MLB New Years' Resolutions

It's been just under 6 months since I've written about baseball, so let's recap. The Dodgers and Braves both squandered brilliant seasons early in the playoffs; the Dodgers decided to rectify their flaws by spending over a billion dollars on a pitcher who has never thrown a pitch in the MLB and a two-way player that won't be pitching for at least a season. The Rangers won the World Series against the Diamondbacks in a World Series that not enough people watched (myself included, and for that I will forever be disappointed). The gloomy haze of a world without baseball has arrived as we hunker down and await that glorious day when pitchers and catchers report, and all will be bright and joyous once again.

Until then, let's talk about what every team is looking to accomplish in 2024, and how they can make that happen. Alphabetically, of course.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Make it back to the playoffs and make a run, proving that 2023 was not a fluke.

I want to believe that this Dbacks team is going to do great things in 2024, but they have to improve from last year. They finished 2023 with a negative run differential and struggled to find consistent pitching at times, despite arms like Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen anchoring the rotation. They've made some significant additions (Eduardo Rodriguez, Eugenio Suarez) and they've retained important pieces (Lourdes Gurriel Jr.). This team looks like a better version of itself in 2023, and that's all you can ask for; improve the bullpen slightly and this squad will be dangerous in the new year.

Atlanta Braves: Prove the merit of their offseason acquisitions.

Every time the Braves have made a move this offseason, I've been a bit shocked. They started by picking up Aaron Bummer from the White Sox in exchange for former ace Mike Soroka, Admittedly, it has been 3 full seasons since the Braves saw Soroka play to his potential, but you have to think that injuries contributed heavily to his fall from grace; I'm not sure that packaging him with other prospects for a middling reliever (-1.0 WAR in 2023) was the best move, especially when they chose to fill Soroka's spot with one of the only pitchers more subject to injury than Soroka: Chris Sale. Replacing a steady presence with years left on him with a volatile ace who is pitching consistently for the first time since 2019? Questionable, but to question Alex Anthopoulos is to question the architect of a juggernaut and recent World Series champion. Perhaps Sale, Bummer, and newly-acquired outfielder Jarred Kelenic will all see major resurgences, further solidifying the dynasty in Atlanta.

Baltimore Orioles: Take a step further and win a playoff series.

The Orioles have arrived. They won a competitive AL East in 2023, only to fall at the hands of the eventual champions in ugly, 3-game fashion; still, they're poised to do serious damage in 2024. A surplus of strong young pitching is a recipe for success, but the Orioles must build upon their first foray into the playoffs and take advantage of a more experienced squad. They've done little this offseason, but the addition of Craig Kimbrel signals an increased recognition of the need for experienced postseason players. The AL East could run through Baltimore in 2024 (a scary thought) as long as the young guns continue to make progress.

Boston Red Sox: Pick a direction.

A disappointing season saw the Red Sox finish last in the AL East, the only team in the division with a losing record; still, 78-84 is far from basement-dwelling territory. As such, the Red Sox are in a unique position: they have the talent to sneak into a Wild Card spot, but they cannot compete in such a stacked division. It's time for the front office to commit to a direction and improve this team or sell it off for parts and invest in the future; they seem unable to do so, as illustrated by their trade with the Yankees to send outfielder Alex Verdugo to New York, followed by a trade with the Cardinals to replace him with Tyler O'Neill. The Sale trade brought some youth into the mix, adding former star prospect Vaughn Grissom, but expecting these moves to bring the Red Sox back into contention is an exercise in delusion. Similarly, overpaying for Lucas Giolito is not a contending move. There's much work to be done in Boston, but it starts with a commitment by the front office.

Chicago Cubs: Find a way to compete.

The Cubs committed to finding their way into the playoffs in 2023, adding Jeimer Candelario in anticipation of a playoff push; a late-season skid ended their hopes, but this is a young team with room to improve. The arrival of Pete Crow-Armstrong and the continued rises of Christopher Morel and Seiya Suzuki are reasons to believe in the Cubbies in 2024; it will come down, as it so often does, to the rotation. If the Cubs were going to re-sign Marcus Stroman, I assume they would have done so by now; as such, they must find other ways to reinforce a weak rotation. The Cubs are playing in a mediocre division on the rise; the Reds will be competitive, but the Brewers remain the primary threat. The Cubs have to take advantage of one last mediocre NL Central season, especially with the arrival of Craig Counsell as the new manager in Chicago.

