MLB 2024: Were Giants’ late signings enough to win the NL West? Will the Dodgers and Braves repeat as division champs?
Bay Area News Group's Danny Emerman predicts how the National League will shake out in 2024, division by division.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
Atlanta Braves
The Dodgers won the offseason and still might not have more talent than Atlanta. The Braves return all the key pieces from the team that led the majors with 104 wins and tied the MLB record with 307 home runs but lost to the Phillies in the divisional round for the second year in a row.
Philadelphia Phillies
The vibes in Philly have been immaculate, and they’ll have a healthy Bryce Harper. But bouncing back from the disappointment of a second straight deep playoff run could be difficult.
New York Mets
The Mets are playing for 2025 but still have plenty of talent to help them improve following last season’s 75-win stinker after winning 101 games in 2022. Trading Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for prospects could pay off right away.
Miami Marlins
Miami reached the playoffs and logged its first winning full season since 2009. But unless Sandy Alcantara returns to Cy Young form, the Marlins — who were awfully quiet this winter — could take a big step back.
Washington Nationals
Even after four straight last-place finishes, Washington’s long rebuild won’t be over any time soon. The good news: Patrick Corbin’s albatross contract expires after the season.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
Los Angeles Dodgers
Chavez Ravine is the center of the baseball world. Good luck to any pitcher staring down a lineup of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy, Will Smith and James Outman. Oh yeah, the Dodgers can pitch a little, too, and added Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mix.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Last year’s NL pennant winners, just like Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll, are only scratching the surface, which should make the NL West one of the most intriguing races in the league.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants might have the best rotation in baseball. They might have the best back-end of the bullpen in baseball. They should have elite gloves at third base and catcher. They have organizational depth and a well-respected manager.
The Giants will definitely be more fun to watch this year. They should be better, too.
San Diego Padres
Even without Juan Soto, Josh Hader and Blake Snell, the Padres have a star-laden roster. The Padres were a dismal 9-23 in one-run games last season, so maybe some new chemistry was in order.
Colorado Rockies
Another year, another year in the cellar for the Rockies.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
Cincinnati Reds
The upstart, small-market Reds spent over $100 million this offseason. Money doesn’t always equate to wins (just ask the 2023 Mets), but pouring resources into a club with so much young talent is the move.
Milwaukee Brewers
Last year’s division winner should take a step back, but it might not be a huge drop. Trading Corbin Burnes is a blow, but the Brewers have one of the best minor league systems in the game, led by outfielder Jackson Chourio. Adding veterans Rhys Hoskins and Gary Sanchez takes some heat off the kids.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs plucked manager Craig Counsell away from division rivals Milwaukee in hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and brought star outfielder Cody Bellinger back. They’ll still need a surprise wave of young talent, led by Pete Crow-Armstrong, to make a real run.
St. Louis Cardinals
Paul Goldschmidt is 36. Lance Lynn turns 37 this year. Kyle Gibson’s 36 and Miles Mikolas is 35. St. Louis has talented young players, but at some point, an old core is just an old core.
Everything seemed to go wrong for the Cardinals last season, so at least some breaks should go their way in 2024. But can they keep enough of their aging roster healthy?
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are building around a promising core led by Ke’Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz, Paul Skenes and Henry Davis. They are likely another year away from making noise, but at least they appear to have a real plan under general manager Ben Cherington. Not every last-place club can say the same.