The Most Meaningless Game of 2022 Deep in the cold offseason, we huddle around our bonfires and reminisce over the baseball season gone by. We recall all the dramatic moments, the impossible rallies, the fantastic individual performances, and the record pursuits. But often we let our memories of the few dull games and tedious moments slip into nothingness. I'm here to correct that. There were 2,430 regular-season games played in 2022. With this post, I hope to identify which one was the MOST MEANINGLESS. Before we begin, I just want to state that obviously I’m not including postseason games in this exercise. All postseason games are massively important in the grand scheme of teams pursuing a championship. And I’m also ignoring Spring Training and any other exhibition games. I want to find out which *regular-season game* was the least important. Now let's start. #Something to Play For First, I'm going to eliminate all games in which a team had *something to play for.* This includes competing for: a division title, a wild card spot, homefield advantage in the playoffs, and higher playoff seeding. All remaining games move on to the next round in the hunt for MOST MEANINGLESS GAME.   Team|Date of Final Meaningful Game|Remaining Meaningless Games :--|:--|:--| Angels|September 19|15| Astros|September 30|5| Athletics|September 7|25| Blue Jays|October 3|2| Braves|October 4|1| Brewers|October 3|2| Cardinals|September 27|7| Cubs|September 18|16| Diamondbacks|September 22|11| Dodgers|September 30|5| Giants|October 1|4| Guardians|September 27|8| Mariners|October 4|1| Marlins|September 14|19| Mets|October 4|1| Nationals|September 6|24| Orioles|September 30|5| Padres|October 4|1| Phillies|October 3|2| Pirates|September 10|24| Rangers|September 18|16| Rays|October 4|1| Red Sox|September 25|10| Reds|September 13|22| Rockies|September 19|15| Royals|September 15|18| Tigers|September 13|20| Twins|September 25|9| Yankees|September 30|6| White Sox|September 25|9|   The bulk of regular-season games (94%) have been eliminated. Now it's time to sift through these "meaningless games" to remove any that were meaningful to the opposing team. For example, just because the October 3 game was meaningless to the Astros doesn't mean it was also meaningless for their opponent, the Phillies. Below are the final **83 candidates** for MOST MEANINGLESS GAME of 2022. Sept. 13 Pirates vs. Reds (2) Sept. 14 Pirates vs. Reds Sept. 16 Marlins vs. Nationals Sept. 17 Marlins vs. Nationals Sept. 18 Marlins vs. Nationals Sept. 19 Cubs vs. Marlins Sept. 20 Cubs vs. Marlins Sept. 20 Angels vs. Rangers Sept. 21 Cubs vs. Marlins Sept. 21 Angels vs. Rangers Sept. 22 Cubs vs. Pirates Sept. 22 Angels vs. Rangers Sept. 23 Cubs vs. Pirates Sept. 23 Nationals vs. Marlins Sept. 24 Cubs vs. Pirates Sept. 24 Nationals vs. Marlins Sept. 25 Cubs vs. Pirates Sept. 25 Nationals vs. Marlins Sept. 26 Reds vs. Pirates Sept. 27 White Sox vs. Twins Sept. 27 Reds vs. Pirates Sept. 27 Royals vs. Tigers Sept. 27 Athletics vs. Angels Sept. 28 White Sox vs. Twins Sept. 28 Reds vs. Pirates Sept. 28 Royals vs. Tigers Sept. 28 Athletics vs. Angels Sept. 29 White Sox vs. Twins Sept. 29 Royals vs. Tigers Sept. 29 Athletics vs. Angels Sept. 30 Reds vs. Cubs Sept. 30 Royals vs. Guardians Sept. 30 Twins vs. Tigers Sept. 30 Rangers vs. Angels Sept. 30 Pirates vs. Cardinals Oct. 1 Reds vs. Cubs Oct. 1 Orioles vs. Yankees