The best new duos for 2022

Similar to the case of the number nine, the number two has been an inseparable part of baseball forever. Two teams, two batting cages, two seams and doubleheaders come to mind. But in 2022, duos will shine all over the place, with many teams bringing in new players to create some pretty dynamic pairings as they try to achieve October/November glory.

So, here we leave you with the best new duos debuting this campaign.

Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts

The Dodgers were already set to start Opening Day with three MVP winners on their roster, but added another when they signed 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman.

Betts arrived in Los Angeles in 2020 with an MVP and a World Series ring in his pocket. He exceeded all expectations in his first season in Los Angeles, winning a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger and finishing behind Freeman in MVP voting. And he ended up having the last laugh when the Dodgers beat Freeman’s Braves in the NLCS and Mookie led them to win their first World Series in more than three decades.

Now, the two will combine forces from 2022 as part of what promises to be one of the most dangerous lineups seen in a long time. To say World Series or nothing for these Betts and Freeman Dodgers is a no-brainer.

Shohei Ohtani and Noah Syndergaard

Speaking of thunder and lightning. Ohtani was the most electrifying player in all of baseball in 2021, earning AL MVP thanks to his tremendous work in a year in which he hit 46 home runs and struck out 156 batters. Combine that with Syndegaard, whose 97.9-mph fastball is the fastest among starters with at least 5,000 innings since 2015, and you have one of the most thunderous duos in the game.

Syndergaard may only be in Anaheim for one season, signing a one-year deal following Tommy John surgery in 2020, but by the time he ends up spending time alongside Ohtani in the rotation, there will be plenty of strikeouts to be had. And maybe he can convince manager Joe Maddon to let him use up one at-bat, since he has six major league homers on his résumé.

Corey Seager and Marcus Semien

The new Rangers guys will patrol the middle of the Texan club’s infield after signing two mega-contracts in the offseason. Semien returns to the West after a short stint in Toronto in which he set a new record for most homers by a second baseman, while Seager changes leagues for the first time after spending his entire career with the Dodgers.

Seager should have no trouble adjusting to his new home, hitting eight homers at Globe Life Field during the 2020 postseason. And Semien has already hit four homers for Arlington. The Rangers are betting that by the end of their days in Texas — Semien is signed through the end of 2028 and Seager through the end of 2031 — the pair will easily occupy the top two spots in the rankings for most home runs at their ballpark.

Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer

Not long ago, the two were fierce rivals in the NL East, with Scherzer leading the Nationals’ rotation for nearly seven full seasons. Now, they form the most favorable rotation duo in the Majors.

Scherzer comes to Queens after a season in which he finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting and posted a career-best 2.46 ERA. During his time with the Dodgers, he posted a 1.98 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 11 starts. Couple that with deGrom’s 1.08 ERA and 0.55 WHIP in 15 starts and it’s hard to think of a more dangerous combination this century.

The big question is whether the two can stay healthy year-round. Scherzer missed a few starts with a groin problem and dealt with a couple of minor injuries late last season, but for the most part, he’s been successful when it comes to being healthy. deGrom is coming off elbow problems and had to stop pitching in July. If they can avoid injuries, watch out if they don’t carry the Mets by themselves until October.

Trevor Story and Xander Bogaerts

There are those who say that having too much of something, however good it may be, can be bad. But surely no team is going to complain about having two shortstops with All-Star experience in their lineup.

Story joins the Red Sox after spending six years in Colorado, where he twice went to the Midseason Classic and won two Silver Sluggers. He won’t defend short stops, however, as Boston already has All-Star Xander Bogaerts there. So Story will move to second base and give Puerto Rican manager Alex Cora and one of the most dangerous middle infield pairings at the plate.

While no one doubts that they will hit, it will be interesting to see how they will complement the defense. Bogaerts was near the bottom of the fielding lead in 2021 with -9 Outs Above Average, the second-worst mark among shortstops. Story wasn’t much better at -7, but perhaps the move to second will help his defense and take some pressure off Bogaerts at short.

Nelson Cruz will join countryman Juan José Soto in the United States capital for 2022, giving the Nationals two of the best sluggers on the planet.

Soto has already proven to be one of the most fearsome sluggers in baseball at just 23 years old. During his first four seasons in the Major Leagues, he hit 98 home runs and slashed .313/.465/.534. He has been in the Top 10 in NL MVP voting in each of the last three seasons and already has two Silver Sluggers in his cabinet.

Batting behind him will be a man nearly 20 years older than him. Cruz didn’t break out at the MLB level until age 28, when he hit 33 homers for the Rangers in 2009. Since then, he has hit 427 of his 449 career homers and won four Silver Sluggers. The 41-year-old veteran will try to get closer to 500 home runs in his 18th season.

Jose Berrios and Kevin Gausman

The Blue Jays came out determined to improve their rotation this offseason after coming within a game of the Wild Card in 2021. And now they have one of the best starting pairs in the American League.

Berríos came in a trade with Minnesota during 2021 and made 12 starts with a 3.58 ERA. He then signed a contract that will keep him in Toronto until at least 2026. Gausman broke the cellophane with a 2.81 ERA with San Francisco last season, which earned him a five-year deal with the Canadian squad. While the departure of AL Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray will be a blow to Toronto, adding two proven starters is sure to calm things down, especially now with a defense bolstered by the arrival of third baseman Matt Chapman.