The MLB season is finally underway after a long offseason of doubt, with the MLB lockout putting the season in danger. But now that the lockout is in the rear-view mirror, it’s finally time to play baseball! Here’s a look into what the Cubs, White Sox and Brewers may look like this season.

Starting off with the fan favorite of the people north of Chicago, the Cubs. The Cubs had many losses in the 2021 season, most notably losing Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. The Cubs have now been in rebuild mode, with a team abundant in young players. The batting lineup can be considered pretty weak compared to others in the league. There are few familiar faces returning to the Cubs this year, the most notable veterans being Willson Contreras, Ian Happ, Jason Heyward and Kyle Hendricks. The biggest names added to the Cubs this year are Seiya Suzuki, Marcus Stroman, Andrelton Simmons and Yan Gomes. The pitching rotation will be hit or miss for the Cubs, joined with a mediocre bullpen. The bats could do well carried by Suzuki, Contreras and Happ, but may find some struggles with the rest of the order. But, in the early stages of this season, the Cubs have faired better as expected.

Heading to the south side of Chicago, the White Sox have really high expectations for this season. The White Sox won the AL Central in 2021 with a record of 93-69. The team is a great all around team. The pitching rotation is elite, led by Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel. The White Sox did lose a big arm in Carlos Rodon, who left for San Francisco in the offseason. The bullpen is also elite, topped off by top 3 closer Liam Hendriks. The bats and defense will be great, with big names like Yasmani Grandal, Eloy Jiminez, Tim Anderson, and 2020 AL MVP Jose Abreu. The White Sox will be a contender World Series contender this year, full of talent.

Lastly, north of the border, the Milwaukee Brewers look to repeat another amazing season. The Brewers had a huge season last year, winning 95 games, and the NL Central. The Brewers certainly have the talent to win the Central this year, although the Cardinals will certainly pose a big challenge. The Brewers pitching is where they really shine, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and reigning Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes will top off the rotation. Although these three big starters are off to a slower start than expected. The bullpen is arguably the best in the league, with the 2020 rookie and reliever of the year Devin Williams and 3x reliever of the year Josh Hader topping it off. The bats are where the team struggles a bit, but there are big names in Andrew McCutchen, Willy Adames, Omar Narvaez and 2018 MVP Christian Yelich. The Brewers are off to a slow start, but they will surely find their footing soon.