Oct. 1 Royals vs. Guardians Oct. 1 Rockies vs. Dodgers Oct. 1 Twins vs. Tigers Oct. 1 Rangers vs. Angels Oct. 1 Pirates vs. Cardinals Oct. 2 Reds vs. Cubs Oct. 2 Orioles vs. Yankees Oct. 2 Diamondbacks vs. Giants Oct. 2 Royals vs. Guardians Oct. 2 Rockies vs. Dodgers Oct. 2 Twins vs. Tigers Oct. 2 Rangers vs. Angels Oct. 2 Pirates vs. Cardinals Oct. 3 Cubs vs. Reds Oct. 3 Twins vs. White Sox Oct. 3 Royals vs. Guardians Oct. 3 Rockies vs. Dodgers Oct. 3 Angels vs. Athletics Oct. 3 Yankees vs. Rangers Oct. 3 Cardinals vs. Pirates Oct. 4 Cubs vs. Reds Oct. 4 Diamondbacks vs. Brewers Oct. 4 Twins vs. White Sox Oct. 4 Royals vs. Guardians Oct. 4 Rockies vs. Dodgers Oct. 4 Phillies vs. Astros Oct. 4 Angels vs. Athletics Oct. 4 Yankees vs. Rangers (1) Oct. 4 Yankees vs. Rangers (2) Oct. 4 Cardinals vs. Pirates Oct. 5 Cubs vs. Reds Oct. 5 Braves vs. Marlins Oct. 5 Diamondbacks vs. Brewers Oct. 5 Twins vs. White Sox Oct. 5 Blue Jays vs. Orioles (1) Oct. 5 Blue Jays vs. Orioles (2) Oct. 5 Rays vs. Red Sox Oct. 5 Royals vs. Guardians Oct. 5 Rockies vs. Dodgers Oct. 5 Tigers vs. Mariners Oct. 5 Phillies vs. Astros Oct. 5 Angels vs. Athletics Oct. 5 Nationals vs. Mets Oct. 5 Yankees vs. Rangers Oct. 5 Cardinals vs. Pirates Oct. 5 Giants vs. Padres The preliminary work is over. None of these games have playoff implications whatsoever. Now I must comb through them looking for any traces of meaning. Note: Many games fit in multiple categories below. I tried to list each one with the best fit, but you'll see several games that could've been eliminated from the MOST MEANINGLESS competition for multiple reasons. #Noteworthy Personal Performance These games featured a player with a noteworthy or career-best performance. I tried to be critical here and only remove games with truly great performances, not merely good ones. These games have meaning for fans cheering for the specific player or for the player themselves to grow confidence, earn playing time, or add to their career achievements. For pitchers, I'm looking for a Game Score over 75. For batters, I'm looking for 8+ total bases. **Sept. 18 Marlins vs. Nationals** (Sandy Alcantara, 9.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K) **Sept. 24 Nationals vs. Marlins** (Alcantara, 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 11 K & De La Cruz 4-4, 3 XBH) **Sept. 24 Cubs vs. Pirates** (Johan Oviedo, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K) **Sept. 27 White Sox vs. Twins** (Bailey Ober, 7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K) **Sept. 28 Reds vs. Pirates** (Bryse Wilson, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K) **Sept. 29 Athletics vs. Angels** (Shohei Ohtani, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K) **Oct. 1 Orioles vs. Yankees** (Nestor Cortes, 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 12 K) **Oct. 3 Yankees vs. Rangers** (Luis Severino, 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K) **Oct. 3 Cubs vs. Reds** (Hunter Greene, 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) **Oct. 4 Diamondbacks vs. Brewers** (Eric Lauer, 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 7 K) **Oct. 4 Phillies vs. Astros** (Justin Verlander, 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K) **Oct. 5 Giants vs. Padres** (David Villar, 2-4, 2 HR) #Record Pursuits I'm going to eliminate any games in which a team or player