Are you missing baseball too? For those that don’t know me, hello! My name is Keith Schmelter and I was the most profitable MLB writer on the Pickswise staff last season. I finished +37.6 units on money line/run-line picks, +52.9 units on game totals, and +39.3 units (21-6-1) on three-star plays for Pickswise. I am a die-hard baseball fan with an even greater passion for statistics who loves to watch and bet on baseball. While the MLB is in a lockout, I will be analyzing every MLB team and giving my predictions for their 2022 season.
I already analyzed the AL East, so let’s move into the AL Central and start with the reigning champs.
Chicago White Sox breakdown
2022 World Series odds: +1100
2022 AL Central odds: -200
2021 record: 93-69
2021 O/U record: 70-82-10
Key players in: Kendall Graveman (RP), Joe Kelly (RP), Josh Harrison (2B)
Key players out: Carlos Rodon (SP), Cesar Hernandez (2B)
Story of last season
The Chicago White Sox were able to win the AL Central fairly easily in 2021 as they finished 13 games ahead of the second-place Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians). They have a young core comprised of Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, and Yoan Moncada that will be the leaders of the team for the next few years. Anderson has become a fan favorite shortstop because of his attempts to make baseball more fun, but he was also one of the best offensive shortstops in the game last season with a .309 batting average and .807 OPS.
Chicago’s postseason hopes ended quickly as Houston took 3 out of 4 games in the ALDS and the series was never too competitive as the Astros outscored the White Sox 31-18. However, the White Sox began to realize Luis Robert’s potential as the second-year player hit .467 with a 1.023 OPS in the playoffs. Robert was placed on the injured list three different times before May ended and did not return to the starting lineup until mid-August, but the 24-year-old looked as healthy as ever and finished the regular season with a .338 batting average and 13 home runs.
Chicago White Sox 2022 MLB season predictions
On most sportsbooks right now, the White Sox have the 4th-best odds to win the 2022 World Series. The main reason for their high expectations is their incredible pitching staff which finished 4th in both ERA and WHIP last season. The star of the rotation was Carlos Rodon who posted a 13-5 record with a 2.37 ERA in 132.2 innings including a no-hitter against Cleveland early in the season. Unfortunately for Chicago, Rodon recently signed a 2-year, $44 million contract with the Giants in the first few hours after the lockout ended.
The White Sox had a top three bullpen in the league last season and just prior to the lockout starting, Chicago signed Kendall Graveman to add to an already star-studded bullpen. Then once the lockout ended, Chicago signed Joe Kelly to a 2-year, $17 million deal. Graveman and Kelly join Garrett Crochet, Aaron Bummer, Craig Kimbrel, and Liam Hendriks who are some of the hardest throwing relievers in the MLB. All six of those pitchers have an average fastball velocity over 95 miles per hour while also ranking above average in whiff percentage. With the strength of their bullpen, Chicago starters will likely only need to go five innings before the bullpen shuts the door.
With their relatively weak division, Chicago’s negative odds to win the AL Central could be worth the bet. Especially if they start the season slow and let the Tigers or Royals get a head start, I could see myself coming back to the White Sox at much better odds.
I expect the White Sox to be a very competitive team this year and I do see them competing for a World Series title if they make the right moves along the way. Chicago losing Rodon in free agency barely affected their odds to win it all and that’s likely because they have 25-year-old Michael Kopech who would likely move into the starting rotation. With their incredible bullpen and strong offense, the White Sox could be worth the bet to be the last team standing in 2022.
2022 MLB season team previews
Check out the rest of our team previews for the upcoming baseball season!
Pickswise is the home of free sports picks, news and best bets. Check out our expert NFL Picks, NBA Picks, MLB Picks and NHL Picks for the latest game picks.
