25 things we learned from the 2022 MLB season

It was a whirlwind 2022 MLB season, as the owners and players thwarted a lockout by coming to an agreement in March en route to a memorable and record-breaking season.

It was a whirlwind 2022 MLB season, as the owners and players thwarted a lockout by coming to an agreement in March en route to a memorable and record-breaking season. Here are the 25 things we learned along the way.

1 of 25

Analytics Rule the Day

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Young players have taken over MLB in recent seasons, but the 2022 rookie class has performed as well as any in recent memory. We saw incredible seasons from the likes of Julio Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, Bobby Witt Jr., Spencer Strider, Michael Harris, George Kirby, to name a few.

3 of 25

The NL Adopted the DH — and the Earth is Still Spinning

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The AL and NL operated with different rules since 1973, as the AL adopted the designated hitter while the NL went without. Baseball purists argued for years that the National League show remains intact with the pitching batting, but the rules finally changed in 2022. Despite the protests, it didn’t take long for the baseball world to forget the change even happened.

4 of 25

Sandy Alcantara is a True Throwback

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Rarely do we see starting pitchers throw complete games or reach 200 innings in the modern games, but Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is a rare exception. He’s set to easily lead MLB with over 200 innings and has been in NL Cy Young contention all year, giving Marlins fans reason to cheer in a long season.

5 of 25

Atlanta’s Depth is Never Ending

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The Braves won last year’s World Series despite losing Ronald Acuna Jr. during the season, using their excellent rookies and pitching depth. Many of their key players this season emerged in the system this year after barely contributing in 2021, including Kyle Wright, Spenser Strider, Michael Harris, and Vaughn Grissom. Atlanta’s incredible farm system has led to fruitful results.

6 of 25

Baltimore is on the Cusp

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It was a long five years of losing for the O’s, but things finally turned around in 2022. They were one of the biggest surprises of the season, finishing with a winning record as young players like Adley Rutschman and Dean Kremer emerged, while veterans Anthony Santander and Jordan Lyles were also key to the team’s success. With elite prospects Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez set to be key contributors next season, Baltimore could be annual competitors in the AL East again.

7 of 25

Boston has Big Pitching Problems

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The Red Sox were among the worst teams at run prevention in 2022, losing top starters Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi for significant periods to injury and failing to find a consistent answer for high-leverage situations out of their pen. Boston finished the year in the cellar of the AL East, and only the Royals showed significantly worse pitching in the AL.

8 of 25

Dodgers Remain the Class of 162

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There is no stopping the Dodgers during the regular season. Seemingly every move the front office and manager Dave Roberts makes turns to gold, as the team won more than 100 games for the fourth time since 2017. Of course, LA only had one ring over that time, and would likely consider anything short of another World Series victory this year a failure.

9 of 25

Don’t Crown the Yankees Too Soon

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The Yankees seemingly have everything going for them by the All-Star break, leading MLB by four wins (64) and the NL East by 13 games. Injuries and offensive slumps led to a very rough stretch in the second half, putting doubt back into the heads of fans. While the Yankees still escaped to win the division, their shine has worn off as the season progressed.

10 of 25

Terry Francona Can Still Lead

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There’s speculation Terry Francona is in his final MLB season, and his 10th season managing Cleveland might have been his best. The Guardians emerged late in the year to take the AL Central from Minnesota and hold off a talented White Sox team despite an injury-plagued pitching staff and a lineup full of inexperience. It will be the 11th time Francona has managed in the postseason.

11 of 25

Jerry Dipoto’s Moves Pay Off Eventually

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Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto has become known as one of the most aggressive traders in the game, but to this point, these moves have been to no avail. Seven years since taking the job to run Seattle, the M’s are set to end their long playoff drought due largely to Dipoto’s excellent offseason. Acquisitions like Robbie Ray, Eugenio Suarez, and Jesse Winker were key to the team’s success, while the team’s excellent farm system also emerged with Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby leading the way.

12 of 25

Incremental Moves Aren’t the Answer in Miami

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Front office figurehead Derek Jeter surprisingly resigned from his role in the offseason, apparently disappointed about the Marlins’ lack of big moves. Offseason free agent signings like Jorge Soler and Avisail Garcia were disastrous in the first year, and the team lost 90-plus games for the fourth full season in a row. The Marlins lineup has been anemic lately, and the current trajectory of the roster simply isn’t working.