was chasing a positive franchise or league record. Historical records are fun and give fans a reason to watch. **Sept. 30 Pirates vs. Cardinals** (Albert Pujols career HR total chase) **Oct. 1 Pirates vs. Cardinals** (Albert Pujols career HR total chase) **Oct. 1 Rockies vs. Dodgers** (Dodgers win record chase) **Oct. 2 Orioles vs. Yankees** (Aaron Judge HR pursuit) **Oct. 2 Rockies vs. Dodgers** (Dodgers win record chase) **Oct. 2 Pirates vs. Cardinals** (Albert Pujols career HR total chase) **Oct. 3 Rockies vs. Dodgers** (Dodgers win record chase) **Oct. 3 Cardinals vs. Pirates** (Albert Pujols passes Babe Ruth in RBI) **Oct. 4 Yankees vs. Rangers (1)** (Aaron Judge HR pursuit) **Oct. 4 Yankees vs. Rangers (2)** (Aaron Judge HR pursuit) **Oct. 4 Rockies vs. Dodgers** (Dodgers win record chase) **Oct. 5 Rockies vs. Dodgers** (Dodgers win record chase) #Saying Goodbye Games in which fans have the opportunity to say goodbye to long-time players or managers have meaning. So I'll cross these games off as well. **Oct. 2 Reds vs. Cubs** (Willson Contreras final game at Wrigley) **Oct. 4 Twins vs. White Sox** (Jose Abreu’s final game with the White Sox) **Oct. 4 Cardinals vs. Pirates** (Albert Pujols final career game) **Oct. 5 Cardinals vs. Pirates** (Yadier Molina final career game) **Oct. 5 Braves vs. Marlins** (Don Mattingly's final game as manager of Marlins) **Oct. 5 Rays vs. Red Sox** (Xander Bogaert’s final game with the Red Sox) #MLB Debuts These games saw a player make his MLB debut. It's a neat little historical moment, even if only his friends and family celebrate. I’m going to cross these out as well. **Sept. 13 Pirates vs. Reds** (Luis Ortiz) **Sept. 23 Cubs vs. Pirates** (Ji Hwan Bae) **Sept. 28 Athletics vs. Angels** (Logan O'Hoppe) **Oct. 1 Twins vs. Tigers** (Brendon Davis) **Oct. 1 Royals vs. Guardians** (Bo Naylor) **Oct. 2 Twins vs. Tigers** (Simeon Woods Richardson) **Oct. 4 Angels vs. Athletics** (Nate Mondou) **Oct. 5 Yankees vs. Rangers** (Yerry Rodriguez) **Oct. 5 Angels vs. Athletics** (Nash Walters) #Award Finalists I'm eliminating these games since they featured a player building their case for a major year-end award. These games have meaning because winning awards is noteworthy and can impact future Hall of Fame voting. I'm looking specifically for top-5 finishes. **Sept. 20 Angels vs. Rangers** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Sept. 21 Angels vs. Rangers** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Sept. 22 Angels vs. Rangers** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Sept. 27 Athletics vs. Angels** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Sept. 27 Royals vs. Tigers** (Bobby Witt Jr., 4th place ROY finish) **Sept. 29 Royals vs. Tigers** (Bobby Witt Jr., 4th place ROY finish) **Sept. 30 Rangers vs. Angels** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Sept. 30 Royals vs. Guardians** (Steven Kwan, 3rd place ROY finish) **Oct. 1 Rangers vs. Angels** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Oct. 2 Rangers vs. Angels** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Oct. 2 Royals vs. Guardians** (José Ramírez, 4th place MVP finish) **Oct. 2 Diamondbacks vs. Giants** (Jake McCarthy, 5th place ROY finish) **Oct. 3 Angels vs. Athletics** (Shohei Ohtani, 2nd place MVP finish) **Oct. 3 Royals vs. Guardians** (Steven Kwan, 3rd place ROY finish) **Oct. 4 Royals