The Opening Day of MLB 2024

Photo Credit: MLB

After a 37 day preseason, the baseball season started with an exciting four games played at the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Tour Seoul Series at the Gocheok SkyDome. MLB Opening Day 2024 took place on Mar. 28, with 26 teams taking to the field with two more Opening Day games being played Friday following rain postponements. The MLB is composed of 30 teams divided into the American League (AL) and National League (NL), with each league divided into three divisions: East, Central, West.

This season, the MLB has introduced five rule changes. The first change was to the pitch timer, which was set to 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds for runners on base last season. This season, the timer for runners on base was increased to 18 seconds and is to reset right after a foul ball, so the pitcher has to be on the mound immediately. To reduce the time between innings, the timer does not reset to two minutes and 15 seconds if a new pitcher steps onto the warning track with under two minutes remaining; instead it will reset back to two minutes. 

Additionally, the number of mound visits has changed from five to four per game and any pitcher who warms up must face at least one batter. These new rules all aim to reduce the time of the game, which increased by an average of seven minutes last season.

For the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who powered their way to the World Series last season, but ultimately lost, signed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, outfielder Joc Pederson, and infielder Eugenio Suárez. They remain an excellent mix of veterans and younger players and nearly all now have high-level postseason experience. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who were first in the NL West, but lost in the National League Division Series last season, added pitcher and batter Shohei Ohtani, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who came from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), pitcher Tyler Glasnow, and outfielder Teoscar Hernández to the roster, among others. The biggest headline for the offseason last summer was the acquisition of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, who signed a 10 year, $700 million contract, inciting the Dodgers to build the team around him. All of their moves during the offseason placed the Dodgers in a position to compete with the Braves for the top team in the National League.

In the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers, who were first in the NL Central, and lost in the wild card last season, parted ways with president of baseball operations David Stearns, manager Craig Counsell, and pitcher Corbin Burnes. To compensate for these management losses, the Brewers have locked down promising center fielder Jackson Chourio to bring some stability on the field.  

For the NL East, the Atlanta Braves, who were the best team in the league with 104 wins last season, but lost during the National League Division Series, added pitcher Chris Sale and hope to reach the 100-win mark for a third straight season. In addition, last year’s MVP, Ronald Acuña Jr, will really help the team. The Braves also have depth in the bullpen and high level  performance of their starters.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who made the National League Championship Series last season did not make many changes during the offseason, but kept their strong pitching staff. 

For the AL East, the Baltimore Orioles, who were first in the AL East and lost in the American League Division Series last season, added pitcher Corbin Burnes. They will also soon add the best prospect in the minors, Jackson Holliday. Baltimore’s roster looks very strong and the impact of young talent gives the Orioles a high ceiling. 

The Boston Red Sox, who only had 78 wins last season, have seven starters who are 28 or younger, including three players younger than 25.

The Toronto Blue Jays, who lost in the wild card last season, added infielder Justin Turner and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but otherwise did little to change last year’s roster. Their deepened rotation may keep them ahead of the other teams in their division. 

The New York Yankees acquired all-star outfielder Juan Soto and stuck with building around outfielder Aaron Judge. Thus, they are expecting more wins and hope to make the playoffs this season. 

For the AL Central, the Cleveland Guardians have the first round first pick in the 2024 MLB draft. They have been one of baseball's youngest teams over the past couple of years. 

The Kansas City Royals, who only had 56 wins last season, signed shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to a $288.7 million contract. Having Witt for the foreseeable future along with a new downtown stadium as well as improvements in scouting, development, and analytical practices means a bright future. 

The Minnesota Twins, who were first in the AL Central and lost in the American League Division Series last season, added first baseman Carlos Santana, pitcher Anthony Desclafani, and a collection of relief pitchers. They benefit due to their AL Central-heavy schedule and they also have a deep group of young MLB players.

For the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels lost Shohei Ohtani, leaving the longtime duo with Mike Trout. 

The Texas Rangers, who won the World Series last season, have two of the top young outfielders in the game — Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford. With their roster, the Rangers aim to become MLB's first repeat champions in more than two decades. 

The Seattle Mariners lost 14 extra inning games last season, nearly 20 per cent of their losses. They are the only franchise in baseball that's never won a pennant. 

The Houston Astros, who were first in the AL West and lost in the American League Championship Series, lost manager Dusty Baker after a retirement announcement. Third baseman Alex Bregman and pitcher Justin Verlander are set to become free agents this summer as well. They have some advantages in scheduling, so Houston remains a prime favorite to win the AL pennant. 

As part of the Juneteenth festivities, the Giants and Cardinals will play a game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, former home of the Birmingham Black Barons on June 20. 

This year, from June 8–9, the Mets and Phillies head to England to play a series, continuing a tradition from last season. 

There are also some milestones coming up: Clayton Kershaw is just 56 strikeouts away from 3,000, Paul Goldshmidt is only 91 hits away from 2,000, and Andrew McCutchen and Anthony Rizzo are one and five homers away from 300 respectively.