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2022 MLB Playoffs Preview

With the 2022 MLB regular season ending, playoffs are right around the corner! Teams have already begun to clinch playoff spots, and a few have clinched division titles. In the American League, the Yankees lead the East by a large margin and are closing in on a division title. The Rays and Blue Jays are locks to make a wild card spot. The Orioles are lingering around, but they still have a slight chance of making the postseason, as they are four games back in the wild-card race with one week to go. The Central division has been a disaster all year, with no real contender all season, but the Guardians pulled away and will win the division. The Twins led the division early on, but a horrid 2nd half led to their collapse. The White Sox never got on track despite their high expectations, and they will miss out on the playoffs. 

In the West, the Astros showed why they are one of the best teams in baseball, winning the AL West. The Mariners currently hold the last wild card spot and are nearly making their first playoff appearance in over twenty years. The Angels, with superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, were among the best teams in the league through April and May but fell apart as the season went on and again will miss the playoffs. While anyone in the playoffs has a shot, the genuine contenders to make a deep run in the AL are the Blue Jays, Astros, and Yankees. 

 

Over in the National League, the Mets have led the NL East since the middle of April. The New York national league side has looked like one of the best rosters, with star power pitching and elite hitting. They led the Braves by 1.5 games with just over a week to play, and the division race will likely come down to the last day of the season. The Phillies are contending for a playoff spot for the first time in a decade. They lead the Brewers for the final wild-card spot by 1.5 games. In the Central, the Cardinals lead the division by 6.5 games, returning them to the postseason. The Brewers led the division for a while earlier this season, but just like last year, the Cardinals got hot at the right time and will win the division, while the Brewers will compete for the final wild-card spot vs. Philadelphia. In the NL West, there was not much competition. The Dodgers clinched once again another division title and will clinch the number one seed in the NL. As of now, the Padres hold the second wild card spot and look like a sneaky contender. The Giants had a disappointing season and will be in the coming days. Top contenders in the National League include the Mets, Braves, Dodgers, and Cardinals.

 

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