Fearless forecasts 2024
Continuing a look at what may transpire in 2024, but on the major league level.
Just like last year, I’ll start with some Scripture.
For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
If it’s good enough for Ernie Harwell, it’s definitely good enough for me.
By the time you read this, everyone will have reported to major league camps. So we are now on our way to begin the 2024 season, Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.
So it makes me sad to say that a lot of fans are going to be hard-pressed to see major league ballgames in coming seasons unless they want to pay more for the privilege.
With the issues some teams had with local broadcasts in 2023 thanks to changes in the broadcasting industry, my first prediction is that at least three more teams will have local market issues and need to come to MLB to broadcast their remaining schedule. It’s the next stage of where all but the richest teams will be part of one package where MLB makes them available for streaming only and there won’t be a cable channel for them, nor will local stations be allowed a cut - after all, they’re too poor on their own to do this.
My other prediction is that, by the end of this year, MLB will cave to the competitive pressure and adopt an international draft beginning in 2027, when the current CBA expires. Teams who have invested highly in overseas operations (like the Orioles) will be left holding the bag but since baseball is becoming a worldwide sport this will become the way our major leagues secure talent.
But the meat of this article will be my major league predictions, which are of the variety that those and $20 at your local or internet sports gambling facility will be money in the bank - for them. I’m not going to get into record here, just order of finish.
AL East: Orioles, Yankees*, Rays*, Blue Jays, Red Sox
AL Central: Twins, Tigers, Royals, Guardians, White Sox
AL West: Astros, Rangers*, Mariners, Angels, A’s
Playoffs: Tampa Bay beats Minnesota, NY Yankees beat Texas, Baltimore beats NY Yankees, Houston beats Tampa Bay, Baltimore beats Houston.
NL East: Braves, Phillies*, Marlins, Mets, Nationals
NL Central: Cubs, Reds*, Pirates, Cardinals, Brewers
NL West: Dodgers, Diamondbacks*, Padres, Giants, Rockies
Playoffs: Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati, Philadelphia beats Arizona, Atlanta beats Chicago Cubs, LA Dodgers beat Philadelphia, Atlanta beats LA Dodgers.
World Series: In 7 games, Atlanta beats Baltimore. It will be a memorable series of two good, young teams who may be back a few times in this window.
Locally, you can see what the Orioles are doing, and the Nationals? Well, I think they are still a last-place team but a better last-place team, like around 74-76 wins. The NL East should be good this year overall.
My Tigers? They may surprise me and get over the Minnesota hump this year, but I suspect they may be the last team out in the AL - not quite good enough for either the AL Central title or a wild card, which will be about the same record. They are looking like a Tigers team with its best record since 2016, ending a streak of seven straight losing campaigns.
Talk to me in October and we’ll see how it played out.