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By Sean Brennan
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – It’s that time of the year again. Baseball is back and every fan wants to know what their team looks like heading into the new season. As spring training begins, the Cactus League is shaping up to field some of the most exciting teams in the league.

Home to both 2023 World Series teams, the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks, the Cactus League will already be looked at closely. But there is one team that has separated themselves from the pack.

All eyes will be on the Los Angeles Dodgers after their offseason additions of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto pushed them into being a favorite to win the Fall Classic.

“Obviously, the Dodgers are far and away the number one story in baseball,” said Bob Nightengale, baseball columnist for USA Today.

The Dodgers will finish spring training in Arizona earlier than usual this season on March 13 due to a scheduled regular-season opener in Seoul, South Korea, against the San Diego Padres on March 20.

While heavy favorites like the Dodgers will be the center of conversations around the league, Nightengale said he wouldn’t look past teams like the Diamondbacks, who enter camp with an upgraded roster since their World Series run.

“Odds only had them winning like 84 ½ games when they won 84 games last year. This is a better team,” Nightengale said.

Arizona added pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to fit in the middle of the rotation and also brought in third baseman Eugenio Suárez and designated hitter Joc Pederson to provide more power in the lineup.

Alongside the expected contenders, some less established teams like the Cincinnati Reds will be looking to solidify themselves as a serious challenger in the National League. Led by young talents like Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, the Reds will look to make the push into the postseason after nearly taking a wild-card spot last season.

“I think they’ve (Cincinnati Reds) got a chance to do something special,” Nightengale said. “They got so many great young players all around that board. If I had to take a sleeper team, that would be my sleeper team.”

Spring training is the time to get acclimated to up-and-coming prospects and new faces to the MLB, and the Cactus League has its fair share.

From former Korean League standout Jung Hoo Lee in San Francisco to Nolan Jones fresh off his 20-homer, 20-steal season in Colorado, there are new players everywhere for fans to grow accustomed to.

Nearly every team has something new to look forward to going into the new season, and that will certainly bring along new expectations.

Fans from all over are going to be in for an exciting year of baseball in 2024.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks followed their surprising World Series run by opening up the checkbook and improving the young core already in place with Corbin Carroll, Zac Gallen and Gabriel Moreno.

The team added to the starting rotation by signing left-handed starter Eduardo Rodríguez. After some struggles at the plate from the third base and designated hitter spots last season, the Diamondbacks traded for third baseman Eugenio Suárez and signed outfielders Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk.

While it will be tough to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Diamondbacks are in prime position to improve on last year.

The Diamondbacks are projected to finish second in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs brought in former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell to fill in the same position after barely missing the postseason season.

Pitching was a focus for the Cubs this offseason. The team signed left-hander Shota Imanaga from Japan to join the starting rotation led by Justin Steele after Marcus Stroman left in free agency. The team also brought in some reliable bullpen arms in Hector Neris and Yency Almonte.

Cody Bellinger’s status as a free agent still leaves some questions about if the Cubs want to bring him back to the lineup, but only time will tell if they have him back.

The Cubs are projected to finish second in the National League Central, according to FanGraphs.

Chicago White Sox

After a down year last season, the White Sox lost many key pieces this offseason.

The acquisition of outfielder Dominic Fletcher gives the White Sox a young player who has shown he can find some success in the MLB, albeit a small sample size. Fletcher had a .301 batting average and .791 OPS in 28 games with the Diamondbacks last season.

The losses of Liam Hendriks, Mike Clevinger and Aaron Bummer will present a challenge for the White Sox pitching department to find ways to make up for their production.

The team is projected to finish last in the American League Central, according to FanGraphs.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds just missed the postseason last year but come back to this season with the majority of that 2023 team intact. The Reds are a young team that came onto the scene last year with names like Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer.

The signings of Nick Martinez and Frankie Montas add to the starting rotation, and the bullpen added Buck Farmer and Emilio Pagán to improve the pitching staff. The Reds had a team ERA of 4.83 last season.

Jeimer Candelario joins a crowded infield with a large amount of young talent.

The Reds are projected to finish tied for third in the National League Central, according to FanGraphs.

Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians hired first-time manager Stephen Vogt after former manager Terry Francona stepped down after last season. He’ll have Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie to lead the starting rotation.

McKenzie is coming off of an injury-riddled season in which he only pitched in four games so time will tell if he can bounce back to his old form. He had a 2.96 ERA in 31 games in 2022.

The Guardians are projected to finish second in the American League Central, according to FanGraphs.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies struggled last year, finishing 41 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West.

The Rockies traded for pitcher Cal Quantrill from the Cleveland Guardians to add to their pitching staff. The Rockies finished last in the MLB with a 5.67 team ERA last season and Quantrill finished with a 5.24 ERA in 19 games. Quantrill getting back to his 2022 form, in which he threw for a 3.38 ERA in 32 games, would help improve those numbers, but Coors Field is notorious for not being friendly to pitchers.

