No matter where you are in this great country tomorrow is an unofficial national holiday. It is opening day fo0r the 2022 Major League Baseball season. After a couple of years of dealing with the pandemic and all the mess that went with it, then the lockout, everything in MLB is back to normal, so let the games begin!

No more fanless stadiums, no more masks, no more social distancing, no more quirky pandemic rules for players and teams (except for Canada). With all the craziness going on in this country with gas and food prices, inflation, continued unnecessary gun violence, weather disasters and more plus all that is happening in Ukraine, MLB couldn’t get started at a better time to help take our minds off these subjects for a couple of hours.

So how do I see this upcoming season unfolding? First of all with the post season expanded buy two more teams, it will become a lot more competitive. No longer will the very bad teams be near as bad as they have been. I think the bar has been raised on all 30 teams not just the front runners. I don’t see Pittsburgh or Baltimore as contenders but I do see them as improved teams that could be spoilers at some point. I also see a few mid level teams taking another step forward and a couple of  teams taking a step or two backward. I also see a plethora of new young players making a name for themselves this year as the rookie class appears to be loaded this year with several “break out” players. In the end there will be the usual teams in the post season, or at least many of them like the Dodgers, Rays, Brewers, Braves, White Sox, Astros, but I also expect to see Toronto, San Diego, St. Louis, Philadephia, Seattle in the mix as well. One thing we just might see is four of the five teams in the AL East making the post season and that would be a first.

Of course there will be disappointments as well with teams not doing what fans are hoping for. In the AL I see the Oakland A’s taking several steps backward and I don’t see Cleveland being the threat they had been in the past. In the NL I think the Marlins, even with improvements will be just so so and I look at the Reds as another team taking a step backward as well. As for Baltimore and Pittsburgh two of MLB’s worst teams, they are both improving but still have a long way to go before they become any kind of contender. Still they could, as I said above, play a spoiler role in 2022.

One thing is for sure with this coming season and that will be all eyes on two very special players. Whether you live in Peoria or Philly, Bismarck or Boston, Joplin or Jacksonville, everyone will be watching the exploits of Shohei Ohtani and Wander Franco. These two young men could well be two of the best players of all time when it is all said and done. No matter where you are or who you root for these two are going to be the face of the game in many ways.

I am a baseball fan, baseball junkie and devout Tampa Bay Rays fan. I have been following this game, and been part of this game for more years than most people have been on this planet and I am truly excited for this 2022 season to get going. Next week I will have all of my predictions for the season regarding teams and individual honors, but for now let’s…………………….”Play ball!!”

Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN