baltimore Orioles

AL Central Division Winner: Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox

Cleveland Guardians

Minnesota Twins

Kansas City Royals

Detroit Tigers

AL West Division Winner: Houston Astros

Houston Astros

Seattle Mariners

Texas Rangers

Los Angeles Angels

Oakland A's

NL East Division Winner: Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

Philadelphia Phillies

New York Mets

Washington Nationals

Miami Marlins

NL Central Division Winner: Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers

St. Louis Cardinals

Cincinnati Reds

Chicago Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates

NL West Division Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

San Diego Padres

San Francisco Giants

Colorado Rockies

Arizona Diamondbacks

Adam's 2022 World Series Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Home Run Leader: Franmil Reyes: Cleveland Guardians

My first individual prediction is one that I have really thought about over the past month, as I could really see Reyes leading the league in round-trippers this season although he probably is not the player that the majority of people would choose.

Averaging 36 home runs on a 162 game pace over his four-year career, the 6'5'' 265lb Franmil Reyes is built like a house. Hitting in the .250-.260 range consistently, Reyes will give you hard contact the majority of the time. Although he strikes out around 160-170 times a season, when he hits it out of the park, he more than makes up for his swings and misses.

In the land of fantasy baseball, Reyes to me is a discounted version of Yordan Alvarez, the Houston Astros left-handed slugger. The only difference is that Yordan's average will be around 20-30 points higher in the .280 range, as I think Franmil could put up similar numbers to that of Alvarez in the other four main offensive categories, even though stolen bases will not make a huge difference in either's production. Reyes' ADP (Average Draft Position) is around 103-115, meaning in a 10-team league drafting Franmil in the 8th or 9th round would be wise. Meanwhile, Alvarez is going in the first 20-30 picks of fantasy drafts, equivalent to the second or third round. What a discount "The Franimal" is to the fantasy baseball landscape!

Other HR Leaders to Consider:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Blue Jays

Bryce Harper: Philadelphia Phillies

Yordan Alvarez: Houston Astros

Aaron Judge: New York Yankees

Pete Alonso: New York Mets

Mike Trout: Los Angeles Angels

AL Cy Young Dark Horse Candidate: Jose Berrios: Toronto Blue Jays

Choosing Berrios here was not a tough choice for me to make. Jose, I believe is on the cusp of becoming a true ace, as he showed ace-like potential with the Twins before coming over to Toronto. Always having liked him in fantasy baseball, Berrios has put up solid numbers on a year-to-year basis. Now pitching for a team where he should get a ton of run support every fifth day he toes the rubber, I project that he will have a double-digit number of wins with an ERA in the 3.40-3.60 range, and close to 200 strikeouts.

Other AL Cy Young Dark Horse Candidates to Consider:

Kevin Gausman: Toronto Blue Jays

Dylan Cease: Chicago White Sox

Frankie Montas: Oakland A's

AL Cy Young Winner: Gerrit Cole: New York Yankees

Yes, I know, a boring and somewhat obvious selection, but I am not betting against "The Cole Train" in 2022. Gerrit Cole is the best pitcher in the American League and the best pitcher in baseball when Jacob deGrom is on the IL... which would currently be right now. Cole remains an elite arm this season with the Bronx Bombers, as he looks to earn himself some hardware by season's end. A candidate to lead the league in Strikeouts, Wins, ERA, and basically every other pitching stat, Gerrit is my pick to win the AL's top pitcher award in 2022.

Other Potential AL Cy Young Winners to Consider:

Shane Bieber: Cleveland Guardians

Robbie Ray: Seattle Mariners

Lucas Giolito: Chicago White Sox

NL Cy Young Dark Horse Candidate: Sandy Alcantara: Miami Marlins

Sandy Alcantara is slowly but surely making a name for himself in the league, as I think he deserves a bit more credit than he is currently receiving. This season I believe that the former Cardinals farm-hand can contend with the elite tier of NL pitchers, while pumping his upper-90's fastball past hitters. Sandy's tall and lanky frame is his recognizable look to the baseball world, as he has seemed to have really figured things out to become one of the best young aces in the league. The Marlins rotation as a whole is great, as I think their rotation will be one to contend with in the coming years. Whether it be Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Trevor Rogers, Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer, or even Eury Perez who is currently in the low minors, watch out for the future of this rotation, it is going to be amazing!!!

