3 Bold Predictions for the Remainder of the MLB Season
The New York Yankees continue to dominate the American League East, while the New York Mets remain in first place in the National League East. Although New York boasts two of the top teams in baseball, can one of them complete the task and win the World Series in 2022?
As the MLB season nears its halfway point, here are three bold predictions for the final few months.
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Dansby Swanson Will Win the NL MVP
This prediction is becoming more realistic as the days pass, as Swanson continues to prove why he is one of the best players in the National League.
Swanson has always been an outstanding defensive shortstop for the Braves, but it is his performance at the plate that has put him in the discussion for the NL MVP award.
Swanson led all shortstops in MLB in 2021 with 21 defensive runs saved, and now he is contributing at the plate as well. On the season, Swanson has a .302 AVG, a .860 OPS, and a 137 wRC+.
https://twitter.com/JonMetler/status/1544336718429650947
Among NL players, Swanson is third in fWAR at 4.0, only trailing Manny Machado (4.3 fWAR), Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado (4.1 fWAR). In the last 30 days, Swanson has recorded the highest fWAR of any player in the game of baseball at 1.9. Do I have your attention yet?
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While the narrative may take some time to develop, Swanson's offense and defense will make him the eventual winner of the NL MVP award.
The Seattle Mariners Will Make the Postseason
The Mariners have now won 12 of their last 15 games after a slow start, thanks in part to AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner Julio Rodriguez.
https://twitter.com/DarrenKritzer/status/1544653576726876160
The Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays currently hold the three Wild Card spots in the AL. Compared to these teams, the Mariners have a significant advantage in their schedule during the final few weeks of the season.
All three Wild Card teams will play each other the rest of the way since they hail from the AL East. It is inevitable that someone will lose these games, and the Mariners will be the ones to benefit from it. The Mariners will conclude their season with series against the Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, and the Oakland Athletics twice.
As an additional benefit of backing the Mariners to make the postseason, we know that President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto will not have a quiet trade deadline and will do everything he can to make improvements to his team.
A Team From New York Will Win the World Series
There can never be enough pitching when choosing a team to win the World Series, and both of these teams are loaded with quality pitchers.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1542974322574118912
With an fWAR of 12.6 for their pitching staff, the Yankees are ranked first in baseball. The Mets are ranked tenth with an fWAR of 8.2. However, the Mets statistics aren't completely accurate, since Max Scherzer has been out for part of the season and Jacob deGrom has been out the entire season.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1544469408491372551
Additionally to the pitching, both the Mets and Yankees lineup rank in the top six in terms of fWAR for their lineups. During the postseason, both of them will have the ability to defeat you in a variety of ways.
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I also favor both New York teams because both are capable of making significant moves at the trade deadline and improving their rosters, which are already very strong. Do you really believe that Steve Cohen and his staff will just sit back and allow the Atlanta Braves to gain ground on the Mets in the NL East?
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