2024 Season Preview: The Central
Apr 2, 2024 14:33:05 GMT -5
Reds GM (Kyler), Tigers GM (Ace), and 3 more like this
Post by Red Sox GM (Nick) on Apr 2, 2024 14:33:05 GMT -5
Part 2 of the Mibble season preview is here! Today we venture to the middle of the country. Keep the reactions coming as we journey eastward.
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NL CENTRAL
Pittsburgh Pirates
'23 Finish: 78-94-8, 4th in division; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 5th in division
Offseason Acquisition: The Mibble Pirates finished 2023 with one certified starting pitcher, JT Brubaker – who missed the entire 2023 season due to TJ (surgery, not the GM). The front office went out and added several arms to both the rotation and the bullpen, including most notably starters Jon Gray and Seth Lugo. After relying heavily on the offense and bullpen over the past couple of seasons, it will be interesting to see what this team can do with additional innings pitched.
Breakout/Sleeper: Cannot call him a sleeper to those paying attention, but let’s go with outfielder Jackson Chourio, one of the two best prospects across all of baseball. With a long-term contract IRL in hand, Chourio might well be the rookie of the year favorite in the National League and a long-term impact player. Younger than Facebook (yes, really), Chourio put together minor league stat lines of .288/.342/.538 with 20 HR and 16 SB across A/A+/AA at age 18 followed by .283/.338/.467 with 22 HR and 44 SB, while also notably reducing his K%, across AA and AAA at age 19.
State of the Farm: The farm is in solid shape and on the cusp of multiple high-end graduations including Chourio and 2023 first overall draft pick, stud pitcher Paul Skenes. Already at AAA to start the 2024 season (with a perfect three-inning debut to boot), Skenes will be making a name for himself in The Show in no time. Beyond those guys, there are only a couple other notable names at the moment so the state of the farm may decline by next spring, but it is hard to knock the system this year.
Biggest Question Mark: How good will the offense be? On the surface this roster is not as talented offensively as their last postseason appearance in 2022, though you could chalk this up as a bit of a transition year with new faces appearing including Chourio and 2B Jared Triolo. There is a good chunk of potentially dead money (Mancini and Cron) but fortunately expiring in six months. In a highly competitive NL Central without standout pitchers, the 2024 Pirates will largely go as their offense goes.
Arrow Up/Down: Down a bit, which is kind of incredible considering the additions and up-and-coming guys highlighted above. It is more indicative, however, of the strength of the division. Do not sleep on the Pirates – they are likely the most talented team projected to finish last in their division, and if they do finish last, it might be within a few games of .500.
Chicago Cubs
'23 Finish: 74-92-14, 5th in division; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 4th in division
Offseason Acquisition: A year ago we wrote here about what a “shrewd” move it was to acquire .300 hitter Tim Anderson – ouch! This offseason, the Cubbies acquired a pair of starting outfielders in Seth Brown and JJ Bleday and managed to offload Kris Bryant in a deal for Carlos Correa, but the biggest move could be the IRL free agent signing of Shota Imanaga from NPB. He may not be in the same tier as fellow 2024 Japanese import Yamamoto of the Dodgers, but Imanaga is under long-term control and brings with him a career 3.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over eight seasons in NPB – including a 2.51 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over the past three seasons.
Breakout/Sleeper: After failing to reach the Mendoza Line in either of his first two big-league campaigns, about the only thing that has been going for Bleday on the surface is the amount of opportunity available on a woeful “rebuilding” Oakland club. The fourth overall pick in 2019, Bleday has only shown glimpses of potential – mainly in the 2022 AFL and 28 games at AAA Vegas in 2023. With a strong 2024 spring showing (.348/.423/.587 in 52 PA), Bleday has taken over CF to open the 2024 season and seemingly knocked Esteury Ruiz off the major league roster for the time being.
State of the Farm: The farm is not deep but despite recent graduations on the pitching side and various trades over the years to keep the major league roster stocked, there are some solid pieces on the way. 2023 first-rounder Matt Shaw has looked good so far in the minor leagues and is set to start the year back in AA. 2022 Orioles first-rounder Dylan Beavers also shows promise though one might wonder what kind of playing time will be available in Baltimore by the time he is ready.
Biggest Question Mark: The number of hitters with individual question marks. The Cubs seemingly have plenty of depth to mix and match the performing pieces throughout the year. Whether recent underperformance (Anderson, Bleday), health (Correa, LeMahieu), boom or bust potential (Morel) or playing time (Grisham, Taylor) – it is hard to predict who will drive the 2024 roster to success.