[Note: The Cubs have since acquired Shota Imanaga, a promising but unproven starter from the NPB].

Chicago White Sox: A culture shift is needed.

For years, it seemed like the White Sox were finally arriving. The mitigating factors? Culture and injuries, both of which got so bad that the Sox suffered a complete collapse in 2023 culminating in a 101-loss campaign, miles below expectations. Still, they've been active this offseason, adding Erick Fedde (!!!!!) from the KBO and picking up young and Major-league talent alike through a trade with the Braves. That's all fine, but it won't matter if the administration behind this team remains incompetent; a culture shift is needed, whether it comes from the front office or the managerial spot, or else the White Sox risk another collapse and permanently alienating their long-suffering fanbase.

Cincinnati Reds: Reinforce the rotation and get off of Fraud Watch

What's fraud watch, you may ask? My friend said it a few times and refused to elaborate, saying, "if you don't know what it means, you must be on Fraud Watch". So now, rather than trying to further understand it, I'll define this term as what the Reds are now: coming off of a good, surprising season, but lacking the weapons to fully compete. On paper, this team is packed with young talent; in reality, they'll require equally or more productive seasons from every young gun to be a competitive team, including increased production from young arms Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft, and Nick Lodolo, as well as an equally dominant season from UVA legend Andrew Abbott. It'll take a lot to see a playoff run in Cincinnati, but this team is guaranteed to make waves in 2024.

Cleveland Guardians: Make Stephen Vogt look good!

I can't assign expectations to this Guardians squad. Cleveland always finds a way to be somewhat competitive, but the lineup looks just as shaky as it looked last season, when they finished third in a historically bad AL Central. So I'll hold off on any real speculation and focus on a great storyline: folk hero and interview legend Stephen Vogt taking the reins from future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona. Vogt is the newest member of the beloved, somewhat-successful MLB catcher-young manager pipeline, and I want to see the Guardians succeed under his watch. As always, I Believe In Stephen Vogt!

Colorado Rockies: Develop a coherent strategy and draft someone impactful

There is no franchise in Major League Baseball that has less reason to be optimistic than the Rockies, whose fans have seen no progress made in decades. The Rockies Cycle: do nothing in free agency, play somewhat mediocre, make a splash with a big signing for a questionable free agent (read: Kris Bryant), throw money at aging relievers rather than impact players, rinse, repeat, make zero progress in the win column. It's a frustrating cycle that the front office seems unable or unwilling to break; the good news is that the Rockies are drafting third in 2024, fresh off of a 103-loss campaign. In a stacked division, it may be another decade before we see a competitive team emerge in Colorado, but the first step is to draft a franchise cornerstone and begin building from there.

Detroit Tigers: Shock the world.

Hear me out. The division is weaker than ever, hosting only one team that won 80 games in 2023. Finishing second in 2023? The Tigers, who started off shakily but finished relatively strong en route to a 78-win season. They've had a sneaky successful offseason, bolstering a floundering rotation with veteran arm Kenta Maeda and breakout candidate Jack Flaherty. I was on the Tigers hype train before last season, but I think I was a year too early; watch out for the Tigers in 2024. The AL Central has never been more wide open, and the team that steps up will win it; I expect the young stars on this squad to continue progressing and contribute a full season of solid production. If that happens, the Tigers could sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Houston Astros: Retake the AL West.

Even though the Rangers topped the Astros in 2023, the AL West is the Astros to lose until further notice. The window of contention seems perpetually open as long as Houston continues to find new, young talent within the organization to plug holes. Looking at this lineup, anything less than a division title and a deep playoff run should be a disappointment; it will come down, as it did in 2023, to pitching. Verlander has to keep being himself, and you have to wonder how long he can keep that up. Luis Garcia has to return as the ace he was before undergoing reconstructive surgery in 2023. Framber Valdez needs some help in the rotation. Lots of questions surround this squad, but if half of them go their way, the AL West may run through Houston once again.

Kansas City Royals: Find competent pitching.

