Your 2022 MLB Questions Answered

What are the MLB teams?

There are currently thirty MLB teams. They are split into two separate leagues called the American League and National League. The American League is also split into 3 divisions East, Central and West. The National League is also split into 3 divisions, also called the East, Central, and West.

AL East

The AL east consists of five teams. The Tampa Bay Rays won the division in 2021 with a 100-62 record. Every team except the Baltimore Orioles won at least ninety games last season. The New York Yankees have won the AL East championships with 19. The AL East is made up of:

• Tampa Bay Rays
• New York Yankees
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Boston Red Sox
• Baltimore Orioles

AL Central

The AL Central consists of five teams. The Chicago White Sox won the division in 2021 with a 93-69 record. No other team in the division finished over .500. The Cleveland Guardians have the most AL Central titles with 10. The AL central is made up of:

• Chicago White Sox
• Kansas City Royals
• Cleveland Guardians
• Detroit Tigers
• Minnesota Twins

AL West

The AL West consists of five teams. The Houston Astros won the division in 2021 with a 95-67 record. The Oakland Athletics have the most AL West titles with 17. The AL West is made up of:

• Houston Astros
• Seattle Mariners
• Oakland Athletics
• Texas Rangers
• Los Angeles Angels

NL East

The NL East consists of five teams. The Atlanta Braves won the division in 2021 with a 88-73 record and have the most NL East titles with 16. The NL East is made up of:

• NY Mets
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Atlanta Braves
• Miami Marlins
• Washington Nationals

NL Central

The NL Central consists of five teams. The Milwaukee Brewers won the division in 2021 with a 95-67 record and have the most NL Central titles with 11. The NL Central is made up of:

• Chicago Cubs
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Cincinnati Reds
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Pittsburgh Pirates

NL West

The NL West consists of five teams. The San Francisco Giants won the division in 2021 with a 107-55 record, the best record in baseball. The Dodgers have the most NL West titles with 19. The NL West is made up of:

• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Colorado Rockies
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• San Francisco Giants
  
• San Diego Padres
  

What are the 2022 MLB payrolls?

The average MLB payroll is $144,891,119 in 2022. This is up from $127,504,900 in the 2021 season. This is the highest average payroll in MLB history due to the increase of the league minimum to $700,000. For the second consecutive year, the Dodgers have the highest payroll in all of baseball. Meanwhile, the Athletics have returned to the cheapest payroll for the first time since 2018.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers $241,350,000
2. New York Mets $232,799,999
3. New York Yankees $228,040,714
4. Philadelphia Phillies $215,915,881
5. San Diego Padres $181,508,333
6. Boston Red Sox $158,591,000
7. Chicago White Sox $141,210,734
8. Los Angeles Angels $157,513,094
9. Atlanta Braves $151,010,000
10. Houston Astros $155,083,685
11. Toronto Blue Jays $162,552,272
12. St. Louis Cardinals $149,546,666
13. San Francisco Giants $125,042,500
14. Chicago Cubs $123,200,000
15. Milwaukee Brewers $122,239,460
16. Colorado Rockies $121,839,166
17. Minnesota Twins $119,759,524
18. Detroit Tigers $117,140,000
19. Texas Rangers $95,743,570
20. Kansas City Royals $92,110,000
21. Seattle Mariners $90,845,714
22. Washington Nationals $88,701,666
23. Cincinnati Reds $79,680,000
24. Arizona Diamondbacks $76,268,333
25. Miami Marlins $75,100,000
26. Tampa Bay Rays $69,527,813
27. Cleveland Guardians $52,191,274
28. Pittsburgh Pirates $47,748,656
29. Oakland Athletics $43,583,334
30. Baltimore Orioles $35,754,500

What were the biggest MLB trades of 2022

After the MLB lockout froze player transactions until March 12th, it was a wild month of trades among MLB teams leading up to the 2022 season. Here’s the biggest trades of the new season:

Yankees trade Gary Sanchez to Twins for Josh Donaldson

The Twins have made various trades this offseason in order to revamp their roster, but no trade was bigger than their trade for Yankees C Gary Sanchez. Sanchez, who was well-liked by New York fans in spite of his hot and cold performances, was traded to Minnesota along with third baseman Gio Urshela. It only cost the Twins 3x All Star and former MVP Josh Donaldson, SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and C Ben Rortvedt. It was bittersweet for all involved but a solid trade for both teams.

Reds trade Jesse Winker to Mariners for OF Jake Fraley

In one of the most lopsided moves of the offseason, the Mariners were able to acquire All-Star OF Jesse Winker, and power hitter Eugenio Suarez for mid-tier players and prospects. The Mariners are taking on the remaining salary of both Winker and Suarez, which the Reds were not willing to pay. But, they only sent OF Jake Fraley and pitchers Justin Dunn, and Brandon Williamson. Williamson could turn into a high level prospect but only time will tell.

