Keith outperformed blue magic. In the world of magic, Keith has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with. His skill, precision, and creativity have taken him to new heights, surpassing what was once thought to be the pinnacle of magical mastery – blue magic. While blue magic has captivated audiences for centuries, Keith's performances have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in the magical realm. His ability to seamlessly blend illusion with reality is unparalleled, leaving audiences in a state of awe and wonder. Whether it's his mind-bending card tricks or mind-reading abilities, Keith consistently outshines blue magic, captivating audiences with his unique approach.
Whether it's his mind-bending card tricks or mind-reading abilities, Keith consistently outshines blue magic, captivating audiences with his unique approach. With each performance, he proves that he is a master of his craft, leaving no doubt that he is a cut above the rest. Keith’s dedication to his art is evident in every aspect of his show – from his impeccably timed illusions to his flawless sleight of hand techniques.
MLB season projections 2022: Keith Law’s win totals for every team, plus awards and playoff picks
I’ve done extensive predictions of every upcoming Major League Baseball season for at least the last twelve years, with standings and award winners and the like, and despite the fact that I always point out that these are for entertainment purposes only and I have no actual effect on the games or any individual players, people still get mad about them. Those same people won’t see me mocking them because none of them ever reads the intro anyway; they just hit Ctrl-F and look for how many wins I predicted their favorite team will get this year. Unless I start to throw a lot harder in the next 48 hours, though, nothing I do or say will make one iota of difference to the real-world standings, so just enjoy the predictions below for what they are.
American League
AL EastThe Blue Jays have certainly done the most to improve their club this winter out of everyone in the division, although they also suffered the biggest loss to free agency (Cy Young winner Robbie Ray) and thus had the most urgency. They signed one of the best starters in the majors last year, Kevin Gausman, to replace Ray. They filled their third-base hole with Matt Chapman, while signing Chapman and José Berrios to contract extensions, and adding Yusei Kikuchi for the back of the rotation despite his terrible collapse in the second half. Add in some likely development from holdovers like Alejandro Kirk and Alek Manoah and that should give them a few more wins than their total of 91 from last year, which left them one win shy of the playoffs, especially since their run differential pointed to a much higher win total.
The Yankees made minor moves this winter but not the big splash their fans wanted, coming off a season where things generally went right for the team – Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton both played nearly the whole year, Gerrit Cole made 30 starts and was among the top pitchers in the league, and the bullpen was strong – and they still only outscored their opponents by 42 runs. They’re banking on several players to be regulars who haven’t played at that level before, or haven’t done so in years; and have Luis Severino, who has thrown 18 innings since 2018, in their Opening Day rotation. They’re banking on a lot of health, as they lack the depth to handle lost playing time for players who have, unfortunately, histories of missing time with injury.
The Rays traded Austin Meadows for Isaac Paredes and a draft pick on Monday, freeing up a spot for Josh Lowe to make the Opening Day roster, and they may not be done making moves. But as they stand now, they will probably not match last year’s run prevention (651 runs allowed). Tyler Glasnow is out, Rich Hill is gone and two of their five starters right now have significant injury histories, while Shane Baz is recovering from minor elbow surgery. I know they have worked a lot of magic in recent years, and the way they deploy pitchers is part of their success, but their efforts to make at least one major acquisition this winter didn’t pan out. They look like they’ll take a step back from their 2021 season, too.
The Red Sox’s rotation looks like a real weakness this year – and yes, I probably said that last year too – with Chris Sale on the shelf and a lot riding on guys like Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha, neither of whom projects to be a league-average starter this year. The development of Tanner Houck’s splitter might be the most important single factor for Boston’s season, as it’s the difference between him being a long reliever with a huge platoon split or someone who could be a league-average (or better) starter.
The Orioles are still in building mode, and it appears that they won’t have any of their better prospects on the Opening Day roster now that Adley Rutschman is on the shelf. They added Jordan Lyles … and that’s it. They were a 54-win team by Pythagorean record last year, and I’m only projecting improvement because I expect them to field a better team in the second half this year, with Rutschman, Joey Ortiz, Grayson Rodriguez and maybe one or two other prospects coming up to help.
