First, let’s have a look at the current world champions.
These are Houston Astros plus some of the key players that are likely to deliver success for them.
2022 Houston Astros Statistics:
WORLD CHAMPIONS winning the World Series in 2022.
106-56-0, 1st place in the AL WEST.
The Astros had an amazing season that led them to victory in 2022. The team will be leaning on their key marquee players to replicate their performance. Here are a few insights about these top performers.
Yordan Álvarez is a professional baseball player from Cuba who currently plays as a designated hitter and left fielder for the Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB). Here are some of his career stats:
Career Performance:
| Batting Average: | .296 |
| On-Base Percentage: | .390/384 |
| Slugging Percentage: | .601/590 |
| OPS (On-base plus slugging): | .991/973 |
| Home Runs: | 98 |
| Runs Batted In: | 283 |
| Runs Scored: | 247 |
| Hits: | 393 |
| Doubles: | 60/90 |
| Triples: | 2/3 |
| Stolen Bases: | 2 |
Álvarez made his MLB debut in 2019 and won the American League Rookie of the Year award that same year. He has also been named an All-Star and won the Silver Slugger award in his career so far.
Alvarez will be one of the Astros’ leading players for the upcoming season hoping for an injury-free run.
Astros had a secret arm weapon they let loose in 2022: Bryan Abreu, one of their main pitchers.
Bryan authored a breakout season in 2022, appearing in career-high 55 games, and produced a 1.94 earned run average, 4–0 won-loss record, two saves, 2.12 fielding independent pitching, and 88 strikeouts, leading the Astros with 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Astros will be the team to beat this season as they look to go back to back, which has not been done since 1998-2000, when the Yankees won three years in a row.
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers just fell short last season after an outstanding performance in the previous one.
111-51-0, 1st place in the NL West.
After dominating the regular season, the Dodgers could only win one post-season game before losing three straight against the San Diego Padres, which ended their season much earlier than expected.
Wait for the Dodgers to have one of their best seasons in 2023. The team is hoping to secure J.D. Martinez, who has an exceptional connection with Mookie Betts. The club could certainly benefit from a few strong leaders to take it to the next level.
One player to watch will be Mookie Betts. Mookie did not reach his full potential last season, as injuries reduced game time and performance.
Photo Works/Shutterstock.com
Career Performance:
| Batting Average: | 0.293 |
| On-Base Percentage: | .368 |
| Slugging Percentage: | .520 |
| OPS (On-base plus slugging): | .888 |
| Home Runs: | 213 |
| Runs Batted In: | 649 |
| Runs Scored: | 870 |
| Hits: | 1,306 |
| Doubles: | 279/307 |
| Triples: | 28/33 |
| Stolen Bases: | 158 |
Clayton Kershaw is arguably one of the best MLB pitchers, named National League MVP in 2014. He won the CY Young Award in 2011, 2013, and 2014.
Kershaw has dedicated his career to this club, and he is one of the few one-club players.
New York Mets
The Mets had one of their best seasons in 2022 as they won 101 games, which is the second most wins in the franchise history, plus they made the post-season for the first time since 2016.
101-61-0, 2nd place in the NL East.
The Mets will most probably watch Pete Alonso build on his performance. In 2022, Pete Alonso was the number-one first baseman for the Mets and delivered an outstanding batting result.
Career Performance:
| Batting Average: | .261 |
| On-Base Percentage: | .349 |
| Slugging Percentage: | .535 |
| OPS (On-base plus slugging): | .884 |
| Home Runs: | 146 |
| Runs Batted In: | 380 |
| Runs Scored: | 310 |
| Hits: | 512 |
| Stolen Bases: | 10 |
With forty home runs in 2022, Pete Alonso became the second-highest behind Philly hitter Kyle Schwarber. He will be looking to get the top spot in the upcoming season.
The Mets have secured some upcoming prospects:
Francisco Alvarez, C
Brett Baty, 3B/OF
Kevin Parada, C
Alex Ramirez, OFJett Williams, SS
The New York Mets will try to secure a top spot within the NL East to go deeper into the playoffs.
Adam Hunger/AP
Chicago White Sox:
Did the White Sox live up to their expectations in 2022? You can ask any fan of the White Sox or MLB supporters, and most would agree that the White Sox were quite disappointing and did not deliver on their expectations.
The Sox started the season with a 6-2, which seemed promising. However, things suddenly took a turn, and it wasn’t long until they lost their next eight and were looking at a 6-10.
It honestly felt like the Sox were not being managed to their full potential, and this does lead to the question of whether Tony La Russa did his job well. Without speculating on that question, fans can now look forward as Tony La Russa has now retired due to health issues, and the new manager Pedro Grifol is moving on from 2022 to start a new era.
The Sox finished the season with an 81-81-0, 2nd place in the AL Central.
Although the Sox underdelivered, most would agree that injuries played a huge role, with the team attempting to maintain consistency. Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Yasmani Grandal, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, and Jose Abreu were all struggling to get on the pitch.
The White Sox brought Luis Robert to the club for a reason, and if Luis can stay healthy, there is no doubt that the club will start to rise in 2023 and try to bring back what the fans want to see.
Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports
San Diego Padres:
How did the Padres perform last season? This is a question many fans would ask, as the Padres did have a strong roster going into last season. The Padres finished with a record of 89-73, second in the NL West. They had a great season considering they were without one of their marquee players, Fernando Tatis Jr, as he was out with a broken wrist and then was suspended for 80 games, testing positive for clostebol.
The Padres will be at another level this season with the return of Tatis. However, the team has also signed Juan Soto during the signing deadline and will have a lethal top 4 players: Tatis, Soto, Manny Machado, and Bogaerts.
With a solid batting lineup, it seems that the pitching could be the hole within the Padres, but with a few wins and some consistency, the confidence will grow. It honestly feels like the drought is over for the Padres and this will be the year for this franchise.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
It looks like the playing field is going to be more even this season, however, I would be looking at the teams that will have the most consistent healthy playing roster.
In conclusion, the Padres are the team to watch this year, especially come April when they are at the full squad and everyone is healthy. Share your thoughts on which team you see making it to the world series.