Atlanta acquires A’s 1B Matt Olson for prospects

After a few unsuccessful trips to the postseason, Oakland has decided to blow it up. Included in this rebuild was All-Star first baseman Matt Olson, who they sent to Atlanta. The Braves needed a replacement for hometown hero Freddie Freeman, who left in free agency to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The asking price was steep but the Braves sent four prospects to get their shiny new toy in the infield.

Toronto trades prospects for A’s 3B Matt Chapman

Oakland trading a top level infielder for prospects, what else is new? After losing star infielder Marcus Semien, the Jays needed to make a splash in order to stay alive in the NL East. A splash indeed was made when they traded for Chapman who is one of the best defensive third basemen in all of baseball. It only cost four prospects, which seems to be the asking price for A’s infielders these days.

When is the MLB trade deadline in 2022?

There are new rules for the trade deadline for the 2022 season. Previously, the deadline was always set for July 31. But thanks to the new CBA, the Commissioner's Office will have the flexibility to set the Trade Deadline on a date between July 28 and Aug. 3. Time will tell on when we will see the trade deadline. Who are the highest paid MLB players in 2022?

Who are the highest paid MLB players in 2022?

Max Scherzer made waves by signing with the New York Mets for a record 43 million dollars a year. He joins a group of the highest paid players in sports, let alone baseball. Here are the highest paid players in the MLB in 2022.

1. Mets P Max Scherzer $43.3 Million
2. Yankees P Gerrit Cole $36 Million
3. Angels OF Mike Trout $35.5 Million
4. Twins SS Carlos Correa $35.1 Million
5. Nationals P Stephen Strausberg $35 Million (Tie)
6. Angels 3B Anthony Rendon $35 Million (Tie)
7. Mets SS Francisco Lindor $34.1 Million
8. Dodgers P Trevor Bauer $34 Million
9. Rangers SS Corey Seagar $32.5 Million (Tie)
10. Cardinals 3B Nolan Arenado $32.5 Million (Tie)

What is the Average Salary of an MLB player?

With the highest average payroll ever, it only makes sense that the average salary is at an almost record high. The average salary in 2022 is $4,414,184 up 5.9% from the 2021 season. It sits just below the record of $4,451,508 set in 2017

What is the MLB minimum salary 2022?

The lowest possible major league salary is $700,000 in 2022, a 22.7-percent increase over the $570,500 last year. This is due to a rule increase thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement agreed to at the beginning of the 2022 season.

Who is the Oldest MLB player in 2022?

The oldest MLB player to ever play was Satchel Paige at the age of 59, a record that will probably never be broken. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some old folks still playing at the highest level. Albert Pujols leads the pack at 42 years of age. Here’s the oldest players in the MLB in 2022.

1. Albert Pujols, 1B/DH, St. Louis Cardinals age 42
2. Rich Hill, SP, Boston Red Sox age 42
3. Nelson Cruz, DH, Washington Nationals age 41
4. Oliver Pérez, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks age 40
5. Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals age 40
6. Yadier Molina, C, St. Louis Cardinals age 39
7. Darren O’Day, RP, Atlanta Braves age 39

Who is the Shortest MLB player of 2022?

Jose Altuve is the shortest player in baseball at 5-foot-6. He is the Houston Astros second baseman. Here are the shortest active players:

1. Jose Altuve 5’6”
2. Tony Kemp 5’6”
3. Terrance Gore 5’7”
4. Marcus Stroman 5’7”
5. Kolton Wong 5’7”

Who are the fastest MLB players of 2022?

It’s no wonder that Trea Turner had 32 stolen bases last season, third in the MLB, with his game breaking speed. He sits at the top of a leaderboard full of olympic level runners. Here are the fastest players

1. Dodgers Trea Turner 30.7 feet per second
2. Yankees Tim Locastro 30.7 feet per second
3. Tigers Derek Hill 30.5 feet per second
4. Rangers Eli White 30.5 feet per second
5. Jose Siri 30.4 feet per second Astros

Who were MLB Free Agents in 2022?

After a lengthy lockout, the MLB free agent market was a wild one. We saw many players switch teams and cash in huge paychecks. Here are the top free agents:

1. Corey Seagar to the Rangers (10 years/$325 Million)
2. Kris Bryant to the Rockies (7 years/$182 Million)
3. Marcus Semien to the Rangers (7 years/$175 Million)
4. Freddie Freeman to the Dodgers (6 years/$162 Million)
5. Trevor Story to the Red Sox (6 years/$140 Million)