Are you missing baseball too? For those that don’t know me, hello! My name is Keith Schmelter and I was the most profitable MLB writer on the Pickswise staff last season. I finished +37.6 units on money line/run-line picks, +52.9 units on game totals, and +39.3 units (21-6-1) on three-star plays for Pickswise. I am a die-hard baseball fan with an even greater passion for statistics who loves to watch and bet on baseball. While the MLB is in a lockout, I will be analyzing every MLB team and giving my predictions for their 2022 season.
Moving into the National League, let’s analyze the reigning champs, the Atlanta Braves.
Atlanta Braves breakdown
2022 World Series odds: +1200
2022 NL East odds: +135
2021 record: 88-73
2021 O/U record: 88-73
Key players in: Matt Olson (1B), Collin McHugh (RP), Kirby Yates (RP), Manny Pena (C)
Key players out: Freddie Freeman (1B), Jesse Chavez (RP)
Story of last season
The Atlanta Braves were the 2021 World Series Champions, so it was a pretty good season for them. It wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows however as the Braves were 3 games under .500 at the trade deadline. They decided to make a series of moves that ended up winning them the title, but three of those four players are now free agents.
All this success came without having Mike Soroka for the entire year and Ronald Acuna Jr. for the second half of the season. That led to Eddie Rosario stepping into the role of the hero during the postseason as the outfielder hit for a .383 average and a 1.073 OPS. It’s also hard to forget Jorge Soler’s 446-foot home run in Game 6 of the World Series which earned Soler the honor of World Series MVP.
Is a World Series hangover in store for the reigning champs or are they ready to defend their title?
Atlanta Braves 2022 MLB season predictions
Freddie Freeman isn’t coming back to Atlanta. The 12-year Brave has reached the end of his contract and until the trade between the Braves and Athletics, there was still hope that Freeman would return to Atlanta. On March 14th, the Braves acquired first baseman Matt Olson from the Athletics for a bunch of prospects. Olson is a younger, but worse version of Freeman that hit a career-high 39 home runs in 2021. He does have some upside as a 6-year veteran at only 27-years-old, but Atlanta is definitely getting a downgrade from Freeman.
Soroka might have the worst luck I’ve ever seen. After tearing his Achilles during his third start of 2020, Soroka re-tore his Achilles when walking to the clubhouse in June of 2021. The righty has only completed one full season in his career and finished 2nd in the NL Rookie of the Year vote, 6th in the NL Cy Young vote, and even earned an All-Star nomination during the 2019 season. If Soroka can return around the All-Star break, he would be a huge addition to the starting rotation.
After missing the final three months of the 2021 season, Acuna Jr. is finally set to return in 2022. Acuna Jr. tore his ACL in early July when he was on track to have the best season of his career which was a massive blow to the Braves’ offense. That led to Atlanta acquiring Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Soler, and Rosario who all played vital parts in the Braves postseason run. The problem is, three of the four players are free agents.
Soler and Rosario have been linked to many different teams this offseason, but it seems Pederson may return to the Braves. Atlanta will need all the help they can get as their division is now loaded with star players as the Mets and Phillies have made some big moves this season.
Right now on FanDuel, the Braves are the favorites to win the NL East. This comes at a slight surprise as the Mets have upgraded their starting rotation and offense to be the best team they’ve assembled in decades. Without Freeman, I don’t see the Braves repeating in 2022.
2022 MLB season team previews
Check out the rest of our team previews for the upcoming baseball season!
AL East
AL Central
AL West
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