Other NL Cy Young Dark Horse Candidates to Consider:

Brandon Woodruff: Milwaukee Brewers

Zack Wheeler: Philadelphia Phillies

Aaron Nola: Philadelphia Phillies

Max Fried: Atlanta Braves

Freddy Peralta: Milwaukee Brewers

Joe Musgrove: San Diego Padres

Logan Webb: San Francisco Giants

NL Cy Young Award Winner: Jacob deGrom: New York Mets

Note: Jacob deGrom is shut down from throwing for at least four weeks with a right scapula injury, but I decided to keep my article about him that I typed up prior to his injury below. As a result, he will miss significant time during the upcoming season, resulting in a massive blow to baseball fans alike.

With deGrom out of the picture, I could see either Corbin Burnes or Max Scherzer as the NL front-runners to take home the top pitching award.

Anyone who is new to my blog and is reading my work for the first few times should know that I am obsessed with Jacob deGrom. Last season, I created a series titled "The deGrom Weekly Update", where I would write about his performances and preview his outings throughout the season. As of now, I plan on continuing the series this year, as I really enjoy having a series on deGrom and writing strictly about him every week.

Personally, Jake can do no wrong in my eyes at this point, as he tends to blow me away every time that I see him pitch, even if it is something as small as a Spring Training bullpen session or simulated game, deGrom has pinpoint accuracy and velocity that is unmatched.

To put this into perspective, he is the best pitcher that I have ever seen in all of my years of watching baseball and it really is not even close, as I do not think I will see a better pitcher for the rest of my life. Jake truly is one of one.

The only concern I have for Mr. deGrom is his health, as he was held out for the final two months or so last season. Expecting a full season of "deGromination" would not be something that I would bet on, but if he can make close to 30 starts and pitch close to 160- 180 innings, a third Cy Young Award is in store for the DeLand, Florida native and Stetson University product.

Other Potential NL Cy Young Winners to Consider:

Max Scherzer: New York Mets

Corbin Burnes: Milwaukee Brewers

Walker Buehler: Los Angeles Dodgers

Julio Urias: Los Angeles Dodgers

Max Scherzer:

When I think of a true ace in baseball, one of the first pitchers I think of is Max Scherzer. For the past decade or so, Max has been one of the true workhorses of this generation and maybe ever. Recently, I had the decision of either taking Max Scherzer or Corbin Burnes in one of my fantasy baseball drafts. Although I have Burnes ranked a few spots higher, I took Max simply because of consistency. No offense to Corbin Burnes, who is amazing in his own right, but he has only been putting up ace-like numbers for about two years. Max on the other hand has been doing this for as long as I can remember, as I know what type of stat line he is going to give me every season. Personally, you can never go wrong with Mad Max!!!

Corbin Burnes:

Burnes is one of the younger aces in the game today. With a devastating cutter at his disposal, Burnes makes hitters look silly. With his blond locks blowing in the wind underneath his Milwaukee hat, he is as intense as anyone on the mound, as he seems to pitch angry. A flamethrower, Corbin is bound to have another great season ahead of him with plenty of strikeouts along the way!

Below, I have included the two projected stat lines for Scherzer and Burnes for 2022 from Fantasypros.com

Max Scherzer: 178 IP, 225 SO, 13-8, 3.31 ERA, 1.05 WHIP

Corbin Burnes: 171 IP, 222 SO, 13-7, 3.06 ERA, 1.07 WHIP

Both pitchers are very close in rank, as I would not argue if you put Scherzer ahead of Burnes or vice versa. The best thing to do to decide between them, would be to flip a coin and see which one you get, they are that close!

AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Toronto Blue Jays

Being a Jays fan myself, I could not be more excited for the upcoming season. With my favorite player, George Springer, projected to leadoff for the offensive powerhouse that is Toronto, Vlad Jr. will be right in the middle of the order causing havoc. A monster season is expected for the son of Vladimir Guerrero, as I could see Vladdy top 100 RBI and 40 HR. Being in between Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez in the lineup is going to be something special, as I think Guerrero has great odds to take home the top award in the American League.

Other Potential AL MVP Winners to Consider:

Mike Trout: Los Angeles Angels

Shohei Ohtani: Los Angeles Angels

Aaron Judge: New York Yankees

NL MVP: Juan Soto: Washington Nationals

Juan Soto is on his way to becoming one of the best hitters that baseball has ever seen. Already being compared to baseball legend Ted Williams, Soto is 23 years of age and is only getting better. His look in the batter's box that he gives pitchers is becoming iconic at this point, as the kid has no fear of any opponent.

