Major League Baseball’s Opening Day for the upcoming season will take place on March 28, 2024. This will be the beginning of a 162-game season that will likely result in a new combination of teams finding themselves in the postseason in October. After an extremely eventful offseason and a historic World Series matchup in 2023, this season has many fans excited for what is to come.
Last season, the Texas Rangers won their first-ever World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five-game competition. Neither team was a frontrunner to make it to the biggest stage in baseball, but they were a fresh set of teams compared to recent matchups.
“I personally enjoyed the last World Series because it was something new and different from the previous teams in past World Series,” sophomore and junior varsity baseball player Josh Minard said. “Last season was a very exciting one with a great postseason.”
Despite last season, many teams have made trades and signings in the offseason in order to improve their rosters.
“This offseason was jam-packed with blockbuster trades and signings, such as Juan Soto to the Yankees, Corbin Burnes to the Orioles and Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers,” Minard explained. “I love offseasons with trades because they create more excitement for the next season, and there are a bunch of great teams who have a great chance of making a run in the postseason.”
Shohei Ohtani’s free agency was one of the most anticipated events in baseball history due to his talent as both a pitcher and a hitter. After his time with the Los Angeles Angels—which included two Most Valuable Player awards—came to an end, he became one of the most famous and sought-after players of all time. This resulted in the majority of teams fighting over who would be able to sign him to their roster.
“The biggest news in the MLB offseason was the Dodgers spending a whopping $1.21 billion and signing Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year $700 million deal,” Lambert senior and long-time baseball fan Sam Killoran said. “It was the biggest contract in the league’s history by a wide margin.”
Killoran, along with many other fans, has noted that despite the Dodgers’ recent success, they have only one World Series title, which was in the shortened 60-game season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Although the Dodgers have been dominant for nearly a decade in the National League West, they have had trouble finding ways to win in the postseason,” Killoran explained. “They have lost five divisional series, three championship series, and two World Series since 2013.”
The Dodgers are not the only team that has made big moves this offseason. The San Francisco Giants are preparing to compete with the Dodgers by signing free agent Matt Chapman and last year’s Cy Young winner, pitcher Blake Snell. The Chicago Cubs signed Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga and were able to re-sign last year’s Comeback Player of the Year Cody Bellinger while the Atlanta Braves traded for pitcher Chris Sale from the Red Sox and reunited with World Series champion Adam Duvall.
These signings and trades are just a few of the many notable additions made to MLB teams this offseason. The Dodgers have made the biggest splash so far, but they still have to prove to the world that they are winners.
“Will the Dodgers finally find their groove signing the face of baseball and adding key pieces this offseason?” Killoran said. “Tune into the 2024 season to find out.”
