Call to the pen
Fansided

The 5 most disappointing MLB teams for the 2022 season

By Jack McKenney

May 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) holds shortstop Javier Baez (28) back from umpire Nick Mahrley (48) during the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
May 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) holds shortstop Javier Baez (28) back from umpire Nick Mahrley (48) during the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Detroit Tigers MLB postseason drought
Aug 15, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Jonathan Schoop (7) reacts after striking out in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

There were a lot of MLB teams who surprised us this year, the most obvious being the October-bound Cleveland Guardians. We also had teams like the San Francisco Giants, who won 107 games last year and now may finish below .500.

Let’s take a look at five MLB teams who were unable to live up the offseason hype, leaving their fanbases very disappointed

Detroit Tigers

That’s right. I have the Detroit Tigers as number one on my list. It may come as a surprise to many, but I really expected Detroit to make noise this year.

Last year, the Tigers went 77-85 and added some really promising names in the offseason. Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez came from the Boston Red Sox, receiving a five-year, $77 million deal and was expected to excel at the top of the rotation. The Tigers also improved their bullpen adding lefty Andrew Chafin. They added catcher Tucker Barnhardt for catching depth, and acquired Tampa Bay Rays All-Star right fielder Austin Meadows to shore up the outfield. I haven’t even mentioned their biggest signing, infielder Javier Baez. “El Mago” was coming off one of his best offensive seasons with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.

Things just never really clicked for the Tigers and, to be truly frank, almost everyone on their team underperformed.

Entering the 2022 season, a huge part of Detroit’s offensive production was expected to come from Baez, right fielder Robbie Grossman, second baseman Jonathan Schoop, and third baseman Jeimer Candelario. In the 2021 season, these four offensive centerpieces produced very well, averaging 115wRC+ with 23 homers. This year, the four averaged a 77 wRC+ with 12 homers. It’s no surprise the Tigers found themselves dead last in the MLB in runs per game at 3.40.

Starting pitching was a disappointment too. After just eight starts, Eduardo Rodriguez left the team for personal reasons. He returned in late August, finishing the season with a 4.02 ERA. Former first overall pick Casey Mize pitched just 10 innings before requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery. After that, Drew Hutchinson and Tyler Alexander both had 4.50+ ERAs. Lefty starter Tarik Skubal was really the only bright spot for this rotation, finishing with a 3.52 ERA in 21 starts before season-ending surgery.

The sole bright spot for Detroit was their bullpen, which finished eighth in overall bullpen ERA.

After the numerous spending and offseason acquisitions, it’s truly crazy to think the Tigers were this bad in 2022 after going 77-85 the previous season. Yes, they got unlucky with the poor production from some of their main stars, but obviously they’ve learned they need to add a lot more if they want to contend next season.

Home/Chicago White Sox