The young pitching hasn't panned out in KC in the same way that it has in Miami, Baltimore, and Cincinnati. The Royals need much, much more out of Brady Singer, who has yet to live up to expectations. Other than that, Kansas City has to find pitchers that can hop aboard and stay for the long haul, rather than continuing to plug holes with aging, veteran arms with little left to offer. The good news for the Royals is that they've found some really good young hitting in the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. and Nick Pratto; the bad news is that pitching wins ballgames.

Los Angeles Angels: Find a reason to keep going.

The Dark Ages have descended upon the Angels, who gambled (unwisely) in 2023 and came out without a playoff berth or Shohei Ohtani. Mike Trout will not be in Los Angeles by the end of his contract, but even if he is, the Angels have little to look forward to. The lineup is young but not super talented. The Angels will regret rushing Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel to the bigs, but it's too late to worry about that now. The pitching is also quite young and lacking star power. This team could go either way in 2023, but I'm done betting on the success of this team when the front office has shown a complete inability to make anything happen.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Win the World Series, and then do it again, and again.

No more excuses for Dave Roberts. The Dodgers got swept by an upstart Arizona squad and decided to assemble the Avengers in 2024, signing Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani. The latter two will cost the organization over a billion dollars. The lineup misses Corey Seager, but Vargas and Rojas will fill his slot adequately. The lineup also features (deep breath) Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, and James Outman. There are no excuses to be made for anything besides 110 wins and a ring by the end of 2024. Personally, I will be rooting for a major collapse.

Miami Marlins: Find a catcher, and get Sandy Alcantara back to form.

As Sandy goes, so do the Marlins. It's that simple. Sure, this lineup needs a few more impact bats, but it comes down to pitching; that's how this rebuild was constructed from the beginning. The rest of the rotation should be solid, with a few key pieces primed to take steps forward, but a repeat season for Alcantara would significantly hurt Miami's postseason hopes; a 108 ERA+ is far from the expectation. The other concern for Miami is finding a competent catcher; after Stallings failed to deliver on expectations, it's time to look in another direction, perhaps one with a higher ceiling than Christian Bethancourt. Regardless, things are looking up in Miami.

Milwaukee Brewers: Weather managerial change, and take the next step into contention.

The departure of Craig Counsell could very well mean the beginning of a performance shift in Milwaukee, for better or for worse. The Brewers have been frustratingly mediocre, doing just enough to compete in a mediocre division and consistently finishing out the season with a playoff berth despite mediocre play throughout the year. The expectation in Milwaukee cannot continue to simply be, "Make the playoffs." Too much talent has filtered through the club at this point. It'll start with a new manager, and it's up to former bench coach Pat Murphy to fill the void left by Counsell, an impressive talent who will be the highest paid manager in MLB history for the Cubs. Expectations remain high despite such a jarring change.

Minnesota Twins: #FRAUDWATCH

The Twins are still fraudulent after winning a division over four other clubs without a winning record. I was pleasantly surprised to see them sweep the Blue Jays in the Wild Card series, but disheartened by their departure at the hands of the Astros. Regrettably, the Twins have only lost talent this offseason as they seek to cut payroll; their rotation looks quite empty without Kenta Maeda or Sonny Gray. Joey Gallo is also an unfortunate loss in the lineup. An 87-win squad in 2023, the Twins have to show some life this offseason or risk sliding further into mediocrity and missing the playoffs in 2024. Until then, the Twins are on fraud watch.

New York Mets: Fix the issue undermining Cohen's Monopoly money strategy.

What does that mean? Well, the Mets have decided (under Steve Cohen's watch) that the best way to win is to throw inconceivable amounts of money at unreliable, aging stars past their prime and hope things work out. They lost deGrom and Scherzer and finished 2023 with only 75 wins, just a few ahead of the Nats. They spent the entire season bemoaning the loss of star closer Edwin Diaz, who was injured in the World Baseball Classic before the season even began, as their bullpen and rotation struggled to win games. The lineup also failed to carry its weight as young stars came up and underperformed. Brett Baty will be the bellwether for the young Mets stars, but others must take steps forward in 2024. In terms of offseason production, the Mets will have to do better than Luis Severino to bolster the rotation, but they could certainly do worse. Harrison Bader is a savvy signing in the outfield, especially if the lights were brighter in the Bronx than they are in Queens. Expectations should be low in 2024, but perhaps Cohen has developed some smarter spending habits. If such signings continue, maybe

One thing to note: the Mets were the highest bidders for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, losing out to the Dodgers for reasons as of yet unknown. Perhaps the allure of Ohtani and the west coast was too much to pass up, or perhaps the Mets are just that unappealing.

