With opening week coming to a close, the journey to the fall classic has just gotten started., and this year’s MLB season hopes to top last year’s season as more storylines and predictions are set and stone. 

Last year’s champion Los Angeles Dodgers, on paper look to be the favorite to repeat as after another blockbuster offseason filled with moves while also still having the MVP trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman leading the charge.

Not only did the team resign key players: Teoscar Hernandez, Tommy Edman, and Enrique(Kike) Hernandez. According to the MLB.com’s, Free Agent & Hot Stove Tracker, Michael Conforto, Cy-Young pitcher Blake Snell, Kirby Yates, Tanner Scott, and Japanese-phenom Roki Sasaki. 

Another team that is one of my favorites to win the title is the New York Yankees. Even though the team in Bronx, NY lost All-Star outfielder Juan Soto to their cross town rivals in the New York Mets and Cy-Young starting pitcher Gerrit Cole to injury, this team is still good enough to compete for a championship.

Their MVP and captain, Aaron Judge will lead the team along with offseason additions according to MLB.com’s, Free Agent & Hot Stove Tracker, Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt. Yes, the Yankees will still be in the mix for the World Series. 

However, there are speculations that a team that missed the playoffs a year ago are expected to be back in the mix: the Texas Rangers. 

“In the American League, I got the Texas Rangers,” said ESPN MLB analyst Jeff Passan on ESPN’s morning show, “First Take” on Wednesday, March 26. “They were 78-84 last year, and let’s not forget they won the 2023 World Series. They got Jacob DeGrom back, they [re-signed] Nathan Eovaldi, traded for Jake Burger, signed Joc Pederson, they got Wyatt Langford for a full season and up the middle Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.”

Not only will there be a fight to win the World Series, but once again, there will also be a competitive fight for the Most Valuable Player awards in both leagues as well. 

The players I expect to compete for the American League MVP are Kansas City Royals all star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Baltimore Orioles all star shortstop Gunnar Henderson and last year’s MVP Aaron Judge. 

The players I expect to compete for the National League MVP are Mets all star outfielder Juan Soto, San Diego Padres all star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and last year’s MVP Shohei Ohtani. 

Yes, it is only Opening Week with a lot of baseball to be played in the next six months. From now until October these predictions could be wrong come September. 
For more information on all the free agents please visit the link. https://www.mlb.com/hot-stove