Opening Day is here. Baseball is back. All 30 fanbases are oozing with optimism, no matter how misguided that optimism might be.

Speaking of misguided … it is time to make some predictions about the 2024 season!

I collaborated with my colleagues from CHGO and PHLY from the ALLCITY Network to opine on a number of matters, from which team will win the NL pennant to who will win the AL Cy Young.

Before we dive in, let me introduce the crew. They all do great work covering their respective teams and are worth a follow:

• Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) of PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks)
• Ryan Herrera (@ryan_a_herrera) of CHGO Cubs (@CHGO_Cubs)
• Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) of CHGO White Sox (@CHGO_WhiteSox)
• John Foley (@2008Philz) of PHLY Phillies (@PHLY_Phillies)

Without further ado, here are our picks and predictions for the 2024 MLB season, with some commentary along the way.

National League

Friedman: It’s the Braves and Dodgers, and then everyone else. After seeing the Phillies up close in the NLCS last year, though, I’ve got them getting over the hump and winning the World Series behind a Cy-Young-worthy season from Zack Wheeler and bounce-back campaigns from Aaron Nola and Trea Turner.

Amusingly, with how my bracket works out, Philly would have to beat the Dodgers in the NLDS to do it. I cannot imagine that the city of Los Angeles would take too kindly to another first-round exit.

Herrera: Can anyone stop the Dodgers or Braves in 2024? Those two are rightfully the favorites to win their divisions, and they should be at the top of the standings at season’s end. Which of those two ends the season with the NL’s No. 1 seed is anyone’s guess for now, but slight favorite is probably Atlanta.

The Cubs emerge out of what should be a pretty even fight in the NL Central, while the Reds — along with the Phillies and the reigning NL champion Diamondbacks — will fill out the wild card.

Duber: The NL East will be a season-long fist fight between the Braves and Phillies, and both teams will be the class of the Senior Circuit by season’s end, with the Phillies making a third straight NLCS. The NL Central will be competitive, if not of the highest quality; the Cubs will be the kings, but don’t sleep on the Brewers.

The NL West will be super fun with the Dodgers as must-see TV, the D-backs continuing to roll following last year’s World Series run and the Giants climbing back to the upper echelon after a busy offseason.

Foley: The Phillies avoid the slow starts that plagued them in previous years and top the Braves by a game or two in a high-octane NL East race. In the NL Central, where no team is projected to reach 85 wins, a young Reds team catches some lucky breaks and takes the division.

The Dodgers win the NL West, but the Diamondbacks make it closer than expected. The Braves, Cubs, and D-Backs take wild card spots, but we finally see a postseason where the top two seeds (Phils and Dodgers) make it to the NLCS.

American League

Friedman: Naturally, I am scared to not have the Rays in the playoff picture. They have made it every year since 2018. Nonetheless, I like the Rangers’ lineup and the Mariners’ rotation too much to leave either of them out.

I also think the Blue Jays will bounce back behind a resurgent year from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but I’ve got the Astros winning the AL pennant.

Herrera: The Rangers might be the reigning World Series champs, but the AL West is a strong division that’ll see Houston take the division crown while Texas and Seattle earn wild card bids.

The AL Central probably ends the year as the clear worst division in MLB, with the Twins being the lone team to make the postseason. Plenty of teams will be gunning for the AL East crown, but the Orioles will finish the year on top, the Yankees finishing close behind and earning a wild card berth.

Duber: The AL East will be expectedly competitive, but the Orioles will only strengthen their grip on the division as more of their star prospects reach the big leagues. The AL Central will be predictably putrid, and though they won’t win the division or make the playoffs, the Royals could be surprisingly competitive.

Out west, things will stay centered in Texas, where the Rangers will win the division but the Astros will go deeper come October.

Foley: The Orioles top the Soto-powered Yankees in a close AL East race. The Twins win the AL Central by default. The Astros win the AL West, but the Rangers finish strong and build momentum heading into another postseason run. Gausman is lights-out for the Jays and it’s enough for Toronto to secure the final wild card.

MLB Playoffs

Bold Predictions

Friedman: The Mariners will win more than 54 percent of their games.

The Cardinals will roar back to relevance with 88 wins and an NL Central title. They’re the Cardinals; they can’t miss the playoffs in back-to-back years…right? 

