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 3-star plays for Pickswise. I’m a diehard baseball fan with an even greater passion for statistics who loves to watch and bet on baseball. I will be analyzing every MLB team and giving my predictions for their 2022 season.
Moving into the NL West, let’s analyze the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Los Angeles Dodgers breakdown
2022 World Series odds: +475
2022 NL West odds: -235
2021 record: 106-56
2021 O/U record: 71-81-10
Key players in: Freddie Freeman (1B), Andrew Heaney (SP), Tyler Anderson (SP), Daniel Hudson (RP)
Key players out: Corey Seager (SS), Max Scherzer (SP), Joe Kelly (RP), Kenley Jansen (RP), Corey Knebel (RP), Albert Pujols (DH)
Story of last season
The Dodgers won 106 games in the regular season and did not finish in first place in their division. It was an incredible season for Los Angeles that got slightly overshadowed by the Giants who won a historic 107 regular-season games. The addition of Max Scherzer to the already star-studded rotation made the Dodgers the clear World Series favorite by the second half of the season, but a disappointing postseason ruined their chance at two titles in three years.
It’s hard to find the negatives in the Dodgers’ 2021 season, but one simple one comes to mind. Former MVP Cody Bellinger hit .165 with 94 strikeouts in 95 games and has looked like a completely different player since 2019. Besides his lackluster performance, the rest of the Dodgers lineup and bullpen were filthy. The Los Angeles arm barn finished 2nd in ERA and 3rd in WHIP last season and anytime the Dodgers were winning after the 6th inning, they usually won.
Los Angeles Dodgers 2022 MLB season predictions
Nobody is as confident in the Dodgers as Dave Roberts is. Just a few days ago he stated, “We will win the World Series this year. Put it on record.” It’s safe to say Roberts acknowledges the extraordinary talent on his team and believes that Los Angeles will be the last team standing in 2022. When your first four hitters in the order are Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, I would feel pretty confident too.
The biggest question surrounding the Dodgers in 2022 is the status of Trevor Bauer. The last time the former Cy Young winner pitched was June 28, 2021, and he has not appeared in a game since due to an off-the-field incident. The MLB announced that they have indefinitely suspended Bauer for the start of the 2022 season so it’s hard to know when or if Bauer will return this season.
As mentioned above, the Dodgers bullpen was one of the best in the league last season. However, Los Angeles lost relievers Joe Kelly and Corey Knebel as well as closer Kenley Jansen this offseason which does leave the Dodgers slightly vulnerable. They still have Alex Vesia, Brusdar Graterol, and Blake Treinen to take the brunt of the load, but the lack of depth in the Dodgers bullpen could become a problem as the season goes on.
The addition of Freeman adds to the already super-team that Los Angeles has created. The 12-year veteran will play first base which will likely move Max Muncy to the DH spot in the order. The rest of the infield will presumably be Chris Taylor, Trea Turner, and Justin Turner which sounds more like an all-star game starting infield. The Dodgers ranked 5th in runs per game in 2021, but I expect them to crack the top 3 this season with Freeman.
I would argue that the Dodgers were the only team in the NL West that improved during the offseason. Superstars such as Kevin Gausman and Trevor Story are no longer in the division and as the oddsmakers expect, the Dodgers should win the NL West. Yet, at -235 odds, it is not worth the bet in my opinion. Los Angeles’ odds to win the World Series are better, but betting on any team below +500 odds to win it all lacks value. The Dodgers will be a top team in baseball in 2022, but I’m not placing any future bet on them.
Check out my picks for the 2022 World Series winner, including a +4000 longshot!
2022 MLB season team previews
Check out the rest of our team previews for the upcoming baseball season!
AL East
AL Central
AL West
NL East
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