5 stories to follow in the 2022 MLB season (Part 1)

By Juan Paez

The 2022 Major League Baseball season promises to be one of the most interesting for the Cuban navy in recent years. Circumstances were given so that almost all of its members have important stories to follow in the upcoming campaign and, in this work of SwingFullwe will evaluate five of them.

Without further ado, let’s begin…

1. Will Chapman receive total respect from the Yankees?

It is no secret to anyone that Aroldis Chapman has been one of the most consistent closers in the Major Leagues in recent years. Season after season, since 2012, the southpaw’s name is synonymous with dominance. But the Yankees face a very particular situation for the 2022 campaign.

Chapman will enter the last year of his contract with New York and they will face the dilemma of trading him, keeping him until the end in his rightful position or occasionally testing Jonathan Loáisiga, who could be his replacement if the Yankees let Chapman go. Will they respect the hierarchy of the Cuban Missile or will it go out the back door of Yankee Stadium?

2. What will happen to Abreu and Gurriel?

Both Yulieski Gurriel and José Abreu will see their contracts expire at the end of the 2022 World Series. Both are obliged to repeat good performances this year, in order to continue their passage through the Major Leagues. Otherwise, the age of the two could undermine that intention.

Gurriel will turn 38 on June 9, while Pito will jump to 36 on January 29 of next year. With no clear replacement for him, will the Houston Astros keep Gurriel for at least one more season? Will the Chicago White Sox auto-renew the face of their lineup? Those are questions that will sound more than once for the next few months.

3. Will we see the best of Robert?

Luis Robert will arrive in 2022 in full condition and with 124 Major League games in his career. He has more experience, he is the undisputed center fielder for the White Sox and in 2021 he showed the excellence that he can achieve at his highest level.

Will 2022 be the year Luis Robert earns his first AL MVP nomination? There is talk of the five tools of his and his conditions raised comparisons with Mike Trout. For the Chicago Panther, at 24 years of age, it is time to impress and to become the present and future of the whitelegs.

4. Barrero’s year in Cincinnati?

José Israel Barrero has two unsuccessful years in the Major Leagues. Despite his parallel success in the minor leagues, the young shortstop is yet to hit his first major league home run and is just hitting .197/.242/.248 in 124 plate appearances on the Reds’ big team. from Cincinnati.

But there’s no reason not to have faith in the young shortstop. In fact, last year he had 19 doubles and 19 homers in 85 RBIs between Double-A and Triple-A, along with a .303/.380/.539 slash line. That’s the kind of production the Reds hope he can bring to baseball’s most demanding level, something that hopefully will happen in 2022.

5. How far will the White Sox go?

The fact of having four Cubans in their starting lineup makes the White Sox a point of great attraction and attention for the followers of the Antillean army. The white-legged will have the obligation to finally transcend in the postseason and Abreu, Robert, Yasmani Grandal and Yoán Moncada will have a certain share of responsibility in achieving it.

Hand in hand with the islanders, Chicago reached the promised land in 2020 and 2021, after not doing so since 2008. The problem is that they were eliminated in the first instance of each edition: in 2020 they lost the Wild Card series against the Oakland Athletics and in 2021 they fell in the Division Series against the Houston Astros. The moment is now!