MLB season officially begins, and here’s what to expect
The 2022 MLB season Opening Day was held on Thursday. Prepare yourselves for this year’s amazing plays, substantial home runs, and clutch pitching to baseball fanatics out there. After seven days of the National Leagues Opening Day games, the games will continue until Friday.
Although the start of the season was set to be on March 31, the league moved the schedule a little later. At the beginning of the 2022 Major League Baseball season, a halt was due to the negotiations between the players association and the league as both parties pushed for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
In the end, the new agreement comprises the most significant changes. The pitchers no longer need to take an at-bat in the National League. Since 1973, the American League has allowed the hitters to take the pitchers’ rotation. Now, the new rule is universal for both leagues.
Wrigley Field is an A+ setting to start the season. #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/aznt9jd2i2
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2022
Adhering to the new agreement, both leagues will now feature a universal designated hitter for 2022. Another significant change this season is the expansion of the teams in the playoffs. It will now be 12 teams instead of the usual ten teams only. Whoever will be the top two teams will receive a first-round bye. The team will be added to each league with a third wild card.
There’s only one rule that hasn’t changed since its implementation during the pandemic. It is the “ghost runner” rule wherein a runner is on second base during the extra innings, intending to shorten regular-season games. In the playoffs, there won’t be ghost runners anymore.
MLB Teams New Faces
In addition, another change that the MLB and MLB Player Association have come up with is based on last year’s big MLB story. Where Shohei Ohtani is involved in helping transform his team’s game. He wasn’t only dominant as a pit her but as a batter too.
Mets announce Steve Cohen has a deal to purchase the team from the Wilpon and Katz families, pending MLB approval pic.twitter.com/HNXxemeG5A
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 14, 2020
In response to this, MLB changed the universal designated hitter. They are now allowing teams to assign their pitcher as the hitter that can continue to hit even if he’s pulled out. Safe to say that even a player like Ohtani can still finish the game as a pitcher while taking bats.
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On a side note, fans are looking for a new player to root for this 2022 MLB season as most teams will feature new players this season. For one, the Texas Rangers have added Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Jon Gray to their team. However, Ranger shave spends an equally massive amount of $500 million at the beginning of free agency.
The World Series champions Atlanta Braves are optimistic about repeating this season. After trading for Oakland Athletics Matt Olson, the team moved on from Freddie Freeman, who was now with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Moreover, like the Rangers, the New York Mets have shelled out some big bucks this offseason. Met signed in 37-year-old Max Scherzer with a $130 million deal.They also added Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar.
The Minnesota Twins are no different as they signed the best free agent, Carlos Correa. This was arguably the wealthiest free-agent deal in the franchise history of MLB.
Meanwhile, NBC hasn’t broadcasted the MLB games for so many years. It will change this season. During Opening Day, MLB announced their final deals with NBC. Eighteen games will air on Peacock with a slate of “Sunday Morning Baseball” games.
The first six weeks of the MLB games will start at 11:30 am ET. At the same time, the next 12 games will air at noon ET. This will be the schedule until September.