New York Yankees: Let them grow beards.

Tension continues to grow in the Bronx the longer that players consistently arrive, underperform, depart, and improve. An 82-80 season marks what the Yankees hope is the lowest point in the next few years, but competing in the AL East has never been harder. The good news is that they've made good moves this offseason, trading for Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo to strengthen their outfield, hopefully allowing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to spend less time in the field. The bad news is that the Soto trade only brings Juan to NY for a year, and they gave up 5 players to do it. The worst news is that nobody likes playing in New York, and as long as Steinbrenner owns this team, that probably won't change. No, I don't have a ton of evidence to support that claim, but look at how players play in Yankee Stadium, and look at how the fans treat them. I would argue that Yankee fans are the worst in the league, and that allowing a negative culture to become the defining trait of this team was a choice made by the Steinbrenners and emphasized by maintaining the classical "Yankee way", characterized by idiotic policies like the one that prevents Yankees from having facial hair. Every time a free agent shaves his beard, and angel sheds a tear; please, please, please let them do what they want. Nobody wants to see Alex Verdugo looking like a high school drug dealer.

Oakland Athletics: Find a success story.

There's little to look forward to in Oakland. A barren farm system and a historically weak major-league roster are enough to doom any franchise to a decade of mediocrity, but combine those two things with an impending relocation and a cruel, uncaring owner and you've got the recipe for eternal torment for the Athletics. There's nothing to be excited about here until A) they get to Vegas and B) they get a new owner. Until those things happen, the Athletics will be stuck digging through the scraps of the waiver wire, searching for a feel-good story that they can ship off at the deadline for a mid-tier prospect or two. I hate to be so negative, but the dark days of Athletics baseball are just beginning.

Philadelphia Phillies: Lock down more cornerstones and keep changing the Philly narrative.

It's awfully easy to hate on Philly fans when you see them flipping cars and burning things in the street, regardless of how the team is doing. Phillies fans have started to change that, and I believe that began with the arrival of Bryce Harper. Harper arrived as a brash, abrasive superstar fresh off of some controversial years in D.C. Besides the superstar talent, Harper is nearly unrecognizable; he's taken on the role of resident Philadelphia hero, maturing into a new role in a new city, and it seems like the fanbase has matured with him. It's been extremely hard to dislike any Phillies teams in the last few years, no matter how hard I've tried; that's a testament to an ongoing culture shift. If the front office keeps extending their stars and showing free agents that Philadelphia is a fashionable baseball destination once again, the Phillies will continue to contend in the NL East. A 7-year contract for Aaron Nola is a good start, but it may take more than that to fend off the Braves; still, the Phillies will be dangerous if they continue following this trajectory.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Wrap up the rebuild.

It's almost time for the Pirates to arrive. That's what we've been saying for awhile now. Rebuilds take time, but it's hard to look at the roster for the 2024 Pirates and think that it has seriously paid off. There's a reliance on plug-and-play veterans every season that hasn't decreased significantly, as it should in a good rebuild. They've followed that strategy in the 2024 offseason, resigning the likes of Andrew McCutchen. Sure, McCutchen is good for morale as a fan favorite, but the Pirates have to start getting serious about acquiring young talent and moving forward with the next stage of this rebuild, or else they risk sinking into perpetual mediocrity.

San Diego Padres: Build (or rebuild) responsibly.

For all the attention A.J. Preller gets for his trade deadline shenanigans, the fact is that the Padres are a mismanaged franchise. This team had the cornerstones, farm system, and wallet of a future juggernaut, but Preller sold the farm too early, and the Padres now find themselves in a rough predicament. They gave the Nats most of their farm system for two and a half years of Juan Soto, who helped bring an NLCS loss to San Diego! (not to mention last season, when they missed the playoffs and finished a game above .500). The Padres shipped Soto to the Yankees this offseason for a significantly diminished return. Expectations shouldn't be high in 2024, but they will be regardless. The question remains: can the current front office execute a build or a rebuild correctly and responsibly? They should resolve to do so in 2024.