Arrow Up/Down: Neutral. On paper Chicago looks deep enough to be in playoff contention this summer after bringing up the rear (though not by much) in the NL Central in 2023. But the aforementioned question marks, as well as a relatively thin bullpen, lead me to think they are hardly a lock for the Mibble postseason.
Cincinnati Reds
'23 Finish: 84-85-11, 3rd in division; Consolation Cup finalist
'24 Prediction: 3rd in division
Offseason Acquisition: Feels sort of weird to write Juan Soto here after he started the 2023 season on the Cincinnati roster, but here we are. Soto was traded in Mibble last May to the Marlins, who made an admirable all hands on deck push for postseason glory that ultimately fell short. IRL Soto was traded this winter by the Padres to the Yankees, slotting in ahead of fellow premier slugger Aaron Judge. Re-signing with the Mibble Reds on the open market, Soto is locked up for five years until age 30 and provides the 2024 Reds with an enviable threesome of Soto, Vlad Jr, and Kyle Tucker.
Breakout/Sleeper: Jackson Merrill could well be a rookie of the year contender in the National League. Quickly rising up the prospect ranks, Merrill seized the opportunity before him this spring in San Diego, where IRL management needed to significantly scale back spending. Having spent nearly his entire 2+ year minor league career at short batting .295/.347/.455 with 31 SB, the soon-to-be 21-year-old former first-round pick is set to hold down CF for the foreseeable future.
State of the Farm: Seemingly nonexistent this time last year, the front office managed to cash in some of its chips last year during its fire sale. You can put this system back towards the solid, but not deep category. Some names to watch include Jacob Berry, Simeon Woods-Richardson, and Kahlil Watson.
Biggest Question Mark: One might say pitching given the lack of star quality, but the argument could be made that pure volume could still make this an average or better unit. Instead let’s highlight 2B/3B, where Owen Miller (optioned) and Edmundo Sosa (backup) are listed at the top of the depth chart. There is clearly work to be done to round out this roster, though the potential answers are not obvious – especially at 3B where there seems to be many Mibble suitors but not enough targets available.
Arrow Up/Down: Neutral. With Soto back in the fold and the pitching additions, that might lead some to conclude things are trending up. The question marks above, however, are likely to hold the team back. While the Pirates and Cubs may appear deeper, I would lean towards the star power on the Cincinnati roster, in part based upon their appearance in the Consolation Cup final six months ago with mostly the same roster.
St Louis Cardinals
'23 Finish: 84-79-17, 2nd in division; lost in Wild Card round
'24 Prediction: 2nd in division
Offseason Acquisition: “I keep thinking I'm out of insane trades, but I keep weaseling my way into them,” stated St Louis GM Bert upon announcing a blockbuster deal to acquire slugger Yordan Alvarez. Somehow still only 26 years old despite being around seemingly forever already, Alvarez has put together four seasons so far of something like .290/.400/.600 (.600!!) with 30 HR and 90 RBI. Although health wise you cringe every day he gets put out in LF given his creaky body, this guy delivers the goods in a way few other baseballers can or do. It almost does not matter what they gave up; Air Yordan makes your ballclub better.
Breakout/Sleeper: Some circles consider 3B Jake Burger to be a sleeper pick this year, but that only makes sense if you had no idea he hit 34 HR last summer or last saw his 2023 BA just above the Mendoza Line prior to being dealt IRL to the Marlins. Young SP Brayan Bello is the guy here. His 107 ERA+ last year in his first extended run in the rotation was fine but surely nothing to write home about. But do not forget his 3.04 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 70 K in the first half (mostly due to outstanding May and June after being demoted early in the season) before losing steam down the stretch. IRL Beantown is begging for a new ace to emerge, and the Mibble Cards stand to reap the benefits.
State of the Farm: After being labeled “stacked” in this column one year ago, after 2023 graduations and the high-octane wheeling and dealing of the past five months – the farm is comparatively rather barren. As the front office has pretty much communicated publicly, the chips have been pushed to the middle of the table.
Biggest Question Mark: Health, with the deliverance on prospect promise a close second. With preseason injuries to TJ Friedl among others, having players like Triston Casas and Burger build on their 2023 performances will be critical to St Louis making a second straight postseason and pushing the reigning division champs.
Arrow Up/Down: Up. If most things go right, this can be a 100+ win team, despite a once-again highly competitive division top to bottom. I would be shocked if they do not improve upon their 2023 record.
