The 2022 MLB season is about to reach the All-Star break and everyone can take some time to enjoy the festivities.
A little over half of the season is already in the books, and we are already getting an idea about who will buy and who will sell at the deadline.
At the very least, we know which teams are competitive and which squads are already thinking about next year.
There are a surprisingly high number of teams in contention this year, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale.
“There are 20 teams that are in first place in their division, lead the wild-card race or are within 3 games in the loss column of a playoff berth entering the final week before the All-Star break,” Nightengale said.
There are 20 teams that are in first place in their division, lead the wild-card race or are within 3 games in the loss column of a playoff berth entering the final week before the All-Star break.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 11, 2022
The League Has Been Very Competitive, With A Few Surprising Developments
The New York Yankees, the Houston Astros, the New York Mets, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been elite, as expected.
The Atlanta Braves, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the San Diego Padres have also been, quite unsurprisingly, very good (although the Jays have disappointed if we consider the sky-high expectations before the campaign started).
But other teams have surprised and remain in contention despite not being favored before the season started.
The Philadelphia Phillies, the Minnesota Twins, the Seattle Mariners, and the Baltimore Orioles have been shockingly competitive, especially the O’s.
They are two games out of the Wild Card spot, which seemed extremely unlikely before everything began.
The Los Angeles Angels, the Chicago White Sox, and the San Francisco Giants have raised a few eyebrows, but for the wrong reasons.
Except for a few exceptions, the vast majority of the league is actually trying to compete.
That’s excellent for baseball.
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