FanGraphs Releases First Projection For Guardians Season
Labor negotiations between the owners and players continue on at an agonizing pace. In the mean time, baseball fans get their first glimpse of what the season could look like thanks to FanGraphs' first 2022 team projections.
Assuming the 2022 season starts on time (who really knows at this point), FanGraphs is projecting Cleveland to finish with a 78-84 record in their first season as the Guardians. This is two more losses than the team had last summer. This outcome would not be an ideal way to start the Guardians era as it would mark the club with their first back-to-back losing seasons since 2011 and 2012. This would also be the first time this has happened since Terry Francona took over as manager in 2013.
With this record, FanGraphs predicts the Guardians to still finish second in the division 10 games behind the White Sox, who seem to be the clear favorite finishing with an 88-74 record.
However, second place still does not seem good enough for a playoff appearance. They give the Guardians only a 17.5 percent chance of this happening with only a 12 percent shot at winning the division.
It is certainly hard to predict what this team is capable of when looking at how the 2021 season finished. The 2022 roster should look incredibly similar to who was on the field in 2021, hopefully with far fewer injuries. Even with the injury bug going around the team for what seemed like the entire year, Cleveland was in the mix of things throughout a decent part of the season. Having a fully healthy lineup and the emergence of Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie on the mound should have Guardians fans optimistic about how the season could go.
There are still many unknowns that could affect these projections once the lockout ends, such as free agency signings and trades. But this forecast gives Guardians fans a glimpse into what the season could look like once it gets underway.
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