2024 MLB Season Preview
Hello, and welcome to baseball in 2024!
This is all regarding some preseason predictions as of Feb. 29, 2024.
I asked the hosts here at Hitting for the Cycle for their predictions on how they thought the baseball season would go. At the end of the year, we can go back and laugh at how terrible our choices were or be amazed at our genius. Only time will tell.
I am thrilled to be writing this article for my first blog here at Hitting for the Cycle. I hope you all enjoy my writing as much as I want it.
I love baseball. I love baseball, not just the regular season or the postseason. I love the trade deadline, the off-season, and Spring Training. Warm weather is returning here on the East Coast, flowers are blooming, and Baseball is back! As we approach the start of the 2024 baseball season, there are many great storylines to focus on going into this year.
Many players switched teams this off-season, but none might be more impactful to their new team, more than Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Yes, they made other significant moves, and he’s part of a team, but he is a top player today. Being traded from the San Diego Padres (where he struggled to hit at home) and going to the New York Yankees is a significant upgrade for him and the Yankees. At home in 2023, he hit .240 and away .307, 12 HR home vs 23 HR away. .829 OPS home vs 1.031 OPS away. Having Judge hit behind Soto makes the Yankees a dangerous lineup. When I heard the Yankees traded for Soto, I knew they were going for it, and the baseball world saw they were serious about trying to win again. Watch out for this team.
Another team of interest to watch is the Texas Rangers. You know, the team that won the World Series last year. They had one of the greatest hitting seasons of any shortstop ever in Corey Seager (good name). He finished 2nd in the MVP voting and played in only 119 games. He hit .327 with a 170 OPS+. Right now, entering the season, though, he is already injured and likely to start the season on the IL. They also have stars in starting pitchers Jacob Degrom and Max Scherzer. Unfortunately for the Rangers, neither pitcher is scheduled to come back until after the All-Star break or later. They are also without starter Jordan Montgomery, who is still a free agent. He was one of their better starters in the postseason last year. They have one of the deepest lineups with hitters like Corey Seager, Adolis Garcia, and Marcus Semien. From top to bottom, they are outstanding, but the team has many question marks that need to be answered. Repeating for them (to win the World Series) won’t be an easy task.
Let’s not forget about the Los Angeles Dodgers and talk about them briefly. Perhaps one of the craziest off-seasons a team has had in many years, the Dodgers made some significant changes to their team. First off, they are without Julio Urias, who was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. He may never pitch in major league baseball again. All-Star pitcher Walker Buehler had Tommy John Surgery in 2023 and likely won’t start the year until midway through the season. But to me, even with all these injuries, they are the favorites to win the World Series. Why, you ask? Well, they signed one of the best pitchers from Japan this year, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. With a career ERA under 2.00 in seven seasons and having won the Sawamura Award (equivalent to the Cy Young Award) for three straight seasons, we can expect great things from this elite pitcher.
Last but certainly not least, we must mention the best player who has ever played on a baseball diamond, Shohei Ohtani. One thing to note, though, is that he has only one season of 160 IP and two others of 130 in six total baseball seasons (including the 2020 shortened season where he threw 1.2 innings). Even this year, there will be another 0 innings pitched. Only one out of his seven seasons has he thrown more than 140 innings. The Dodgers needed to change their team and did just that. They always swing for the fences, even though it has not always paid off. But the contract they gave to Ohtani is mind-blowing—a 10-year $700 million deal. Over the next ten seasons, he will only be paid $2 million each year. After his contract ends, he will defer $68 million for the next ten seasons. The deferred money is crazy; it won’t cost the Dodgers as much as time goes on due to inflation. Also, the money they will make from endorsements here in the US, Japan, and worldwide will quickly make that money back.
ABC 7 LA has reported that the contract comprises several components and carries specific implications. The contract expires in 2033. If Ohtani moves before then, it could cost the state an estimated $98 million in revenue taxes. If you keep reading my blogs, you may notice a theme. I am not a big fan of Ohtani. Yes, you read that right. I am not a fan of the best player ever.
This contract is one example of why. I don’t think it’s fair that people in CA would need to pay $98 million; it is his choice if that happens. He also reminds me of LeBron James and how he needed to leave Cleveland and go to Miami to win a title.
In this case, Ohtani must leave the LA Angels to make a superteam in the LA Dodgers. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani are all on the Dodgers. Not to mention their catcher, Will Smith, and last year’s rookie, James Outman. Ohtani is the best player, though. There is no denying that. He is a two-time MVP in only six seasons and even won Rookie of the Year. He is better than Babe Ruth, and it will be interesting to see how he does this year in his first season with the Dodgers.
Corey’s Picks:
AL MVP - Aaron Judge
AL CY Young - Gerrit Cole
AL ROY - Junior Caminero
NL MVP - Mookie Betts
NL CY Young - Spencer Strider
NL ROY - Yoshinobu Yamamoto
WS MATCH UP
Dodgers over Yankees
Ben’s Picks:
AL MVP - Aaron Judge
AL CY Young - Gerrit Cole
AL ROY - Jackson Holiday
NL MVP - Ronald Acuna Jr
NL CY Young - Spencer Strider
NL ROY - Yoshinobu Yamamoto
WS MATCH UP
Phillies over Astros
Ryan’s Picks:
AL MVP - Juan Soto
AL CY Young - Corbin Burnes
AL ROY - Jackson Holiday
NL MVP - Mookie Betts
NL CY Young - Aaron Nola
NL ROY - Yoshinobu Yamamoto
WS MATCH UP
Dodgers over Yankees