Milwaukee Brewers
'23 Finish: 130-39-11, 1st in division; lost in NLDS
'24 Prediction: 1st in division
Offseason Acquisition: An observer cannot comment on Milwaukee’s offseason without mentioning the re-signing of Ronald Acuna Jr. to a five-year deal that will pay him almost $15/year more than he made in 2023. Such a deal alters the dynamics of roster building and certainly mandated cost savings elsewhere. Trea Turner, Yordan Alvarez, Ryan McMahon, Corbin Burnes, Nathan Eovaldi – in most cases these guys were traded for more, cheaper, and younger talent save for McMahon being lost in free agency. The most notable gets, who still cost a pretty penny against the cap, were Luis Castillo and Joe Musgrove to front the rotation. But do not sleep on the rest of the roster just because name value and $ value are less than prior year – this remains a highly competitive team top to bottom.
Breakout/Sleeper: Cheating here based on the first few days of the regular season, but Tyler Freeman has a huge opportunity IRL as the CF for Cleveland. His MPE was already a valuable asset especially for a 2nd-year player and will add one more position for 2024 in short order. He has yet to show much in terms of power, but in Mibble his speed and hit tools will make him a valuable play anywhere he qualifies.
State of the Farm: Restocked quite a bit since this time last year, but especially since September ended with River Town and otherwise unprotected Brewers farmhands. The fact that the major league roster remains so competitive and youthful, while having prospects such as James Triantos, Justyn-Henry Malloy, and Hurston Waldrep in tow now – this team is in good hands.
Biggest Question Mark: How much of a drop-off will we see from 130 wins? This roster is plenty good enough to win 100 games or more in 2024, but because the division is so good, a few significant variants could have Milwaukee fall back to the pack. It is possible we are overestimating the forecast based upon recency bias.
Arrow Up/Down: Down but still the favorites in the NL Central. I like them to win the division again but only by 10 games or less.
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AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox
'23 Finish: 71-95-14, 5th in AL Central; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 5th in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: OF Owen Caissie. The White Sox made a bit of a blockbuster trade this offseason, headlined by shipping out Manny Machado and bringing in Caissie who instantly becomes the jewel of the White Sox' farm system. Caissie slashed a robust 289/399/519 as a 20 Y/O in AA last year and has shown similar precociousness in Spring Training with the big club this year with a .948 OPS in 14 games. Getting this kind of talent with this proximity to MLB doesn't happen very often in the Mibble as by the time they are performing that well in AA owners are very attached to their promise, but the White Sox were able to pull it off and look to have a keeper in their lineup sooner than later.
Breakout/Sleeper: SP Carlos Rodon. Strange to refer to Rodon as a sleeper after his massive 2022 campaign with the Giants, but a hugely disappointing first season in pinstripes in which he posted a 6.85 ERA and 1.45 WHIP brought the '21-'22 gains come into question. The poor performance made the $13.5 contract given to him in Mibble free agency seem like a risky bet and Chicago was able to eat that risk and get him on the roster at a discounted acquisition cost. He has looked better this spring and if he can stay healthy on the other side of 30 and return to his pre-Bronx performance levels he could help the White Sox both in their matchups and as a possible trade chip as the season progresses.
State of the Farm: Handicapped. Adding Caissie gave a huge boost to this system, but it does have Noah Schultz from the homegrown system as well as Blake Mitchell and Dax Fulton brought in from other organizations. The real problem with this system is that it just gets no support from its affiliated IRL club. The White Sox have whiffed on multiple picks and have failed to develop much in their own system as evidenced by 3 of their top 5 prospects being brought in via trade over the last year. They do have the #5 pick in this year’s draft so hopefully they will add an impact player because they have not demonstrated much ability to generate talent from the lower rounds.
Biggest Question Mark: Post-hype sleepers! The roster here has quite a few guys for whom hopes were quite high in their prospect days but, for one reason or another, haven't quite lived up to the hype. C Luis Campusano finally got a little run last year and performed well in a small sample size, he looks to have first crack at the everyday job in 2024. Royals 2B Michael Massey was an OBP machine in his time in the minors but that hasn't crossed over to the big leagues so far over his first 601 ABs, but he still hasn't fallen out of favor in KC and should get another shot to show what he can do. Former top pick and reliever Garrett Crochet is moving into the rotation this year for the first time to see if he can establish himself as a SP. Jo Adell out in LA is still out there trying to get back to the talent that made him a top 10 prospect in baseball once upon a time. Hope also springs eternal for Miguel Sano trying to resurrect his career with the Angels.
Arrow Up/Down: Down. The White Sox are in a tough division and don't get much help in terms of prospects or international signings from the parent club so they have to get by on smart trades and free agent signings. It is a tough thing to do with little margin for error. This season will probably be another at the bottom of the division and, despite some solid additions and a few bright spots on the farm, it is hard to see them competing in the near term, more rebuilding is needed.
