3 Dark Horse Teams to Win the National League

Opening Day of the 2022 MLB season is less than 24-hours away! So, it's crunch time to get in all our futures bets before Thursday’s first pitch. At BetSided, we’ve covered the season from almost every angle by now. But I wanted to take a look at some last-minute dark horse teams to win the National League before tomorrow afternoon.

San Diego Padres +700

The Padres continue to impress me year after year with their ability to improve their roster regularly. This year, the Padres did what they do best and made a good team even better. They signed former Yankee slugger Luke Voit along with Oakland Athletics lefty Sean Manaea. The latter joins Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove in what could be one of the best rotations in baseball. Blake Snell and Mike Clevinger round out the five-man squad. 

The biggest knock on this team is that Fernando Tatis Jr. is dealing with a significant wrist injury and will miss time. But, the MLB season is not a sprint and as long as he gets back healthy, the Padres will be fine. If the rotation plays up to its potential, they have a real chance to make a run at the National League title.  

Philadelphia Phillies +1000

The Phillies have a lot going for them heading into the 2022 season. Perhaps the most significant advantage they have is the reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper. Harper hit .309 last year with 35 home runs and 101 runs scored. His WAR was 5.9 and he led the league in OPS. Philly added some bang to their lineup in the offseason with Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos. The pair combined to hit 66 home runs last year. 

The Phillies also have one hell of a rotation. Zach Wheeler, runner up for the Cy Young last year, is their No. 1 starter followed by Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez. If the pitching does their thing, and the offense can continue to rake, this will be a dangerous team in the NL. 

San Francisco Giants +1200

The San Francisco Giants already stunned the world by winning the National League West and finishing with the best record in baseball. It’s easy to write that year off as a fluke and say “it won't happen again.” But, I’m not so sure. A fluke would be if the Giants won 98 games and finished second to the Dodgers. Winning 107 games is more than I would like. I think that the industry is down on the Giants. But, they are better than most of us believe. Now. I don’t think they will win 107 games again this year. But, It wouldn’t shock me if they pulled it together and won the NL this year. 

Sure, the loss of Kris Bryant hurts. As does Evan Longoria starting the year on IL. But, the Giants added Carlos Rodon in the offseason to bolster an already solid rotation. SF needs big years from guys like Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Cobb, and Alex Wood on the hill. Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford need to perform at the plate as well. I don’t think the Giants are done wreaking havoc on the NL just yet.