With the recent news of the Fernando Tatis Jr. wrist injury that will keep him out until at least mid-June and Ronald Acuna Jr. out until May while recovering from a torn ACL, Soto was an easier choice for me to make for this award. Getting a bit of help around him in the lineup in veteran Nelson Cruz and first baseman Josh Bell, Juan will have to mostly carry Washington's offense on his shoulders all season long, giving him even better chances at winning the award.

Other Potential NL MVP's to Consider:

Bryce Harper: Philadelphia Phillies

Mookie Betts: Los Angeles Dodgers

Freddie Freeman: Los Angeles Dodgers

Trea Turner: Los Angeles Dodgers

Top Prospect: Julio Rodriguez: OF: Seattle Mariners

Having already written about J-Rod a few months ago, Julio is my number one prospect headed into this season. The whole Mariners organization is one that I love, as it seems everywhere you look there is young talent all over their system. The Seattle front office should be proud of the talent that they have acquired and developed in their pipeline. While others might say Bobby Witt Jr., the soon to be face of the Royals is the top prospect in the game, I give the slight edge to Rodriguez.

Julio's combination of power and contact is one of the best, if not the best in the minors, as I could see him becoming a Juan Soto type of player from the right side of the batter's box. Hitting a three-run home run deep to left field in his first spring at-bat, I would love to see Julio break camp with the team, but he most likely will return to the minor leagues for a bit more seasoning until he debuts. Aside from Rodriguez, guys like Noelvi Marte, Emerson Hancock, George Kirby, and Harry Ford deserve to have their names mentioned here as well, as all should make an impact for Seattle in the coming years.

Note: Julio will begin the season with the Mariners, as I could not be any more happier for him! With Rodriguez not being in the minors to begin the year, the following are my top prospects headed into this season!

Adley Rutschman: Baltimore Orioles: C

Grayson Rodriguez: Baltimore Orioles: SP

Riley Greene: Detroit Tigers: OF

AL Rookie of the Year: Bobby Witt Jr.: Kansas City Royals

Here is where I give my thoughts on and the advantage to Witt Jr. Bobby will likely break camp with the Royals, meaning he would have a bit more time in the majors this season than the aforementioned Rodriguez. Witt has every tool in the book and does it well. Whether it be stealing bases, hitting it out of the park, making contact, or being an exceptional infielder, Witt is going to shine. A Trevor Story comparison comes to mind here, as I could really see Bobby putting up similar numbers that Story has put up over the past few seasons. The only exception is that Witt will not have the Coors Field advantage that Story has had for the entirety of his career up until this season, which should tell you how special of a player Witt Jr. really is.

Note: Now that Rodriguez is breaking camp with the Mariners, it will be exciting to see the AL ROY race shape out for the upcoming season.

Other AL ROY Winners to Consider:

Spencer Torkelson: Detroit Tigers

Julio Rodriguez: Seattle Mariners

Shane Baz: Tampa Bay Rays

NL Rookie of the Year: Keibert Ruiz: Washington Nationals

Coming over from the Dodgers alongside Josiah Gray in the Scherzer and Trea Turner deal last season, Ruiz is one of the front-runners to take home the NL Rookie of the Year award. One of the Dodgers top prospects in previous seasons, Ruiz was best to be traded, as Will Smith is the primary backstop for Los Angeles.

Projecting Kiebert to hit a bit more than 20 or more homers with an average around .240-.250 would be a great target. Most likely playing everyday in a below- average Nationals lineup, Kiebert is bound to get as many chances as he can to prove his worth as the starting catcher in Washington this season.

Other NL ROY Winners to Consider:

Oneil Cruz: Pittsburgh Pirates: SS

Edward Cabrera: Miami Marlins: SP

Seiya Suzuki: Chicago Cubs

Joey Bart: San Francisco Giants

Bryson Stott: Philadelphia Phillies

Hunter Greene: Cincinnati Reds: SP

Adam's Must-Watch Prospects Headed into 2022:

Jordan Walker: St Louis Cardinals: 3B and Kahlil Watson: Miami Marlins: SS

Personally, it came down to either Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals or Kahlil Watson of the Miami Marlins. Originally I was only going to write on one of them, but after going back and forth, I decided to write on both of them, simply because they are both so close to each other in rank, as I would feel awful if I chose one over the other. Both players enter their second professional season and will continue to make big strides in their development towards the Major Leagues.

