MLB Opening Day primer: 10 hot topics entering the season

The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres opened the MLB season March 20-21 in South Korea, however the 28 different groups will take the sphere for the primary time in 2024 on Thursday. In preparation for Opening Day, listed below are 10 of the most well liked matters getting into the season for the groups but to play. 

Who’re the highest prospects to crack Opening Day rosters?

Jackson Holliday, MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect, did not make Baltimore’s Opening Day roster, however future stars Jackson Chourio of the Brewers and Wyatt Langford of the Rangers will make their main league debuts Thursday. 

Chourio, who signed an eight-year, $82M extension with Milwaukee this offseason, has the instruments to be an elite middle fielder ahead of later. The 20-year-old slashed .280/.336/.467 with 22 residence runs, 89 RBI and 43 steals in 122 video games for Double-A Biloxi final season earlier than a call-up for a six-game stint in Triple-A.

In the meantime, OF/DH Langford, the fourth total choose within the 2023 MLB Draft, superior quickly by Texas’ minor league ranks final season, slashing .360/.480/.677 with 10 residence runs and 30 RBI throughout 4 ranges. Count on the Florida product to be one other impression bat for one in every of baseball’s high offenses. 

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery continues to be on the lookout for a job 

Agent Scott Boras overplayed his hand in a number of failed makes an attempt to get a number of high-profile purchasers large contracts this offseason, and Montgomery is getting into the season unsigned in consequence. Montgomery loved a profession 12 months in 2023, posting a 3.20 ERA between the Cardinals and Rangers. The 31-year-old was additionally instrumental in serving to Texas clinch its first World Sequence title in franchise historical past, posting a 2.90 ERA throughout 5 postseason begins.

Per CBS Sports activities’ Jim Bowden, Montgomery has two long-term contract provides on the desk and curiosity from a number of different groups, together with the Purple Sox and Yankees. Contemplating the variety of accidents to pitchers, maybe Montgomery can elevate his worth by ready to see how groups’ rotations fare of their first flip of the season.

Injured aces, impending contract negotiations loom giant in New York

Each New York groups intention to rebound from disappointing seasons in 2023, however they need to overcome adversity within the early going.

Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole, the reigning American League Cy Younger Award winner, is coping with nerve irritation and edema in his pitching elbow. In the meantime, Mets RHP Kodai Senga has a proper shoulder pressure. Every All-Star ought to be again in Could. 

Accidents aren’t the one main storyline to observe in New York. The approaching free companies of outfielder Juan Soto, the Yankees’ prized offseason acquisition, and Mets first baseman Pete Alonso will forged a shadow over each groups’ seasons. 

The Yankees should show to Soto that they need to be the workforce he spends the rest of his potential Corridor of Fame profession with. Alonso, in the meantime, should persuade the Mets he is price an enormous long-term contract.

The defending champions’ rotation faces harm woes, too

The Rangers ought to be grateful they will rating a lot as a result of their rotation is a priority. RHPs Max Scherzer (again), Tyler Mahle (elbow) and Jacob deGrom (elbow) will miss a big portion of the season. Scherzer is anticipated to return the soonest among the many three, maybe as early as June or July. 

The entrance 4 of Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Grey, Dane Dunning and Andrew Heaney will shoulder nearly all of the load through the injured starters’ absence. Texas signed right-hander Michael Lorenzen to a one-year deal final week, doubtlessly paving the way in which for lefty Cody Bradford to return to bullpen.

Royals hoping offseason spending spree can propel them to the playoffs

Opposite to standard perception, small-market groups are allowed to spend closely within the offseason, which Kansas Metropolis proved this previous winter. To improve a roster that completed 56-106 in 2023, the Royals spent $110.5M in free-agent contracts, the sixth most amongst groups, per Spotrac.

Kansas Metropolis’s most notable additions embrace right-handers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha and outfielder Hunter Renfroe, all of whom ought to considerably elevate the workforce’s ground. 

So long as third baseman Maikel Garcia and star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. proceed their present trajectory, the Royals have a respectable shot to earn a wild-card berth in 2024. 

Braves right-hander Spencer Strider appears to be like the a part of the NL Cy Younger front-runner

Regardless of main the majors in wins (20) and strikeouts (281) final season, Strider posted a modest 3.86 ERA, stopping him from being named an NL Cy Younger finalist. 

Strider’s dominant spring offers cause to imagine he’ll take residence the award in 2024. With the assistance of his new curve, Strider posted a 0.79 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 35 strikeouts throughout 22.2 innings throughout spring coaching. 

The race for second within the Nationwide League West ought to be thrilling 

Barring unexpected circumstances, the star-studded Dodgers ought to run away with their eleventh division title in 12 seasons, however the NL West might in the end produce three playoff groups. It is going to be fascinating to see how the remainder of the division’s standings shake out — FanDuel Sportsbook predicts the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants every to win 83.5 video games in 2024. 

Although Arizona made a magical run to the World Sequence final season and San Diego nonetheless has loads of expertise, the Giants benefit the sting due to the late signings of third baseman Matt Chapman and LHP Blake Snell.

Astros bullpen is in a category of its personal

Through the 2023 common season, Houston’s bullpen had the sixth-best ERA amongst groups (3.56) and ranked tenth in WHIP (1.27), however that did not cease GM Dana Brown from signing MLB’s high left-handed reliever within the offseason. 

In January, the Astros signed five-time All-Star Josh Hader to a five-year, $95M deal, creating the fiercest bullpen trio in baseball alongside Ryan Pressly (3.58 ERA in 2023) and Bryan Abreu (1.75 ERA in 2023). 

Houston’s beginning rotation has questions, notably since Justin Verlander (shoulder) will open the season on the injured record. Nonetheless, with the again finish of the bullpen the workforce boasts, do not low cost Houston’s possibilities of making an eighth consecutive American League Championship Sequence look this season. 

Cubs primed for the postseason?

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer turned a purchaser ultimately season’s commerce deadline to assist his scrappy workforce attain the postseason. Chicago, nevertheless, collapsed in epic trend, posting a 7-14 stretch in September, and it was eradicated from playoff competition on the second-to-last day of the common season.  

Even so, there are a number of causes to be optimistic the Cubs can return to the postseason in 2024. Most of final season’s roster returns, and the membership made intriguing additions with the signings of LHP Shota Imanaga and reliever Hector Neris. 

After all, no arrival is extra impactful than supervisor Craig Counsell, whose observe file of regular-season success ought to assist Chicago take one other step ahead.

White Sox beginning rotation has the potential to be MLB’s worst

FanGraphs tasks White Sox starters to publish the third-worst mixed ERA within the majors this season (4.73), however this may find yourself being the worst rotation in baseball. Whereas that will appear overly pessimistic, it’s straightforward to see why it might be simply by Chicago’s high three starters.

In spite of everything, transformed reliever Garrett Crochet’s first profession outing as a starter can be on Opening Day, and Chicago’s No. 2 pitcher, Mike Soroka, has made simply 9 begins over the previous 4 seasons resulting from accidents.

Moreover, No. 3 starter Erick Fedde, the 2023 KBO MVP, boasts a profession 5.41 ERA over 454.1 MLB innings. The depth behind these starters is not notably spectacular, although Chicago must hope RHPs Nick Nastrini and Drew Thorpe present indicators of promise.