2023 proved to be an interesting and special year for professional baseball. Many unexpected teams turned out to have successful seasons, while many all-star teams fell short of success. Some of the best teams in the playoffs were eliminated early, while an underdog team found itself climbing up to the top of the playoff bracket.
One big example of this divide would be the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks. Going into 2023, the Dodgers looked like the strongest team in the MLB, with a stacked lineup and rotation that sports analysts said would help them cruise to the World Series. While they did have their predicted success in the regular season, winning 100 games and finishing first in their division, they had an unexpectedly short run in the playoffs.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were a team coming from an underperforming season in 2022, finishing with an under-five-hundred record and an even worse 2021 season. This season they came in with no expectations and surprised the league, finishing above five hundred and placing second in the National League West below the Dodgers. The two teams would face each other in the playoffs, and in one of the biggest upsets in the sport this season, the Diamondbacks would sweep the Dodgers to win the series. This led to the Diamondbacks facing off against the Rangers in the World Series. While the Diamondbacks were the biggest surprise of the National League in 2023, there were certainly more surprises during the season in the American League.
The Baltimore Orioles took America by storm, winning the AL East with over 100 games after sub-par performances the last 5 years. With all of these surprises in 2023, the fans are eager to see what could happen in the 2024 season.
Perhaps the biggest bombshell that happened during the offseason was the signing of Shohei Ohtani, formerly of the Los Angeles Angels. After the 2023 season, Shohei Ohtani was available for free agency, meaning any of the 30 MLB teams could sign him. Ohtani is a two-way player and a two-time MVP over the last several years. According to Sports Illustrated, he is some of the greatest talent people have ever seen in the sport of baseball, and he was expected to sign early and get paid one of the highest contracts in MLB history. In a few short months of the offseason, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 10-year/700 million dollar contract, which, on paper, would become one of the biggest contracts in not just baseball but all of sports.
Not only will the Dodgers get a Cy Young caliber pitcher, but also one of the best hitters in the game, as Ohtani can do both at an MVP level. The Dodgers also have a reputation for fantastic regular seasons though they have been coming up short in the postseason, especially the past two years. In both 2022 and 20223, they had phenomenal regular seasons but were eliminated in the division playoffs, disappointing their fans once again. This year, as shown by the addition of Ohtani, they hope to “reverse the curse” and go all the way.
The New York Yankees were a team that fell well short of expectations last season. Coming off a 2022 season with Aaron Judge breaking the American League home run record with 62 home runs, they finished first in the American League East. The team had high expectations going into the 2023 season, but injuries and underperformance led to a record of under five hundred and without participation in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. This left the fans and the organization very disappointed, and many fans asked for changes.
The Yankees have brought in young superstar Juan Soto to join their team for the 2024 season. Juan Soto has had a fantastic career up until this point, as a World Series championship winner on the Washington Nationals. Soto has won multiple Silver Slugger awards in the past, and according to Bleacher Report, is “one of the best contact hitters the game has seen in a very long time.” Now, he joins the Yankees alongside fellow outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, who have many fans saying if they all stay healthy, they could be the best outfield in baseball in 2024. The Yankees also brought in Marcus Stroman to pitch alongside Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole for the 2024 season. With these additions and the possibility of even more on the way, the Yankees seem to be making a push to prove last season was just a fluke and bring a championship home to New York.
With plenty of big free agents still unsigned to this point, it will be interesting to see how all the MLB teams shape up in 2024. Many teams still have some big shoes to fill, and some teams expect to walk to the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves look to continue their run of dominance in 2024 alongside their new MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. The Philadelphia Phillies, while coming up short in the playoffs last year, look to make it back and go for a run in 2024 with many of their star players. The San Diego Padres seek a comeback after having an underperforming season last year after a successful season in 2022. With the amount of star power on that team, they can easily make a run at the championship at any time.
This could also be many players’ last seasons in the MLB. The legendary Max Scherzer, who has had over a decade of successful pitching with multiple Cy Young awards to prove it, might see his last season in 2024 as he continues to age and pile up the injuries. The same could be said for Clayton Kershaw, arguably the greatest pitcher of all time, who might be retiring next year as he has also climbed in age and seems to be on the decline based on performance.
The 2024 season will surely prove to be memorable with several surprises having already occurred and many more on the way. As the season draws near, fans can only speculate what storylines will be made over the next several months, and what team will come home with the Championship.