Jordan Walker: St. Louis Cardinals: 3B

Walker is the best prospect in the Cardinals minor league system in my opinion, not Nolan Gorman as some might think. No disrespect to Gorman who was the 19th overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, but Walker made such a big splash during his first professional season in 2021, I believe that he could be up in the majors by the end of the 2023 season and most likely by the start of 2024. In fact, Walker's stock I project will sky rocket even more this season as he could be one of the top prospects in the minors by the end of this season.

One word that I would use to describe Walker would be: Strong. With a 60/80 scouting grade in power, Jordan has the makings of being one of the next great power hitters in the league. Walker made short work of the Low-A level in Palm Beach last season, while hitting .374 and belting six home runs across 22 games. The 19 year-old did not stop there, as he continued his path of destruction at the High-A level in Peoria. Across 55 games, he hit a very solid .292 with eight home runs, and even sprinkled in 13 stolen bases.

Needless to say, he should be at the Double-A level in Springfield at some point this season, as I expect that he will draw a big crowd at Hammons Field. He should be a fun prospect to watch develop his highly-touted skills and eventually become one of baseball's future sluggers.

Kahlil Watson: Miami Marlins: SS

Only appearing in nine games during the 2021 season at the rookie level, Kahlil Watson did not waste time showing what he was made of. The Wake Forest high school product racked up 13 hits in just 33 at-bats, equivalent to a .394 average. Although in the Gulf Coast League (GCL) Kahlil has already drawn comparisons to Jose Ramirez, the Cleveland third baseman. Watson projects to be a fast riser in the Miami system, as he could hit 20 plus home runs, steal 20 or more bases, and hit close to .300 during his prime years. To sum it up, Watson can do it all, even though he stands at 5'9''. His hands are very quick to the ball, as he can slap the ball to any direction and has a good enough power tool to hit baseballs out of the park.

Watson somehow slipped to the 16th pick to Miami in the 2021 draft last season, as he could very well be the best player taken a year ago, as an argument could be made that Watson is a bit better than Red Sox Marcelo Mayer who was taken first overall. The Marlins in my opinion got a steal of a player, as I see Kahlil being a force in the fantasy baseball landscape and for the Marlins for the next decade and then some.

Adam's Underrated Players Headed Into 2022:

Position Players:

Bryan Reynolds: Pittsburgh Pirates

Alex Verdugo: Boston Red Sox

Jorge Polanco: Minnesota Twins

Tyler Stephenson: Cincinnati Reds

Josh Bell: Washington Nationals

Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: Toronto Blue Jays

Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Miami Marlins

Jonathan India: Cincinnati Reds

Pitchers:

Dylan Cease: Chicago White Sox

Chris Bassitt: New York Mets

Pablo Lopez: Miami Marlins

Tanner Houck: Boston Red Sox

Bailey Ober: Minnesota Twins

Huascar Ynoa: Atlanta Braves

Adam's 2022 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: My rankings are based off of the Head-to-Head (H2H) Categories scoring format. Ideally, these rankings are best for redraft leagues, not keeper or dynasty leagues.

Note: Some players may be eligible at more than one position depending if you use ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, Fantrax, etc. As a result, I listed them at their primary position so that it does not cause any confusion. Each player bolded represents a new tier.

Adam's Top 10 Overall 2022 Fantasy Baseball Rankings:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: 1B

Juan Soto: OF

Trea Turner: SS

Bo Bichette: SS

Jose Ramirez: 3B

Mike Trout: OF

Gerrit Cole: SP

Bryce Harper: OF

Mookie Betts: OF

Corbin Burnes: SP

Catchers:

Salvador Perez

J.T. Realmuto

Will Smith

Yasmani Grandal

Willson Contreras

Tyler Stephenson

Christian Vazquez

Mike Zunino

Keibert Ruiz

Omar Narvaez

First Basemen:

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Freddie Freeman

Matt Olson

Paul Goldschmidt

Pete Alonso

Jose Abreu

Jared Walsh

Max Muncy

Rhys Hoskins

Josh Bell

C.J. Cron

Ryan Mountcastle

Anthony Rizzo

Trey Mancini

Joey Votto

Brandon Belt

Second Basemen:

Ozzie Albies

Whit Merrifield

Marcus Semien

Jose Altuve

Brandon Lowe

Javier Baez

Jorge Polanco

Ketel Marte

Jonathan India

Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Jake Cronenworth

Tommy Edman

Gleyber Torres

Ryan McMahon

Luis Urias

Chris Taylor

Kolten Wong

Shortstops:

Trea Turner

Bo Bichette

Xander Bogaerts

Tim Anderson

Trevor Story

Corey Seager

Francisco Lindor

Carlos Correa

Fernando Tatis Jr.