AL CentralThe White Sox will face more of a challenge to win the division this year, with three of the other four teams making significant additions through free agency and/or trades, but Chicago won the division by 13 games last year and I don’t think any team has closed that gap. The Sox haven’t done much to improve the team this offseason, adding some relief help and moving Craig Kimbrel’s bad contract for A.J. Pollock, although that now gives them one more outfielder/DH than they need. They underperformed their Pythagorean by four wins last year, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do so again.
Give the Twins credit: Despite a season that went wrong from the outset in 2021, they are all in again for 2022, adding the offseason’s best free agent in Carlos Correa and boosting the rotation with Sonny Gray, although the story of Minnesota’s 2022 will come down to the health of some of the players who were already here. Full seasons from Byron Buxton and Alex Kirilloff will go a long way to making the Twins contenders again. Their weakness is still the rotation, even with the Gray matter, and if they need another starter due to injury or non-performance – fifth starter Griffin Jax had a 6-plus ERA last year and allowed a homer every 3.5 innings – their options aren’t great.
The Royals and Tigers both approached 2022 as the start of their windows of contention, and while in both cases they might be a year early, we should all applaud them for leaning into it like this. The Royals are putting Bobby Witt Jr. on the Opening Day roster, skipping service time games because this will make them a better team now. They added a reliever with some upside left in Amir Garrett, brought Zack Greinke back home, and should see improvement from at least one of those young starters in the rotation – I’ve already tabbed Daniel Lynch as a breakout candidate, so he’s my pick. I also expect to see Nick Pratto here before June 1, as he’d be an improvement over Carlos Santana at first base on both sides of the ball.
The Guardians just won’t spend any money, so while there’s talent on the way, they’re going to slip behind the Royals and Tigers because they’re waiting on their future stars rather than building out a contending roster right now. I could see improvement from within, with talented players like Triston McKenzie, Zach Plesac, Josh Naylor and Amed Rosario all still short of expectations from their propsect days, but they won’t all pan out right away, and I’m betting José Ramírez is somewhere else by Aug. 1.
(Editor’s note: The Guardians decided to prove Keith wrong Wednesday morning by agreeing to a five-year extension with Ramírez right after seeing this prediction.)
The Tigers’ big signings this winter will make the team more watchable right now, but nothing is as important to their outcome as Spencer Torkelson, who should get all of the work at first base this year and marks the beginning of their wave of top position player prospects. Outfielder Riley Greene is out with a broken foot, but he and infielder Ryan Kreidler should be in the lineup by midseason. Their two big free agent signings, Jávier Báez and Eduardo Rodríguez, do help but come with caveats – Báez doesn’t address their team on-base percentage problem (.308 last year, 10th in the AL), and Rodríguez offers upside but has a history of knee problems. The returning player to watch is Casey Mize, who didn’t miss many bats last year and probably needs to use his wipeout splitter more often to do so.
AL WestThe Astros won 95 games last year, with a run differential big enough for a 101-win Pythagorean total, so while they got worse this winter – losing Correa and Greinke to free agency, with Lance McCullers Jr. out once again with arm soreness – they’re still the best team in this division. I don’t think this formula lasts forever, but I do believe they have one more year of a buffer before the Mariners, in particular, catch up. Handing Jeremy Peña the shortstop job is gutsy, but he’s remade himself as a hitter and I’m hopeful he can give them something like league-average production in what will probably be a limited workload.
The Mariners did everything they could to get better, signing Robbie Ray, trading for Jesse Winker and now adding future star Julio Rodríguez to the Opening Day roster, marking three of the top 10 overall prospects in baseball who will make their major-league debuts on Opening Day (Julio, Witt and Torkelson). They were also outscored by 51 runs last year, and their total of 90 wins was the product of some good fortune that isn’t likely to recur. I do think they’ll get internal improvement from Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert, and they might lead the league in fun differential, but I’d put their playoff odds a bit under 25 percent.
