We’re getting close to the halfway point of the 2022 MLB regular season. The postseason hopes of some teams (hello, Chicago teams) have already more or less faded away, while others will be looking ahead and beginning to believe that this might just be their season. Some of these names, such as the LA Dodgers and New York Yankees, will come as no surprise; they were favorites for the pennant in spring training. But there are others names that have developed a quiet confidence through the season. The Milwaukee Brewers may be outsiders for the title, but there’ll be plenty of people considering using a free bet offer like those listed at OddsChecker to back the California team for glory. The idea of them taking the glory is not unthinkable, after all. But the Mets, Astros, and previously mentioned Dodgers and Yankees will have something to say about that.
So who’s looking good for the postseason at the halfway mark? Let’s take a look.
LA Dodgers
The LA Dodgers have more or less cemented their status as the team to beat this year. They’ll feel extremely confident that they can navigate the early rounds of the postseason, and for that reason, they’ve made themselves slight favorites for the pennant. It’s worth remembering that the team did get pretty close last year, eventually losing out to the Braves, and since then have invested in players that they hope will take them to glory.
And so far, that plan is going extremely well. The Dodgers aren’t only winning plenty of games; they’re winning games against teams with an above .500 average, and that experience will count for a lot once we enter the postseason. They’re good offensively and good defensively, and have so far shown themselves to be the most well-rounded side in the national league. That bodes well.
New York Yankees
Do the New York Yankees ever not believe that they’re going to win the World Series? To be fair, the arrogance is merited — any team with a track record of success like the Yankees would feel pretty confident at all times. However, this year’s different: it’s not just Yankees who think they might be on course for glory; other commentators are thinking it too. This year, they’ve made it clear to everyone that they’re the top team in the AL, having hit more home runs and having an impressively low ERA, too.
A Yankees win should never surprise anyone, and that’s especially true this year, when it feels like they’ve put together a formidable team that will take some beating.
Houston Astros
The Astros have won a lot of respect over recent years because of the power of their offense. They’re not functioning at quite the same level of power these days, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not contenders for the World Series: they absolutely are, in large because, first, they still know how to hit baseballs, and second, their defense is looking pretty great too. You don’t win the World Series without having a solid bullpen and starting rotation, and that’s just what the Astros have got.
They’re the defending AL champions, so they’ve got experience in dealing with the threat from all sides. And if they can get their hitters to really start firing in those runs, then they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
New York Mets
New York has not one but two contenders for the World Series this year. The Mets may not ordinarily be up there with the Yankees, but this year only a fool would discount them from the race. A lot of their hope rests in just how much power they seem to have offensively. They’re leading the league in runs, and they’re performing very well against fellow big teams, too — along with the Dodgers, they’re the only team to have a winning percentage against teams that are .500 and above. Of course, there’s a chance that the firepower begins to wane at some point, at which point, the Mets will be done. But stranger things have happened than the Mets winning the World Series.
Toronto Blue Jays
There was a lot of hype surrounding the Toronto Blue Jays before the season began. So far, they haven’t quite shown why that was the case. However, that doesn’t mean that things won’t click into gear at some point or another. You don’t win the World Series in June, after all.
They’ve been winning enough games to be confident that they’ll be making it to the postseason. And then? They might just show their worth. So far this season, they’ve got a winning record against teams .500 and above, which definitely counts for a lot when you make it to the business end of the season. There’s another reason why the Blue Jays will be confident, too: they look like they’re having fun. If they can maintain that fun and relaxed attitude, then momentum could build. And we all know that you can go far when you have momentum on your side.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers have been showing great batting power and an awesome defense, and that’ll always take you far in the world of baseball. They should be a shoo-in for the postseason because of how dominant they are in the NL Central division. They’ve really only got the Cardinals near them, and that won’t pose any sort of threat: if both teams keep on winning, then one of them will get a wildcard placement.
It would be the team’s first World Series since 1982, and they’ll have to overcome plenty of hurdles if they’re going to come out on top. But if they can avoid injuries and their top players can hit peak form, they have more than a chance of success.
Final Thoughts
It’s too early to say for sure what will happen, of course, but you’d have to imagine that at least one of the sides mentioned above will win the World Series this year!
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