Bobby Witt Jr.

Dansby Swanson

Willy Adames

Oneil Cruz

Third Basemen:

Jose Ramirez

Rafael Devers

Manny Machado

Austin Riley

Nolan Arenado

Alex Bregman

Wander Franco

Adalberto Mondesi

Kris Bryant

Anthony Rendon

Justin Turner

Yoan Moncada

Matt Chapman

Ke'Bryan Hayes

Josh Donaldson

Eugenio Suarez

Bobby Dalbec

Alec Bohm

Jeimer Candelario

Outfielders:

Juan Soto

Mike Trout

Bryce Harper

Mookie Betts

Ronald Acuna Jr.

Kyle Tucker

Luis Robert

Aaron Judge

Starling Marte

Teoscar Hernandez

Nick Castellanos

George Springer

Eloy Jimenez

Byron Buxton

Cedric Mullins

Randy Arozarena

Tyler O'Neill

Bryan Reynolds

Christian Yelich

Mitch Haniger

Cody Bellinger

Austin Meadows

Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Marcell Ozuna

Trent Grisham

Alex Verdugo

Hunter Renfrow

Avisail Garcia

Eddie Rosario

Charlie Blackmon

Michael Brantley

Robbie Grossman

Ian Happ

Austin Hays

Myles Straw

Akil Baddoo

Starting Pitchers:

Gerrit Cole

Corbin Burnes

Max Scherzer

Walker Buehler

Brandon Woodruff

Shane Bieber

Julio Urias

Zack Wheeler

Sandy Alcantara

Lucas Giolito

Robbie Ray

Aaron Nola

Max Fried

Kevin Gausman

Jose Berrios

Freddy Peralta

Joe Musgrove

Logan Webb

Charlie Morton

Frankie Montas

Yu Darvish

Carlos Rodon

Justin Verlander

Trevor Rogers

Alek Manoah

Dylan Cease

Lance Lynn

Clayton Kershaw

Luis Castillo

Chris Bassitt

Pablo Lopez

Framber Valdez

Shane McClanahan

Blake Snell

Sean Manaea

Eduardo Rodriguez

Nathan Eovaldi

Chris Sale

Jack Flaherty

Mike Clevinger

Jacob deGrom

Ian Anderson

Sonny Gray

Zac Gallen

Adam Wainwright

Hyun-Jin-Ryu

Lance McCullers Jr.

Logan Gilbert

Tarik Skubal

Note: Lynn, Sale, Flaherty, Clevinger, and McCullers Jr. would have been significantly higher in my rankings if it were not for injury.

Flaherty looks to be one of the arms who is coming back sooner than the others mentioned, as I cannot wait from him to return, as I took him late in one of my redraft leagues.

Clevinger is also going to be coming back soon as well, as he is coming back from a knee injury.

Lynn should be back in a month or so, as he is also dealing with a knee injury.

Sale was just put on the 60 day IL as of this writing with a stress fracture in his ribcage.

McCullers Jr. has not yet resumed throwing.

Closers:

Josh Hader

Liam Hendriks

Raisel Iglesias

Emmanuel Clase

Ryan Pressly

Aroldis Chapman

Edwin Diaz

Kenley Jansen

Jordan Romano

Giovanny Gallegos

Craig Kimbrel

Taylor Rogers

Mark Melancon

Scott Barlow

Jake McGee

David Bednar

Gregory Soto

Utility/DH: Shohei Ohtani

Final Thoughts: I hope you all have enjoyed reading my MLB 2022 Preview for the upcoming season. This article is always one of my favorites to write each year, because baseball seems to bring me more joy than just about anything else in the world! This season looks to be amazing, as I cannot wait until the first pitch is thrown Thursday by Gerrit Cole to begin the year! Let's get this season started!!!

See You at the Ballpark!!!

Adam