World Series Contenders 2022

Tue, Nov 9, 2021
by CapperTek

This year's MLB was a fascinating one. The regular season saw a number of great performances and shock results, leaving us with a very intriguing postseason. In the Wild Card Games, the Boston Red Sox defeated their old enemies the New York Yankees, whilst the then reigning champions the LA Dodgers made it past the St. Louis Cardinals. From there, the last 8 were whittled down to the final two, the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves.

At the time of writing, the MLB World Series has literally just concluded. Given that the Astros and the Braves were both on paper the underdogs in their League Championship Series games (Astros took on the Red Sox, whilst the Braves faced off against the Dodgers) it really was a tough World Series to call, with both sides having a great shot at the title. In recent years, the Astros have been one of the stronger MLB franchises, winning in 2017, as well as making it to the final in 2019. When sports fans were searching for free MLB picks before the World Series began on the 27th of October, the Astros would probably have been the team they’d have picked to win.

While the first two games left the series beautifully poised at 1-1, it was the Braves who seized the initiative, winning games 3 and 4. The Astros fought back in game 5, but then the Braves ran out a 7-0 score in game 6, to be crowned as World Series champions for the first time since 1999.

The celebrations in Atlanta went on long into the night, and we expect the Braves fans still to be on cloud 9, having won their first championship in over 20 years. Whilst we should let them enjoy the victory for a while, soon enough our eyes need to look forward, to see what the 2022 MLB has to offer, and who might be the next World Series champions. The action kicks off on March 31st, and already fans are wondering what the odds are for each of the top contenders.

Let’s have a look at a few of the teams who stand a chance of winning the 2022 World Series, and see if there are any potentially surprise inclusions in the running for glory.

Can the Braves make it 2 in 2?

This will be the question that everyone in Atlanta will be asking themselves right now. Having waited 22 years for this World Series, they will be desperately hoping they don’t have a similarly long wait for the next title.

Of course, if they are able to retain the core of their squad, they stand a good chance. However, at the time of writing Fox Sports have them as the third favourites for the 2022 World Series, at 9/1. This means if you were to bet $10, you would receive $100 back.

Will the Dodgers bounce back?

The LA Dodgers have been one of the strongestteams in recent years, making it to the 2017 and 2018 World Series, then going on to win it in 2020. They came close again this year, but lost out to the Braves in the League Championship Series.

They are one of the wealthiest teams in the sport, and also have a huge following that many other franchises are incredibly jealous of. Manager Dave Roberts has been with the team for 6 years now, and has always finished either 1st or 2nd in the NL West. We expect them to be strong again next year, which explains why they are currently the favourites for the 2022 World Series, with odds of 5/1.

What about the Astros?

The losing finalists this year, but they are another strong team who certainly have what it takes to mount a serious challenge in 2022. Fox Sports have them as the second favourites, with odds of 7/1. It will be tough, but with a few smart additions to their team we think they have what it takes to potentially go all the way next year.

Who else could be in the running?

Given their wealth and popularity, the Yankees can never be ruled out of World Series success, even if it has eluded them for a surprisingly long time. They are the most successful team in MLB history but haven’t won a world championship since 2009. Manager Aaron Boone will be desperate to get it right for his side, and will do everything it takes to achieve World Series success next year.

Other teams that feature high up the odds are the Chicago White Sox (last World Series win was in 2005) the Tampa Bay Rays (losing finalists in 2020) and the San Diego Padres (yet to win a World Series). It will be fascinating to watch the 2022 season play out, we just hope the next 4 and a bit months don’t drag too much!