By Max Nasjletti
Correspondent
With opening day behind us, the 2024 Major League Baseball season has begun. Although many uncertain outcomes can occur over the 162-game marathon, one team's play can determine the outlook for the rest of the season. Let’s take a look at three “way too early” predictions for the ‘24 MLB season.
1. Yankees will win the AL East
The Yankees swept the Astros in four games to begin their season. This result at the start of the season is extremely encouraging, especially since the Astros have dominated the Yankees in the postseason over the last five years. The Bronx Bombers outscored the Astros 21-11.
What makes the Yankees the favorite in a competitive AL East? There are several factors, but one is the emergence of second-year shortstop Anthony Volpe. As of April 4, Volpe is batting .409 with one home run and three RBIs on top of playing a gold-glove caliber shortstop.
The next factor is the newly-acquired star outfielder Juan Soto. Yankees fans have gotten what they wanted and more from Soto. The Yankees star went 9 for 21 (.428 average) with a home run and four RBIs in the opening series against the Houston Astros.
All of these factors are being discussed without mentioning the Yankees star player, Aaron Judge. Judge, the former home run king, hasn’t even started the season on a positive note, batting .174 with only one home run. These numbers are not promising from the 2022 home run champion. However, it is inevitable that this skid that Judge is experiencing will end. Once Judge starts to catch fire and pitching ace Gerrit Cole returns from the injured list, the potential for the Yankees is limitless. This is why they are primed for a dominant season.
2. Brewers will win the NL Central
Last year’s NL Central champions seem poised to stay atop the division. The Brewers swept the New York Mets with ease, outscoring them 14-8. 20-year-old phenom Jackson Chourio proved himself worthy of being the highest-paid player to receive a contract extension without playing an MLB game. The rookie outfielder went 6-12 and played acrobatic defense in right field.
With the subtraction of former ace Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff being sidelined for the 2024 season, there were major concerns that had to be addressed. On opening day, pitcher Freddy Peralta put those concerns to rest. Peralta pitched six innings, allowing one earned run and only surrendered one hit.
The Brewers had many questions going into the season, but none of which were more critical than if Christian Yelich was going to return to MVP form. In the series against the Mets, Yelich collected five hits, including one home run and recorded an outfield assist. Yelich proceeded to hit .454 in the series. The Brewers are most indeed a legitimate candidate for winning the NL Central.
3. Mookie Betts will win the NL MVP
It is no surprise that the Dodgers are a force to be reckoned with. With the additions of the likes of Yoshinobu Yammamoto, Tyler Glasnow and most notably Shohei Ohtani, the expectations have never been higher in Chavez Ravine.
However, one thing is certain: Mookie Betts is on a mission. Los Angeles has played 9 games as of April 4, because they started the year early with a series in South Korea. Needless to say, Betts picked up right where he left off from last season. Currently, Betts leads the MLB in home runs, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Put simply, the Dodger phenom is leading Major League Baseball in all major offensive statistical categories.
Betts’s offensive production is being hidden by the fact that he switched his position from rightfield to shortstop. While playing shortstop, Betts is second in MLB in defensive runs saved, a defensive metric that measures how well a fielder prevents runs from scoring. According to Fangraphs, a baseball statistical database, Betts is on pace to produce 28.3 wins above replacement, which would be the highest ever in a single season.