San Francisco Giants: Find a rotation that works.

The lineup in San Fran is young and exciting, especially with the addition of KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee. After missing out on several major additions, the Giants have finally turned it up in free agency; additions of Lee, starter Robbie Ray, and former reliever/potential starter (?)/flamethrower Jordan Hicks are encouraging signs for a team that's been stagnant for a few seasons now. The question will be whether or not those signings will solidify the rotation for the Giants; I think it will, paired with Logan Webb and Ross Stripling. It'll be a fun team to watch, no doubt. Baseball is better when the Giants are competitive.

Seattle Mariners: Ride the wave and compete with the big dogs.

There are few teams in Major League Baseball that everyone wants to be successful at any given time. The Mariners are one of these teams, so likeable and historically mediocre that it just can't hurt to see them enjoy their time in the limelight for once. The limelight has arrived, but the Mariners have missed out on their window so far; part of that has to do with life in an incredibly competitive AL West division. Part of it also has to do with roster construction, however; no excuses in Seattle. If the Mariners want to compete with the big boys in Texas, they'll have to prove they belong, and that means playing consistently good baseball for 162 games. This should be a playoff team, but worry will begin to brew in Seattle if they cannot find a spot in the expanded playoffs in 2024.

St. Louis Cardinals: Find the floor and the ceiling.

The Cardinals confused everyone last season by flopping, winning only 71 games and finishing last in a weak NL Central. Everyone remains just as confused, and so my only resolution for the Cardinals in 2024 is to figure out what this team is capable of and move forward accordingly. If things look dire once again, expect the Cardinals to be quick to pack it in and plan for the future. The Cardinals won't be kept down for long.

Tampa Bay Rays: Just keep doing what you're doing.

Sure, the Rays got bounced in the Wild Card Series last year, but it was to the eventual champions. They still made the playoffs and won 99 games in the most competitive division in baseball, and they did it all on a $74k payroll, which is the equivalent of a 2005 Camry drag-racing three hypercars and finishing in second. They also did all of that without Wander Franco for the end of the season (and probably forever) and without Tyler Glasnow, the ace traded to the Dodgers. I would tell the Rays to get more aggressive, but we all know that's not happening. So I'll just say that the Rays should keep doing what they're doing, which is summoning talent from nowhere and dumping anybody who gets too expensive. No worries in Tampa Bay.

Texas Rangers: Do it again.

Everything went right for the Rangers in 2023, but they'll require the same strokes luck to repeat in 2024. That's how it goes for every team, though, so the Rangers are pretty well positioned to cement themselves as contenders for a while. They've been quiet this offseason, but they've also lost relatively little to free agency. They'll be dangerous in 2024, and their only resolution should be to roll through October once again.

Toronto Blue Jays: Find a winning formula.

Every year, the Blue Jays find a formula to win a bunch of ballgames in the regular season and make the playoffs. Like clockwork, this formula gets them bounced from the playoffs early and often.

Here's the rub: in 2023, their ace forgot how to play baseball and turned into the worst starter in baseball. I don't think the chances of a return to form are all that low; if Manoah can find himself again, the Jays will be much better situated. So, in reality, the title of this section should be, "Fix Alek Manoah". It should be that simple in Toronto, but who knows?

Washington Nationals: Make strides, especially in the rotation.

Ah, finally! Can't believe I chose to do this alphabetically, knowing the team I care most about will always be last.

It comes down to this: MacKenzie Gore and Josiah Gray have to become serious frontline starters. JoJo is just about there, as long as he learns to limit the walks and go deeper into games. Gore has much more work to do on all fronts. A Cavalli return should bolster the rotation, but question marks remain. Will DJ Herz make his debut and stay with the big-league club? Will Rutledge break through? 2024 will be pivotal for the rebuild. As far as the lineup goes, it'll continue to be all about Ruiz and Abrams. Success from some plug-and-play veterans could make this team fun and frisky, but the ceiling remains low for now.

That took so long, and yet I'm still probably going to do power rankings, even if they're abbreviated. Until then!

Emory