13 of 25

Houston’s Dominance Continues

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Houston has continued to win despite major scandal and criticism, winning the AL West for the fifth time in six seasons with the best record in the AL. It remains very controversial that their only World Championship during that period was heavily aided by cheating, but the results on the field remain elite despite major roster turnover from five years ago.

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Only Aaron Judge Can Beat Shohei Ohtani’s MVP Case

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Shohei Ohtani continues to establish himself as the most incredible player to take the field in MLB since Babe Ruth, with another amazon two-way season. Yet, he’s unlikely to win back-to-back AL MVP Awards due to one of the greatest offensive seasons in history from Aaron Judge, who hit 60-plus home runs and flirted with the Triple Crown. Ohtani will likely be an overwhelming favorite to win the MVP again heading into 2023, but 2022 was all Judge in a historic season.

15 of 25

The Rockies are Still Lost

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Colorado had their fourth consecutive losing season, with continued head-scratching moves from the front office. They failed to bring back free agents Trevor Story or Jon Gray last offseason, and their answer to those losses was Kris Bryant, an addition that looks disastrous after an injury impeded his first year in Denver. The Rockies faced further criticism after failing to cash in on any of their veterans at the trade deadline.

16 of 25

Never Bet Against Albert Pujols

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Albert Pujols came “home” to St. Louis in what appeared to be a great story in Spring Training that would hold minimal on-field impact given the future Hall of Famer’s age and struggles in recent seasons. Yet, Pujols not only made a big impact for the Cardinals, with an OPS well over .800 but reached the 700 career home run milestone. It was quite a swan song for the historic slugger, riding off into the sunset with fellow future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina.

17 of 25

Joe Maddon Can’t Work His Magic Everywhere

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Joe Maddon might have earned a Hall of Fame call after winning a World Series with the Cubs, but he couldn’t work his magic in Anaheim. He was fired only 56 games into his third season with the Angels, as the team was 27-29 despite a bevy of high-priced stars, and continued to plummet from there.

18 of 25

Tony La Russa’s Luster Has Worn Off

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Tony La Russa made a shocking return to the dugout last season after 10 years away and helped lead the White Sox to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the White Sox are sorely disappointing in 2022, and La Russa missed significant time late in the year due to health issues. Turning 78 in October, La Russa might finally hang up his hat for good, but more importantly, the hope is that his health is in a better place soon.

19 of 25

Money Can Cure What Ails the Mets

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Mets owner Steve Cohen has been a godsend for fans since struggling through the Wilpon years, with the willingness to spend like a big market team. That spending clearly helped the team reach the playoffs in 2022, with offseason additions Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, and Mark Canha paying off big.

20 of 25

Patience Can Pay Off in Philadelphia

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The Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi after a disappointing 22-29 start and were left for dead by many analysts. The bullpen and lineup eventually got on track, and the team was able to salvage a Wild Card spot. With immense star power led by Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, and Zack Wheeler, the team still has a chance to make some noise in October.

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A.J. Preller Will Do Anything to Win

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Padres GM A.J. Preller has been known for his aggressive moves since taking over in 2014, but not all of those bold trades and free agent signings have worked out in the team’s favor. Only time will tell on what was perhaps the biggest move of his tenure this season, shipping multiple elite prospects to Washington for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. Both sluggers have struggled early in the Padres’ careers.

22 of 25

Rebuilds are No Fun

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Teams stripping down to earn high draft choices has become more common in recent seasons since the success of the Astros and Cubs. Several organizations like the A’s, Marlins, Nationals, Cubs, Reds, and Pirates are in the middle of that painful process, and the struggles are showing on the field in 2022.

23 of 25

The Rays are Unstoppable

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Tampa Bay is set for its fourth consecutive playoff appearance in spite of offseason losses and major injuries throughout the season. The team overcame significant injuries to Wander Franco, Shane Baz, Brandon Lowe, Mike Zunino, Kevin Kiermaier, and more to finish the season in their usual position. It’s a credit to their incredible front office and manager, Kevin Cash.

24 of 25

Justin Verlander is Still Elite

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Verlander missed the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery, and there were doubts he could rebound this year at age 39. The future Hall of Famer not only returned but should draw major consideration for AL Cy Young with yet another amazing season.

25 of 25

Washington Has a Long Road Ahead

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Washington won the World Series only three years ago, and now there’s hardly anything on their roster remaining from the championship squad. The trade of Juan Soto at the trade deadline was the final nail in the coffin for those incredible memories for Nats fans, and it could be a long road ahead for the team. To make matters possibly more difficult, the team has been rumored to be for sale.