If the Season Ended Today 2022 All-Star Break
Even though we’re a week removed from the 2022 All-Star Game, the All-Star Break (ASB) is a great symbolic midpoint to take stock of how the season is progressing so far. So I’ve spent the time since the ASB calculating fantasy points as of the ASB, in order to determine who would make the Fantasy Astrology playoffs if we only played half a season in 2022. The results might shock you!
The first shocking development is that my methodology is different than how I usually tackle projects like this. Instead of adding up just the fantasy points from each sign’s starting lineup (which would require first building lineups), I totaled up the points from EVERY player on each sign. (ESPN’s fantasy baseball client makes that easier, so I don’t have to manually calculate each player’s points.) What I found is that the top scoring sign is Virgo, putting them on track to repeat as last year’s champions.
The Flowers primarily owe their position to having the top overall scoring player – Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara (1,759 points / 92.6 points-per-game) – and two of the best in the game at the corners – Cardinals 1B Paul Goldschmidt (1,551 / 17.2), who hit a home run in the All-Star Game, and Guardians 3B Jose Ramirez (1,548 / 17.8), who participated in the Home Run Derby. But what really puts Virgo over the top is the presence of an actual catcher: Christian Bethancourt (465 / 7.8) is just two games away from the 20 games behind the plate he needs to qualify, after being traded from the A’s to the Rays.
The next two teams are Cancer and Leo, which are separated by less than 15 fantasy points! While this means that even the smallest error on my part could cause these two signs to switch places in the standings, they would both make the hypothetical FABL playoffs. I’ve already written extensively about Cancer over the weekend – the Water Division leaders would face off against Earth sign Virgo in the NP semifinals. Meanwhile Leo, the leader of the Fire Division, would meet Libra in the first round in the Positive Polarity… even though Fire Division runner-up Sagittarius beat the Scales in overall points.
The return of Mike Trout (1,199 / 15.2) and Luis Robert (1,078 / 14.6) from injuries are the biggest reasons for the Lions’ return to prominence – both players have already exceeded their 2021 outputs, with Trout more than doubling his 551 points from last season. First base tandem Anthony Rizzo (1,195 / 14.1) and Josh Bell (1,188 / 12.8) solidify the lineup. But breakout infielder Brandon Drury (1,140 / 14.1) is the most unexpected success storyline of the bunch.
Leo’s pitching excellence is also on full display, with four starting pitchers breaking the 1,000-point threshold. Yu Darvish (1,160 / 68.2) is the technical ace, with Triston McKenzie (1,073 / 63.1) and Taijuan Walker (1,014 / 63.4) also averaging in the 60 points-per-game region. Mexican lefty Julio Urias (1,077 / 59.8) has the second-highest point total, but he might not even make a hypothetical four-man playoff rotation, pending the health of true ace Max Scherzer (995 / 90.5), who just recently returned from an injury.
The top Libra batter in terms of total points is right fielder Mookie Betts (1,201 / 16.5), although he lags DH Bryce Harper (1,151 / 18.0) on a per-game basis. Harper, however, is now out with a fractured thumb, in addition to an elbow injury that has prevented him from playing the field for most of the season. (Thank the Baseball Gods for the universal DH, am I right?) Even without Harper, the Scales’ outfield picture is strong, with Starling Marte (1,041 / 13.5), Cedric Mullins (1,034 / 11.5), Anthony Santander (884 / 10.4), and Teoscar Hernandez (811 / 11.8) ready to pick up the slack.
But like Leo, pitching is the strength for Libra, with Corbin Burnes (1,507 / 83.7) finishing behind just Alcantara, Shane McClanahan (Taurus), and Justin Verlander (Pisces) among starting pitchers at the break. Add in a breakout season from Kyle Wright (1,246 / 69.2), a return to form from strikeout artist Robbie Ray (1,210 / 63.7), and a dominant season from new Braves closer Kenley Jansen (1,157 / 33.1), and the Air Division leaders have a truly dominant mound presence.