Herrera: Despite all the hype surrounding teams like the Yankees and Orioles this season, the Astros will finish with far and away the best record in the AL. 

While some believe the Phillies could give the Braves a run for their money in the NL East, Atlanta will ultimately take the crown by over 10 games.

Duber: The Yankees will nearly miss the playoffs for a second straight year but reach October on the final day of the regular season.

In his first season with the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani finishes behind teammates Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts in the NL MVP vote.

Foley: Juan Soto somehow manages to somehow exceed the incredible expectations folks have for him in New York, posting an OPS over 1.000.

If the Phillies don’t outrun the Braves for the NL East title, the Diamondbacks will take the NL West over the Dodgers. The baseball gods will not allow the two prohibitive favorites to coast to victory. 

National League Awards

Friedman: I am pretty confident that the NL MVP Award will go to a member of the Dodgers or Braves. The problem is that still leaves at least six viable candidates. I ultimately settled on the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, who finished second last year to Ronald Acuña Jr. and has not won the award since 2018.

Spencer Strider is the flashy pick for NL Cy Young and I nearly took him, but I’ve got Zack Wheeler finishing with an ERA around a half-run lower — just enough to push the award in his favor.

Herrera: The NL MVP might be the most hotly contested award at the end of the season, with the Dodgers placing three in at least the top 10 of voting. But it’ll be Mookie Betts that emerges as the MVP, with teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto joining him by earning the Rookie of the Year.

Over in Atlanta, Spencer Strider helps lead the Braves to the best record in the NL, picking up his first Cy Young along the way. And finally, after his fourth runner-up finish in Manager of the Year voting last season, Craig Counsell will take home that award for the first time.

Duber: Shohei Ohtani is pretty good, but remember the guys the Dodgers already had? They’ll be better, with Freddie Freeman edging Mookie Betts for another MVP. The Dylan Cease trade will prove terrific for the Padres, who while mired in a mighty competitive NL West can at least claim the Cy Young winner.

Jackson Chourio leads the Brewers’ youth movement with a Rookie of the Year win. And Bob Melvin wins his fourth Manager of the Year Award with a third different team as the Giants give the Dodgers and D-backs fits out West.

Foley: Armed with a new splitter, perennial Cy Young contender Zack Wheeler finally takes the award home. Acuña beats out the stars in LA to win a second consecutive MVP. Yamamoto takes NL Rookie of the Year (while sparking debates over whether he should be considered a rookie). David Bell wins manager of the year because of the Reds’ surprising division win.

American League Awards

Friedman: Maybe it’s foolish to pick Jackson Holliday for AL Rookie of the Year knowing that he is going to open the year in the minors, but I think he’ll be so good when he does come up that the missed time won’t matter.

I nearly took the Royals’ Cole Ragans or the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal for AL Cy Young, but workload concerns led me to my more mainstream selection of Kevin Gausman. I’ve got Juan Soto taking AL MVP honors with Mariners star Julio Rodriguez finishing close behind.

Herrera: The Yankees’ trade for Juan Soto over the winter will prove to be one of the biggest moves of the offseason, as he’ll take home the MVP while leading New York to the playoffs. The Orioles’ trade for Corbins Burnes, though, will be considred a close second to that, as Burnes will earn his second career Cy Young.

Wyatt Langford barely edges out teammate Evan Carter to win the Rookie of the Year, and first year skipper Joe Espada will show off his chops and be named manager of the year.

Duber: Bobby Witt Jr. will continue to do it all for the better-than-expected Royals, showing that big contract was worth it with an MVP. Corbin Burnes will prove to be just what the doctor ordered for the hitter-rich Orioles, winning the Cy Young entering his free-agent season.

Shockingly, the rookie of the year won’t be an Oriole. And really, they should just rename the AL Manager of the Year Award the Kevin Cash of the Year Award at this point.

Foley: Corbin Burnes struggles to adjust to his new environment. He sorts it out by mid-season and excels, but it’s too late for him to match Gausman’s numbers, and the Blue Jay wins the Cy Young.

Juan Soto runs away with the AL MVP. Evan Carter outperforms teammate Wyatt Langford to take home AL Rookie of the Year.

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