Cleveland Guardians
'23 Finish: 88-78-14, 2nd in AL Central; lost in Wild Card round
'24 Prediction: 4th in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: SP Shane Bieber. It feels weird to use a re-signing as the biggest impact acquisition, but the 30% discount proved to be a huge value for the Guards as they were able to ink their rotation leader to a lower than last year and well under market value $5.6 through the 2027 season. The extra cap space will come in handy for a team who has 4 key starters hitting free agency after this season. His numbers were slightly down last year and he dealt with an injury late in the year, but he seems to be healthy again entering 2024 and remains a highly rated option as a SP. The rotation in Cleveland has plenty of talent still in their ARB years and they probably would've been fine even if they didn’t resign Bieber, but at that price you really cant turn it down.
Breakout/Sleeper: RP Nick Sandlin. With an injury to Trevor Stephan and, however unlikely they may be, trade rumors surrounding closer Emmanuel Clase, Nick Sandlin could see some opportunities opening up at the back end of the Cleveland bullpen. He struck out 9.9 / 9 IP last year with declining walk rates leading to a 1.03 WHIP and 10 SVHD. He has looked quite solid over the small sample size of spring training and it looks like the club views him as an important piece of the pen in '24. He was a 2nd round pick as a SP in 2018 but they Guards pretty quickly moved him to relief and it seems to have paid off; look for him to rack up the holds this year.
State of the Farm: Middle class. The system took a brutal hit when the highest upside player on the farm, Daniel Espino, required another surgery that will cost him yet another full season of ball. Outside of Espino there is some talent here that projects to be major leaguers, but it isn't likely to generate many players approaching all star level. The Guards seem to have a preference for middle infielders with good bat to ball skills but not loud tools and that seems to be indicative of the system overall here. The big club has done an excellent job of development so some guys may still pop and perform higher than projections, especially on the pitching side.
Biggest Question Mark: How do the standings look in July? The Guardians have a bunch of players in their 6th year of arbitration, if they get off to a slow start will they be cashing them out in the trade market for fear of not being able to afford them all next offseason? Bats at key positions could fetch good returns to help keep the Guardians competitive for years to come if they decide to go that route. But, if they are at or near the top of the division do they hold on to all of those expiring guys to make a playoff run this year then figure out the economics of it next year. Should be fun to watch.
Arrow Up/Down: Up-ish. This is a team in a good position. Whether they choose to roll the dice and make a run this year or cash in a few chips for the future or somewhere in between there is a good base of talent here and some payroll flexibility to make moves. The #1 pick in the 2024 draft will be added to the system this summer and the top prospects mostly seem to be college bats not too far away from being ready. They might be a little thin at C and possibly OF, and you could wish that the farm system had some more impact players but there is a good collection of players at the big league level, this team should compete for the next few years at least.
Detroit Tigers
'23 Finish: 79-86-15, 3rd in AL Central; Consolation Cup champions
'24 Prediction: 3rd in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: P Randy Vasquez. Not a lot to choose from as Vasquez was 1 of 2 trade acquisitions and Martin Maldonado was the only non-returning FA the Tigers signed despite being involved in the bidding on several other names. Vasquez came over to the Pads in the Juan Soto deal after putting up solid numbers in the Bronx. The Friars’ acquisition of Dylan Cease probably cemented Vasquez's ticket to AAA to start the season but any injury or ineffectiveness ahead of him should create an opportunity sooner rather than later. Alternatively, the Pads could move him to the bullpen where I expect his stuff could play up and raise his ceiling a bit. Either way, it seems like a smart pickup for the Mibble Tigers.
Breakout/Sleeper: SP Tarik Skubal. Cheating a bit as Skubal is certainly not a sleeper, but he could be poised to finally fully break out. A consensus top 50 prospect in the years leading up to his debut Skubal has had a hard time staying healthy and effective so far in his career. Flexor tendon surgery limited him last year to 15 big league starts, though he was outstanding in them. Now healthy and entering his age 27 season I would not be surprised at all to see him in the top 10 of SP at the end of the season.
State of the Farm: Very good. The Tigers graduated several players off the farm from the last few years of high draft picks, but they have managed to keep the system stocked with picks and the Mibble owner has held on to most all of them. Max Clark, Colt Keith, Jackson Jobe, and Jace Jung all have high ceilings and are rapidly approaching the majors. Red Sox 2B Nick Yorke has been added to the homegrown talent to make up possibly the best collection of hitting prospects in the AL. There is plenty here to dream on or to use as trade fodder to speed up the timeline of the Tigers to compete in a big way.
Biggest Question Mark: Is this year too soon? The Tigers have an excellent roster, that probably still needs a few things before truly competing but the talent exists in the system to fill a lot of those holes. The question is will ownership continue to be patient and wait for reinforcements to graduate or will they start wheeling and dealing to make some splashes for the big club. They could probably use an upgrade at C and SS, another SP and relief help wouldn’t be unwelcome either though the current options at those spots aren't terrible.