vs. Guardians** (Steven Kwan, 3rd place ROY finish) **Oct. 5 Phillies vs. Astros** (Alvarez, 3rd place MVP finish AND Valdez, 5th place CY finish) **Oct. 5 Tigers vs. Mariners** (Julio Rodríguez, 1st place ROY finish) **Oct. 5 Blue Jays vs. Orioles (1)** (Adley Rutschman, 2nd place ROY finish) **Oct. 5 Royals vs. Guardians** (Steven Kwan, 3rd place ROY finish) **Oct. 5 Diamondbacks vs. Brewers** (Jake McCarthy, 5th place ROY finish)   We're down to **24 games** remaining, so now I've gotta get serious to narrow down the field further. #Something Interesting Happened I'm looking for any interesting piece of history, a season's accomplishment, something exciting or notable fans may remember witnessing when they’re old. Is there any meaningful memory to be taken from these games? **Sept. 14 Pirates vs. Reds** (Completed Pirates first 4-game sweep in Cincinnati since 1991) **Sept. 16 Marlins vs. Nationals** (Joey Meneses hit an inside-the-park home run!) **Sept. 19 Cubs vs. Marlins** (Bryan De La Cruz hit a grand slam!) **Sept. 20 Cubs vs. Marlins** (At age 30, Esteban Quiroz collects first two hits of his MLB career.) **Sept. 21 Cubs vs. Marlins** (Marlins had a 92% win exp. in the 7th, but Cubs rally to win.) **Sept. 22 Cubs vs. Pirates** (Hayden Wesneski throws an immaculate inning!) **Sept. 28 White Sox vs. Twins** (Capped off Chicago's longest losing streak of the year) **Sept. 28 Royals vs. Tigers** (Miguel Cabrera hits HR no. 507) **Sept. 30 Twins vs. Tigers** (Twins pitch a shutout) **Oct. 3 Twins vs. White Sox** (Tony La Russa steps down + White Sox win!) **Oct. 4 Cubs vs. Reds** (Cincinnati with the walk-off win!) **Oct. 5 Cubs vs. Reds** (Cubs bat around in TWO separate innings) **Oct. 5 Twins vs. White Sox** (Luis Arraez wins the AL batting title!) **Oct. 5 Blue Jays vs. Orioles (2)** (Orioles fans give team standing ovation for winning season.) **Oct. 5 Nationals vs. Mets** (Mets win their 101st game, the most by the franchise since 1988.) #Rookies For teams out of the pennant race, the end of the season is a chance to get a look at your young talent and give them a taste of the show. Can we find a little more meaning in our remaining games based on the number of rookies who got to play? **Sept. 17 Marlins vs. Nationals** (9 rookies played!) **Sept. 23 Nationals vs. Marlins** (9 rookies played!) **Sept. 25 Cubs vs. Pirates** (14 rookies played!) **Sept. 25 Nationals vs. Marlins** (12 rookies played!) **Sept. 26 Reds vs. Pirates** (12 rookies played!) **Sept. 27 Reds vs. Pirates** (11 rookies played!) **Sept. 30 Reds vs. Cubs** (10 rookies played!) **Oct. 1 Reds vs. Cubs** (12 rookies played!) #The Most Meaningless Game of 2022 🚨🚨🚨 **Sept. 29 White Sox vs. Twins** At noon local time on a cool Thursday in Minnesota, two eliminated teams faced off with nothing to play for. No player who finished in the top-5 in MVP, Cy Young, or Rookie of the Year voting appeared. No records were being sought. No legends saying goodbye. Only a few rookies got to play, and no one made their MLB debut. There were no outstanding performances. In fact, no batter even hit a home run. And no pitcher went deeper than 5 innings. No reliever struck out the side. There were an annoying 10 pitching changes made for some reason though. Attendance was poor, and the home team lost. It was a game. It did take place. And I declare it the most meaningless game of 2022.