Red Sox, Cardinals Favored To Miss Playoffs

Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on against the Minnesota Twins on July 28, 2020 at the Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The 2022 MLB season is nearly 25% complete, and teams that have gotten off to slow starts are running out of time to turn things around. A handful of teams that made last year’s playoffs are projected to miss the postseason because of their spot in the latest standings.

The Boston Red Sox are -240 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook to miss the 2022 MLB playoffs with a disappointing 16-22 record. The St. Louis Cardinals, another wild-card team from a season ago, have -125 odds to miss the playoffs with a 20-18 record.

The Philadelphia Phillies entered the season with high expectations. The odds also suggest that Philadelphia is more likely than not to be sitting at home in October. The Phillies are -165 favorites to come short of winning the NL East and securing a wild-card berth. Philadelphia is 18-20.

The Red Sox are playing the worst baseball of any team that made the 2021 playoffs. Coming off a trip to the 2021 ALCS, Boston could be out of the AL East race by June. The Red Sox are 12 games behind the New York Yankees in the division standings.

Boston is only four games out of the wild-card race because of the expanded playoffs. Five teams currently stand in the Red Sox’s way of the final wild-card berth in the American League.

The AL's 10th-ranked pitching staff and the eighth-best offense have forced the Red Sox to battle with the lowly Baltimore Orioles for last place in the AL East. Boston’s lineup has improved over the last 15 days, hitting .268 with 5.25 runs per game. Trevor Story hit three home runs Thursday after hitting two homers in his first 32 games with Boston.

The Cardinals are in the latest playoff picture. St. Louis is third in the wild-card standings and second in the NL Central. The Cardinals even have a better run differential than the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

A 4-8 record over their last 12 games and injury concerns have made St. Louis a favorite to miss the playoffs. Ace Jack Flaherty still hasn’t pitched because of a shoulder injury, and there’s no timetable for his return. Tyler O’Neill is on the injured list and has played terribly when in the lineup after finishing eighth in the 2021 NL MVP race.

St. Louis in the middle of the pack in both runs scored and runs allowed.

Philadelphia is eighth in MLB in runs per game and 21st in ERA. The bullpen and defense were Philadelphia’s major concerns on Opening Day, and those fears have been realized through 38 games.

Only three teams have gotten a worse ERA from their relievers than the Phillies. Philadelphia ranks dead last in defensive runs saved.

The New York Mets have already started to run away with the NL East. Philadelphia is in second place because the rest of the division has struggled, but the team is only one game out of fourth place. The Mets have a seven-game lead.

The Phillies are two games behind the Cardinals for the final wild-card spot in the National League.