Arrow Up/Down: Big up. There is a lot of talent here and more on the way. If everything clicks into place this team could sneak into the playoffs this year and I expect them to do it in following seasons as more players join the majors. The window is just starting to open.
Kansas City Royals
'23 Finish: 111-61-8, 1st in AL Central; lost in World Series
'24 Prediction: 2nd in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: SP Grayson Rodriguez. The Royals continued their trading ways and flipped a collection of farm team talent for the recently debuted Rodriguez. The numbers from the rookie season of the Birds’ 2018 top pick were not phenomenal overall, but it was a tale of two halves for the former top prospect. After the All Star break last year Rodriguez posted a 2.58 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over his last 13 starts. His K rate was down from the first half when his ERA was a significantly inflated 7.35 so it seems he figured out something in the way he approaches hitters that led to better results. In the words of Crash Davis "Quit trying to strike everybody out, ok? Strikeouts are boring, besides that they're fascist. Throw some ground balls; more democratic." Seems to be working for him and the Royals are hoping that success translates into a superb season anchoring a very solid rotation ahead of Chris Sale, follow youngsters Ricky Tiedemann, Mason Miller and the age defying Max Scherzer.
Breakout/Sleeper: Jeremy Pena. I went back and forth debating whether Pena or Rodriguez would be better suited as top acquisition or breakout candidate as both are new to the 2022 Mibble Champion's roster this offseason and both seem to be trending upwards. I settled on this distribution since I think Rodriguez will have a bigger impact on the roster, but it could've gone either way. Pena has always been a good defender at the 6 but how much his bat was going to advance was the question that would determine if he was a top 5 SS or just a top 20. Pena improved his BB rate from 3.9% to 6.8% and cut his Ks from 24.3 to 20.3 from '22 to '23. While his HR totals dropped from 22 to 10 over that time frame, he had 13 more 2B and 3B suggesting that the power was still there, just a bit if bad luck with balls finding their way over the fence. If the pitch recognition and plate discipline continue to improve like this and he keeps hitting the ball with authority, he could be the complete package at the top of lineup with a 20/20 season and 100 R scored a reasonable goal.
State of the Farm: Mostly on other teams. Since entering the league the Royals’ strategy has been to trade prospects almost as soon as they are acquired in order to staff the MLB roster and it led to a Mibble crown in '22 and an AL title in '23. New White Sox prospect Samuel Zavala headlines the non-Royals division of the farm and has the upside to impact the roster in a few years. A .420 OBP and .871 OPS for the precocious 18-year-old in the California league last year gave a glimpse up the potential he possesses. A bit more power is likely to develop as he grows physically and if he can maintain the plate discipline as it does he should be a fixture on top prospect lists until he debuts in the bigs.
Biggest Question Mark: Power. There is talent and depth in the rotation, back-end options in the bullpen and good hitters at pretty much every position as you would expect from the defending AL champ. But, in contrast to the reigning AL East Champ O's, the Royals are built to get on base and score runs rather than hitting the ball out of the park. Ty France, Justin Turner and Nolan Schanuel are all hit-over-power types who should contribute in a lot of ways but probably aren't providing the thump expected from the positions they play. The bigger bats in the lineup, Nolan Arenado, Byron Buxton and George Springer are more the 20-25 HR type than the 40+ kind of slugger, and the latter two have question marks around injury/age.
Arrow Up/Down: Up. Not much room to move up after back to back AL championships, but the Royals managed to get younger adding a trio of 1st/2nd year SP to form a core for the foreseeable future along with Byron Buxton on a $5.2 contract that could be a steal if he stays healthy and produces. Add to that Sam Zavala and Nolan Schanuel and the future remains pretty bright for the Royals as they have shown that they know what to do with the cap space that will be available when their veterans start to leave. The only question is how much value can they wring out of the draft picks the parent club makes in the coming year.
Minnesota Twins
'23 Finish: 79-90-11, 4th in AL Central; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 1st in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: SP Zack Wheeler. The 11th ranked SP on the player rater last year changes teams this offseason joining the Twins on a $10.3 free agent contract. A 1.07 WHIP and near 10 K/9 rate over 192 IP in his age 33 season last year point to this being a good investment for next few years. Coming into the offseason the Twins roster had a collection of good-but-not-great middle of the rotation types that now look a lot better pitching behind Wheeler than they did trying to anchor the rotation. Tyler Mahle was added as well and while he won't contribute to the team in 2024 due to injury the pickup could pair with Wheeler next season to headline the staff.