On the offensive side, outfielder Nolan Jones emerged as a very promising young player last year. Jones finished with a .297 batting average with 20 home runs and also stole 20 bases. His development will be something to keep an eye on.

The Rockies are projected to finish last in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

Kansas City Royals

After a tough season in which the Kansas City Royals lost 106 games, they used the offseason to sign veteran talent with a track record of being able to compete on winning teams.

Starters Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha add experience to a young starting rotation, and Will Smith and Chris Stratton provide veteran innings out of the bullpen. Franchise cornerstone Bobby Witt Jr., who just signed an 11-year, $288.7 million extension, is coming off an impressive second season after hitting for a .276 batting average with 30 home runs and an .813 OPS.

With all these moves, the Royals will try to compete this season. The team is projected to finish fourth in the American League Central, according to FanGraphs.

Los Angeles Angels

Replacing Shohei Ohtani’s production would be extremely difficult for any team, and that is something the Angels had to work around this offseason.

The team signed outfielder Aaron Hicks to join Mike Trout. Hicks is coming off one of his more productive seasons that saw him hit .275 with an .806 OPS in 65 games with the Baltimore Orioles after being released by the New York Yankees earlier in the season.

The Angels have long been plagued by pitching woes and they made some moves to address that. Relief pitcher Matt Moore is coming off a strong 2.56 ERA last season and he will strengthen the bullpen.

The Angels are projected to finish fourth in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers went all-in this offseason by spending over a billion dollars in free agency – landing one of the most sought-after free agents of all time in two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

The addition of Ohtani alongside pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow propelled the Dodgers into being World Series favorites. Ohtani will not pitch this season but he will be the team’s designated hitter.

Outfielder Teoscar Hernández was added to the already star-studded lineup, as well.

The Dodgers are going to have high expectations following them throughout the season.
The team is projected to win the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

Milwaukee Brewers

After former Brewers manager Craig Counsell left to join their division rival, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee gave the job to Pat Murphy, longtime bench coach for the team. That wasn’t the only offseason move, however.

The Brewers made a surprising move to trade their ace Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for shortstop Joey Ortiz and pitcher DL Hall. Rhys Hoskins will be a much-needed power bat for a team that finished 24th in the league with 165 home runs in 2023. Hoskins was injured all last season but was a key piece in the Philadelphia Phillies team that went to the World Series in 2022.

The Brewers are projected to finish third in the National League Central, according to FanGraphs.

Oakland Athletics

The Athletics added some veteran arms to the starting rotation and bullpen this offseason. Ross Stripling and Alex Wood might be older but they will be able to provide innings for a team that had a 5.48 ERA last season.

While the team’s pitching may get a boost this season, there are still questions about where the offense will come from. Brent Rooker led the team last season with 30 home runs and 69 RBIs.

The A’s have a lot of questions moving forward, including where the team will be playing in the future with the relocation issue looming large.

The team is projected to finish last in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

San Diego Padres

The Padres are coming into the year with a much different roster than last season.

Fortunately for the Padres, the holes left from the losses of Michael Wacha, Nick Martinez, Seth Lugo and Josh Hader were somewhat filled when the Padres traded Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Michael King should be able to be a serviceable starter. Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez may also be able to be a part of the rotation, as well. Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish will still be the main pieces in the rotation.

The hole that Juan Soto left offensively, however, may be more difficult to fill. Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts will be expected to provide a lot of offensive production.

The Padres are projected to finish in third place in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants made some improvements to their offense heading into 2024, and new manager Bob Melvin will have new pieces to work with in the Giants’ pursuit of the postseason.

The team signed slugger Jorge Soler and Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, who is known for his ability to hit the ball anywhere on the field. He had a career batting average of .340 with a career OPS of .898 in seven seasons in the Korean Baseball League. At the very least, he will provide some excitement.

Recently acquired Robbie Ray will miss some of the season due to recovery from an elbow injury, but he should be a solid piece in the rotation upon his return.

The Giants are projected to finish fourth in the National League West, according to FanGraphs.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners were very active in the offseason, trading away players like left-hander Robbie Ray and third baseman Eugenio Suárez but bringing in infielder Jorge Polanco from the Minnesota Twins. Polanco was limited to 80 games in 2023, but when healthy can play multiple positions in the infield.

The team brought in Luke Raley and Mitch Haniger to help replace the production from Teoscar Hernández and Jarred Kelenic.

The key piece to this team is the starting pitching. Led by Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, the Mariners had a team ERA of 3.74 last season. Their elite starting pitching may give them a window to compete in a loaded American League.

The Mariners are projected to finish second in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

Texas Rangers

The defending World Champions come into the spring hot off their special run and the excitement is bubbling around them.

The Rangers will be missing pitchers Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom at the beginning of the season due to injury and did not re-sign Jordan Montgomery in free agency so the starting rotation is a little thin. The Rangers shored up the bullpen, however, by adding David Robertson and Kirby Yates to the mix.

The core of Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Adolis García will still be around to lead the offense this season.

The Rangers are projected to finish third in the American League West, according to FanGraphs.

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