2022 Power Rankings

1. Atlanta Braves (6-3)

Braves’ ownership took a defensive-minded approach in the 2022 WBA Draft, selecting three Platinum Palm contenders. Zac Kaczmarek and sophomore, Alex Santiago will be teaming up for the second straight season. Similarly, the club’s Tier I selections, Bobby Gambardella and Derek Astarita will be playing together for the third summer in a row. In each of their two previous seasons together, Astarita and B. Gambardella achieved the No. 1 seed both times. Chemistry will certainly be a prevalent factor, however nobody on this ball club has a championship to their name. Astarita plans on stepping in as the team’s second arm while Bobby Gambardella—2x league MVP and 2x Special K award winner—will be the first man in the rotation. With a team average of .324, according to last season’s statistics, the Braves will be a strong contender for the 2022 WBA Championship.

2. New York Yankees (5-4)

The Yankees are in a similar boat as the Braves, having two former duos team up in one city. The tag-team of Aaron Bartlett and Cameron Carey will be sharing the grassed triangle for the third time in the past four seasons. Throughout this tenure, Bartlett and Carey have made two championships together, winning one. Coming off an amazing rookie season, Nolan Rivera will be defending his championship title along with the league’s recent MVP, Anthony Gambardella. The Yankees’ roster has nine total rings and could definitely be a candidate for a top-2 seed. The Yankees’ roster batted a combined .313 last season and similarly to the major league ball club, the team will be highly dependent on the long-ball.

3. Boston Red Sox (4-5)

The Red Sox are the deepest team in terms of arms, drafting three potential aces. Vinnie Gambardella has a special K to his name and been to the dance seven times in his nine-year career. The club’s other Tier II veteran, Andrew DePascale, will be a huge bat in the line-up as he looks to make his first trip to a championship. Brian Marra has proven himself to be one of the league’s best all-around players in recent seasons, however his regular season performance tends to be lackluster. Mikey Ferro also brings playoff experience to the table, but is coming off of a pretty disappointing season at the dish. Boston’s record will rely heavy on their offense, which will most likely come alive in the post-season. With eight total rings to their name, don’t be surprised if this team makes a championship run come August. The club batted .217 last season, which will definitely have to improve if they want to avoid the Wild Card Game.

4. New York Mets (3-6)

The Mets appear to have a few holes in their team on paper and are going to have to figure out their strengths over the off-season. Tyler Barreiro is coming off of a statement season, however, he may not be able to reach that same caliber of play due to the ankle injury he suffered in the 2021 championship series. Drew Zimmerman has established himself as a designated power hitter, and he needs to excel in that role this summer if the Mets want to avoid the Wild Card Game. To keep the duo trend going, the Mets selected Ryan Casano and Sean McDonnell, who teamed up last summer in Tampa Bay. The Rays finished with a disappointing 2-8 record last season, but this isn’t exactly the same squad. The Mets will have to make do with a shallow two-man rotation on the bump. Casano is still due for a MVP-caliber season and McDonnell is going to have to take this team to a playoff series if he wants to shutdown any questions regarding his drop to Tier II. The Mets’ roster batted for a combined .257 and will also be dependent on the long-ball this summer.