Breakout/Sleeper: 2B Edouard Julien. The Twins re-acquired the Canadian on base machine to man the keystone in an offseason trade with the Rangers after having dealt him away back in his prospect days. This addition completes an IF made up of 2nd year talents including Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Royce Lewis and Gunnar Henderson which should keep the team competitive for the next several years. The second sacker made his debut in 2023 and performed well, knocking 16 HR and scoring 60 times over the course of 338 ABs, registering an OPS 30% better than league average and even managed to go 3-3 on stolen base attempts. A full season of ABs could cement him as a top option at 2B if he can cut down the K rate a little bit and establish himself near the top of lineup. He is off to a good start, logging an OPS over 1.000 in spring training; look for him to keep the bat hot when the games move north to start the season. Also keep an eye on former top prospect Nick Gordon who gets a fresh start in Miami after a pretty anemic offensive output led to his ouster in Minnesota, the change of scenery and wide-open opportunity might let him remind everyone why he was so highly thought of as the 5th overall pick in 2024.
State of the Farm: Impactful. Lots of high-end talent here in this system, especially in the OF department. Homegrown prospects Emmanuel Rodriguez, Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee all have quite high ceilings with the bat while Kumar Rocker and Chase Petty lead the way on the pitching side of the ledger. Gavin Cross and Robert Hassell III lost a bit of prospect shine after dealing with lingering injury issues last year but if they are back healthy again in 2024 they could go a long way to reestablish themselves as high end prospects, providing the Mibble Twins with some trade fodder to make additions to the big league roster. A lot of these guys project to be just debuting or establishing themselves as some of the younger players on the roster approach the end of their ARB cycles so the Twins have to hope everything comes together at the same time right around that time.
Biggest Question Mark: Who will own the Central? This team was probably the best team with a 4th place division finish last year, and the AL Central looks incredibly competitive again this year. This is the deepest division in the Mibble and possibly the most likely to shake up the standings in 2024. Any of the top 4 teams in this division could end up taking it and a lot of that will depend on how they do when matched up against each other. Keep an eye on the inter-divisional matchups when they happen and see who gets an edge.
Arrow Up/Down: UP. A core of mid-ARB players, some FA additions on reasonable contracts, some veterans whose deals expire after this season, and a solid roster of prospects not too far away from the majors put this team in a great position both to improve their performance this year and compete for the future. I am starting to feel the breeze coming through the opening window of competitiveness and it should be wide open in the coming years. This was a smartly executed rebuild that is starting to come to fruition now.
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NL CENTRAL
Pittsburgh Pirates
'23 Finish: 78-94-8, 4th in division; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 5th in division
Offseason Acquisition: The Mibble Pirates finished 2023 with one certified starting pitcher, JT Brubaker – who missed the entire 2023 season due to TJ (surgery, not the GM). The front office went out and added several arms to both the rotation and the bullpen, including most notably starters Jon Gray and Seth Lugo. After relying heavily on the offense and bullpen over the past couple of seasons, it will be interesting to see what this team can do with additional innings pitched.
Breakout/Sleeper: Cannot call him a sleeper to those paying attention, but let’s go with outfielder Jackson Chourio, one of the two best prospects across all of baseball. With a long-term contract IRL in hand, Chourio might well be the rookie of the year favorite in the National League and a long-term impact player. Younger than Facebook (yes, really), Chourio put together minor league stat lines of .288/.342/.538 with 20 HR and 16 SB across A/A+/AA at age 18 followed by .283/.338/.467 with 22 HR and 44 SB, while also notably reducing his K%, across AA and AAA at age 19.
State of the Farm: The farm is in solid shape and on the cusp of multiple high-end graduations including Chourio and 2023 first overall draft pick, stud pitcher Paul Skenes. Already at AAA to start the 2024 season (with a perfect three-inning debut to boot), Skenes will be making a name for himself in The Show in no time. Beyond those guys, there are only a couple other notable names at the moment so the state of the farm may decline by next spring, but it is hard to knock the system this year.
Biggest Question Mark: How good will the offense be? On the surface this roster is not as talented offensively as their last postseason appearance in 2022, though you could chalk this up as a bit of a transition year with new faces appearing including Chourio and 2B Jared Triolo. There is a good chunk of potentially dead money (Mancini and Cron) but fortunately expiring in six months. In a highly competitive NL Central without standout pitchers, the 2024 Pirates will largely go as their offense goes.
Arrow Up/Down: Down a bit, which is kind of incredible considering the additions and up-and-coming guys highlighted above. It is more indicative, however, of the strength of the division. Do not sleep on the Pirates – they are likely the most talented team projected to finish last in their division, and if they do finish last, it might be within a few games of .500.
