Andrew Ortenberg
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It’s almost that time of year. The 2022 MLB season is right around the corner, and we all are super excited for Opening Day. So excited that we’ve decided to do articles on everything from the MVP race to the team most likely to go ‘worst to first’ this year. It’s a lot, so keep your eye on our MLB analysis tab for all the latest.
The start of a new season is always and exciting time, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by going for a big payday. With that in mind, we’ve cooked up a special division winners mega parlay that has huge odds. Picking the winners of all six divisions straight up. Let’s dive in:
AL East: Toronto Blue Jays +170
AL Central: Minnesota Twins +490
AL West: Los Angeles Angels +380
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies +340
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals +240
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers -230
Parlay odds: +164024
Let’s break ’em down one by one:
AL East winner: Toronto Blue Jays +170
Starting in the AL East, I’m going with the chalky play. Toronto was already good enough to win the division last year, and their core was still so young. Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr are now another year older, and they’ll have Jose Berrios for a full season after acquiring him midway through last year. The Yankees should once again underachieve, and Boston’s unexpected success last year felt like a fluke. Tampa won the division last year and they just traded away Austin Meadows, signaling that they aren’t all-in on 2022. The Blue Jays are getting hyped for a reason. They’re legit, and their offense is going to be really hard to slow down. If Hyun-Jin Ryu gets back to being his old dominant self, their rotation will be elite as well.
Make sure you read our 2022 MLB season preview, which includes a +4000 World Series longshot!
AL Central: Minnesota Twins +490
Spoiler alert if you didn’t read my ‘worst to first’ column already. I think the Twins have a very good chance to do it. Minnesota was expected to be an AL Central contender last year, and they turned into a big disappointment. They underachieved in the early going, but started to figure it out down the stretch. From August 1 onward, they were an above-.500 team. Then they went out and added Carlos Correa to their offense, who was fifth in AL MVP voting. I think they’ll have the best lineup in the division after that move. And they made a trade with the Reds for Sonny Gray to give them another very good starting pitching option. They also signed Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy in free agency. When you combine those vets with young emerging ace Joe Ryan, they’ve all of a sudden got a very solid staff.
AL West: Los Angeles Angels +380
The Astros’ reign is over. Houston lost Correa in free agency, and they also lost some key pieces in their bullpen. Everyone is acting like it’s all going to be fine, but I’m skeptical. I’m not just taking it as a given that Justin Verlander is going to look like himself coming off major surgery at the tender age of 39. The Astros will be dethroned in 2022, and the Angels are in perfect position to take over. In Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, they’ve arguably got the two best players in all of baseball. Last year was a disaster, but that’s because Trout missed almost the whole season and they suffered a bunch of other injuries. If there was ever a team that’s due for some positive regression, it’s this Angels one.
Read our AL West division breakdown, with analysis and picks for all 5 teams
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies +340
The Phillies came in second place in the NL East last year, and they were neck and neck with the Braves down the stretch. And in 2022 I’m expecting a step forward from Philly and a step back from Atlanta. For starters, the Braves lost Freddie Freeman. That’s not someone they can just replace, and I’m expecting the Braves to have a bit of a championship hangover after their World Series win. Philadelphia on the other hand will be hungrier than ever, and they just added slugger Kyle Schwarber to a lineup that already had plenty of pop with Bryce Harper and others.
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals +240
Milwaukee is a heavy favorite in the Central, and I don’t think that’s justified. Everything about the Brewers’ 2021 season felt fluky, as they got career-best years from a handful of starting pitchers who all overachieved to varying degrees. I’m expecting regression from their staff, and everyone seems to have forgotten how awesome the Cardinals were down the stretch last year. Remember how St. Louis won 19 of their final 22 games last season? They should be able to carry over some of that momentum here. With Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Tyler O’Neill, the sky is the limit for their offense.
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers -230
I’ve picked plenty of underdogs along the way, so it’s only fitting that we wrap things up with a big favorite. I just don’t see how anybody but the Dodgers wins the NL West. Last year they had a run differential of +269, which was 59 runs better than any other team in the league. They won 106 games with relative ease. And it looks like they somehow might’ve gotten even better this offseason. Los Angeles signed Freddie Freeman, one of the best hitters in all of baseball, to add to an already stacked lineup. Their pitching depth is absurd. The Padres are being overhyped just like they were last year, and Fernando Tatis Jr is going to miss at least the first couple months of the season. And the Giants have regression written all over them.
Read our in-depth team guides to help you bet better this MLB season!
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