The Angels should score a bunch more runs this year, getting more production from a healthy Mike Trout and a healthy Anthony Rendon, while seeing some improvement from Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh, but the rotation is just not playoff-worthy unless several guys really surprise us. Noah Syndergaard might be effective, but you can’t project a full season of work on him after two years lost to Tommy John surgery, and he’s arguably their No. 2 starter. I would like to believe we’ll see more from Reid Detmers in 2022 as he adjusts to the big-league baseball.
The Rangers also made a huge push to improve their club in free agency, signing a whole new middle infield and one of the most intriguing starters on the market – I think everyone wants to see what Jon Gray can do away from altitude and with a different organization. They were also a 100-loss team last year, and even the 16-win improvement I’m projecting here seems optimistic. I just don’t see how they could get to .500 when they were outscored by nearly 200 runs last year and their rotation isn’t that different, with Gray replacing Jordan Lyles and without 19 starts of Kyle Gibson this time.
I’m sorry, Oakland fans. You will have some fun individual players to watch this year – Cristian Pache can play the hell out of centerfield, Kevin Smith is ready to play every day now and returning catcher Sean Murphy is just short of a star – but MLB needs to just move this team already. Or perhaps Congress will actually act on the antitrust exemption so the A’s can move themselves. In a winter in which multiple 2021 non-contenders went out and spent money to improve their clubs (Tigers, Twins, Rangers), the A’s are tanking. Even though they’re getting good value in some of the returns, this isn’t good for baseball.
Awards
Carlos Correa (Sam Navarro / USA Today Sports)AL MVP: Carlos Correa
It’d be a hell of a narrative if Correa just has the same season he did last year and is then credited for “carrying” the Twins to the playoffs (even though he’d have a lot of help if they do so). Other candidates include the obvious ones of Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Judge.
AL Cy Young: Gerrit Cole
He probably should have won last year, not that Ray wasn’t deserving, Cole was just a shade better, as was Gausman. Dark horse candidate: Lucas Giolito, although his home park doesn’t help his case.
AL Rookie of the Year: Spencer Torkelson
Take your pick – Torkelson, Witt, Rodríguez, Peña, perhaps Rutschman if he doesn’t miss too much of the season, even Lowe or Greene could sneak into this. We’re going to see a ton of great rookies in the AL this year.
Each trick is executed with precision and finesse, showcasing his years of practice and unwavering dedication to his craft. Keith has managed to redefine what it means to be a magician, bringing a fresh perspective and innovative techniques to the world of magic. His performances have garnered him a legion of loyal fans, eagerly awaiting his next mind-blowing act. It is clear that Keith has set a new standard in the world of magic, surpassing the legacy of blue magic and establishing himself as a true master of his craft. With each new performance, he continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, leaving audiences amazed and inspired. Keith's innovative approach to magic has solidified his place as one of the greatest magicians of our time, and his influence will undoubtedly shape the future of magic for years to come..
Reviews for "Keith's dominance over blue magic: a case study in success"
1. Emily - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "Keith outperformed blue magic". The plot was confusing and incoherent, making it difficult to follow along. The characters lacked depth and development, making it hard to connect with any of them. Additionally, the pacing was way too slow, and I found myself losing interest quickly. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to others.
2. David - 1 star
"Keith outperformed blue magic" was a complete waste of time. The writing was subpar, filled with cliches and awkward phrasing. I couldn't find any redeeming qualities in the story, as it lacked originality and failed to engage me as a reader. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it hard to believe the interactions between the characters. Save yourself the trouble and skip this book.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
I found "Keith outperformed blue magic" to be incredibly boring and dull. The storyline was predictable and lacked any surprises or twists. The characters were forgettable and lacked any depth or personality. It felt like a generic fantasy novel without any distinguishing features. Overall, it was a forgettable read that I wouldn't recommend to anyone looking for an exciting and engrossing book.