Chicago Cubs
'23 Finish: 74-92-14, 5th in division; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 4th in division
Offseason Acquisition: A year ago we wrote here about what a “shrewd” move it was to acquire .300 hitter Tim Anderson – ouch! This offseason, the Cubbies acquired a pair of starting outfielders in Seth Brown and JJ Bleday and managed to offload Kris Bryant in a deal for Carlos Correa, but the biggest move could be the IRL free agent signing of Shota Imanaga from NPB. He may not be in the same tier as fellow 2024 Japanese import Yamamoto of the Dodgers, but Imanaga is under long-term control and brings with him a career 3.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over eight seasons in NPB – including a 2.51 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over the past three seasons.
Breakout/Sleeper: After failing to reach the Mendoza Line in either of his first two big-league campaigns, about the only thing that has been going for Bleday on the surface is the amount of opportunity available on a woeful “rebuilding” Oakland club. The fourth overall pick in 2019, Bleday has only shown glimpses of potential – mainly in the 2022 AFL and 28 games at AAA Vegas in 2023. With a strong 2024 spring showing (.348/.423/.587 in 52 PA), Bleday has taken over CF to open the 2024 season and seemingly knocked Esteury Ruiz off the major league roster for the time being.
State of the Farm: The farm is not deep but despite recent graduations on the pitching side and various trades over the years to keep the major league roster stocked, there are some solid pieces on the way. 2023 first-rounder Matt Shaw has looked good so far in the minor leagues and is set to start the year back in AA. 2022 Orioles first-rounder Dylan Beavers also shows promise though one might wonder what kind of playing time will be available in Baltimore by the time he is ready.
Biggest Question Mark: The number of hitters with individual question marks. The Cubs seemingly have plenty of depth to mix and match the performing pieces throughout the year. Whether recent underperformance (Anderson, Bleday), health (Correa, LeMahieu), boom or bust potential (Morel) or playing time (Grisham, Taylor) – it is hard to predict who will drive the 2024 roster to success.
Arrow Up/Down: Neutral. On paper Chicago looks deep enough to be in playoff contention this summer after bringing up the rear (though not by much) in the NL Central in 2023. But the aforementioned question marks, as well as a relatively thin bullpen, lead me to think they are hardly a lock for the Mibble postseason.
Cincinnati Reds
'23 Finish: 84-85-11, 3rd in division; Consolation Cup finalist
'24 Prediction: 3rd in division
Offseason Acquisition: Feels sort of weird to write Juan Soto here after he started the 2023 season on the Cincinnati roster, but here we are. Soto was traded in Mibble last May to the Marlins, who made an admirable all hands on deck push for postseason glory that ultimately fell short. IRL Soto was traded this winter by the Padres to the Yankees, slotting in ahead of fellow premier slugger Aaron Judge. Re-signing with the Mibble Reds on the open market, Soto is locked up for five years until age 30 and provides the 2024 Reds with an enviable threesome of Soto, Vlad Jr, and Kyle Tucker.
Breakout/Sleeper: Jackson Merrill could well be a rookie of the year contender in the National League. Quickly rising up the prospect ranks, Merrill seized the opportunity before him this spring in San Diego, where IRL management needed to significantly scale back spending. Having spent nearly his entire 2+ year minor league career at short batting .295/.347/.455 with 31 SB, the soon-to-be 21-year-old former first-round pick is set to hold down CF for the foreseeable future.
State of the Farm: Seemingly nonexistent this time last year, the front office managed to cash in some of its chips last year during its fire sale. You can put this system back towards the solid, but not deep category. Some names to watch include Jacob Berry, Simeon Woods-Richardson, and Kahlil Watson.
Biggest Question Mark: One might say pitching given the lack of star quality, but the argument could be made that pure volume could still make this an average or better unit. Instead let’s highlight 2B/3B, where Owen Miller (optioned) and Edmundo Sosa (backup) are listed at the top of the depth chart. There is clearly work to be done to round out this roster, though the potential answers are not obvious – especially at 3B where there seems to be many Mibble suitors but not enough targets available.
Arrow Up/Down: Neutral. With Soto back in the fold and the pitching additions, that might lead some to conclude things are trending up. The question marks above, however, are likely to hold the team back. While the Pirates and Cubs may appear deeper, I would lean towards the star power on the Cincinnati roster, in part based upon their appearance in the Consolation Cup final six months ago with mostly the same roster.
