Who will be holding that World Series trophy at the end of the 2022 season? Every sports fan has opinions, ideas, and, most importantly, dreams of who that will be.MLB The Show 22has some statistical analysis on this issue that will be a conversation for some time now.
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Rankings can’t ever be perfect. But who predicted the Braves to win it all last year, honestly? The folks at Sony San Diego have done the work, rated every player, examined every batting stance, and copied down every throwing motion, so their heavily-informed opinions manifested inMLB The Show 22’s rankings deserve a good deal of merit.
Updated on July 13th, 2022 by Hodey Johns:This list first came out before the season started. All-Star week marks the halfway point of the season. So, how did the analysts do? Of course, nobody is perfect. Some teams that were expected to do poorly ended up putting together a fantastic first half, so they needed to be added to the list. Others that were well-hyped didn’t quite hit the expectations of the experts, so they had to be dropped. A hot or a cold streak could see even the worst team make the list or the number one ranked team fall out of favor entirely. This is how things have shaken out so far.
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15Milwaukee Brewers
Ranked as having the third-best pitching staff in the game, the Brewers give anybody who uses them a chance to win on any given day. They have four starters ranked 85+ in OVR and two relievers at 85+ OVR, one of which is Josh Hader, the game’s best closer right now.
Their defense, contact, and speed are all, frankly, terrible, but the Brewers play long ball with the best of them, ranked eighth in power. If players can get a couple of long balls, the team has a good chance to beat the best of the best. It’s a smart, underrated pick forplaying against friends.
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13Cleveland Guardians
Of the teams most improved from last season, few figured it would be the Cleveland Guardians pleasantly surprising their fan base. They quietly built a team that is competitive in most games, bolstered by an unlikely number two rank in speed.
Power hitters thatrise in ranks rapidly in Road to the Showmay want to add a long ball threat to this organization. Their power rating is not good and it may be the only problem that keeps them out of the playoffs.
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10Chicago White Sox
How’s this for well-rounded? Every starting player on the White Sox is ranked 72 OVR or better. Four of their starting pitchers are in the 80s. And then they’ve got Liam Hendriks, one ofthe best relievers around, to shut to door on opponents.
The White Sox are still ranked this high in the face of their sub-.500 record. Many are calling for the manager’s job with all the talent going to waste. If things don’t turn around soon, the White Sox may fall further down this list.
9San Diego Padres
Last season was supposed to be the year of the Padres as they went into it ranked first. Things didn’t pan out and the team had a disappointing finish to a lackluster season. There didn’t appear to be much of a reason this season would be better.
It’s become apparent that this squad just needed time to work out their differences and function together. Despite middling rankings in about every category, the Padres are a winning team that could seek at least a WIld Card slot.
8Atlanta Braves
The ratings folks at Sony San Diego brutalized the Braves to start the season, ranking them as not just below average, but downright bad in speed, defense, and contact. Keep in mind, this is the same team that won the World Series last year.
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It turns out they were too savage on the defending champs. They’ve since corrected this mistake. Aside from defense, everything is ranked eighth or better. They still have Ronald Acuna Jr who was stamped with a legendary 99 OVR and is easily one ofthe best players in the game.
