Favorites to Win the 2022 American League Pennant
Scott Morris | March 24, 2022
With the MLB lockout in the rearview mirror, the 2022 MLB regular season will begin on April 7. The first two series of the season will be rescheduled and played before the season’s end. All 162 games will be played with the regular season ending on October 5.
There are relatively few changes among the top favorites to capture the 2022 World Series. For most of 2021, it was the Los Angeles Dodgers. That remains the same heading into 2022. A handful of American League teams are among the favorites. Those teams will fight it out to win this year’s AL pennant. Which of those teams will it be? Here’s a look at the favorites to win the 2022 American League pennant.
No Problem in Houston
The Astros have played for the past five AL pennants and there’s no reason why they cannot do it again. Houston has what could be the best hitting lineup in the majors and that’s after losing Carlos Correa to the Twins. There is former AL MVP Jose Altuve who hit .277 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs last year. Then, there is Yordan Alvarez who is among the favorites to win this year’s AL MVP. Alvarez hit .277 and had 33 homers and 104 RBIs. Kyle Tucker hit .294 with 30 homers and Alex Bregman is back and healthy after a shortened 2021. From 1 through 9 in the order, the Astros have talent and power.
Houston also has a championship worthy pitching rotation. Christian Javier went 4-1 in nine starts last year. Framber Valdez (11-6) and Jose Urquidy (8-3) are young and have World Series experience. Plus, Houston gets former Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander back in the rotation after he missed all of last season with an injury. All of this is why Houston is given +450 odds to win the AL pennant.
The Challenger
A year ago, Toronto went 91-71 and didn’t even make the playoffs. They ended up fourth in the competitive AL East. With one of the best young lineups and some key offseason moves, the Blue Jays are ready to make a run in 2022. Oddsmakers agree as the Blue Jays are given +450 odds to win the AL at BetUS.com, the same odds as Houston.
It all starts with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He led the majors last year with 48 homers. The young star also had 111 RBIs and he batted .311. Bo Bichette is another young star who hit .298 with 29 home runs and 102 RBIs in 2021. Four other Toronto hitters – George Springer, Randal Grichuk, Teoscar Hernandez, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. – hit at least 22 homers. Hernandez had a team-high 116 RBIs and he hit .296. This is a loaded lineup despite losing Marcus Semien to Texas.
The Blue Jays also went out and shored up the pitching staff. Robbie Ray is gone, but Toronto still has Jose Berrios, Alek Manoah, and Hyun Jin Ryu. In the offseason, Toronto added former Padres ace Kevin Gausman and the then just recently signed Yusei Kikuchi. With that pitching rotation, the Blue Jays can keep pace with the best in the AL.
The Other Contenders
The White Sox will once again be the best team in the AL Central, but two teams to watch in the AL pennant race are Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Angels. Remember, it was the Rays that won 100 games and the AL East crown last season. Tampa Bay is listed at +750 to win the AL right now and return a lineup that features the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, Randy Arozarena and outstanding shortstop prospect Wander Franco.
The Angels are an intriguing prospect listed at +1600 to win the AL at BetOnline.ag. They could be the best value pick right now with a lineup that will include a healthy Mike Trout, who many consider the best player in baseball. Trout returns alongside the reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The two-way phenom is one of the better pitchers in the AL and he hit 46 home runs and had 100 RBIs. L.A. also has Anthony Rendon and the pitching staff got an upgrade when they added Noah Syndergaard.