St Louis Cardinals
'23 Finish: 84-79-17, 2nd in division; lost in Wild Card round
'24 Prediction: 2nd in division
Offseason Acquisition: “I keep thinking I'm out of insane trades, but I keep weaseling my way into them,” stated St Louis GM Bert upon announcing a blockbuster deal to acquire slugger Yordan Alvarez. Somehow still only 26 years old despite being around seemingly forever already, Alvarez has put together four seasons so far of something like .290/.400/.600 (.600!!) with 30 HR and 90 RBI. Although health wise you cringe every day he gets put out in LF given his creaky body, this guy delivers the goods in a way few other baseballers can or do. It almost does not matter what they gave up; Air Yordan makes your ballclub better.
Breakout/Sleeper: Some circles consider 3B Jake Burger to be a sleeper pick this year, but that only makes sense if you had no idea he hit 34 HR last summer or last saw his 2023 BA just above the Mendoza Line prior to being dealt IRL to the Marlins. Young SP Brayan Bello is the guy here. His 107 ERA+ last year in his first extended run in the rotation was fine but surely nothing to write home about. But do not forget his 3.04 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 70 K in the first half (mostly due to outstanding May and June after being demoted early in the season) before losing steam down the stretch. IRL Beantown is begging for a new ace to emerge, and the Mibble Cards stand to reap the benefits.
State of the Farm: After being labeled “stacked” in this column one year ago, after 2023 graduations and the high-octane wheeling and dealing of the past five months – the farm is comparatively rather barren. As the front office has pretty much communicated publicly, the chips have been pushed to the middle of the table.
Biggest Question Mark: Health, with the deliverance on prospect promise a close second. With preseason injuries to TJ Friedl among others, having players like Triston Casas and Burger build on their 2023 performances will be critical to St Louis making a second straight postseason and pushing the reigning division champs.
Arrow Up/Down: Up. If most things go right, this can be a 100+ win team, despite a once-again highly competitive division top to bottom. I would be shocked if they do not improve upon their 2023 record.
Milwaukee Brewers
'23 Finish: 130-39-11, 1st in division; lost in NLDS
'24 Prediction: 1st in division
Offseason Acquisition: An observer cannot comment on Milwaukee’s offseason without mentioning the re-signing of Ronald Acuna Jr. to a five-year deal that will pay him almost $15/year more than he made in 2023. Such a deal alters the dynamics of roster building and certainly mandated cost savings elsewhere. Trea Turner, Yordan Alvarez, Ryan McMahon, Corbin Burnes, Nathan Eovaldi – in most cases these guys were traded for more, cheaper, and younger talent save for McMahon being lost in free agency. The most notable gets, who still cost a pretty penny against the cap, were Luis Castillo and Joe Musgrove to front the rotation. But do not sleep on the rest of the roster just because name value and $ value are less than prior year – this remains a highly competitive team top to bottom.
Breakout/Sleeper: Cheating here based on the first few days of the regular season, but Tyler Freeman has a huge opportunity IRL as the CF for Cleveland. His MPE was already a valuable asset especially for a 2nd-year player and will add one more position for 2024 in short order. He has yet to show much in terms of power, but in Mibble his speed and hit tools will make him a valuable play anywhere he qualifies.
State of the Farm: Restocked quite a bit since this time last year, but especially since September ended with River Town and otherwise unprotected Brewers farmhands. The fact that the major league roster remains so competitive and youthful, while having prospects such as James Triantos, Justyn-Henry Malloy, and Hurston Waldrep in tow now – this team is in good hands.
Biggest Question Mark: How much of a drop-off will we see from 130 wins? This roster is plenty good enough to win 100 games or more in 2024, but because the division is so good, a few significant variants could have Milwaukee fall back to the pack. It is possible we are overestimating the forecast based upon recency bias.
Arrow Up/Down: Down but still the favorites in the NL Central. I like them to win the division again but only by 10 games or less.
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AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox
'23 Finish: 71-95-14, 5th in AL Central; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 5th in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: OF Owen Caissie. The White Sox made a bit of a blockbuster trade this offseason, headlined by shipping out Manny Machado and bringing in Caissie who instantly becomes the jewel of the White Sox' farm system. Caissie slashed a robust 289/399/519 as a 20 Y/O in AA last year and has shown similar precociousness in Spring Training with the big club this year with a .948 OPS in 14 games. Getting this kind of talent with this proximity to MLB doesn't happen very often in the Mibble as by the time they are performing that well in AA owners are very attached to their promise, but the White Sox were able to pull it off and look to have a keeper in their lineup sooner than later.
Breakout/Sleeper: SP Carlos Rodon. Strange to refer to Rodon as a sleeper after his massive 2022 campaign with the Giants, but a hugely disappointing first season in pinstripes in which he posted a 6.85 ERA and 1.45 WHIP brought the '21-'22 gains come into question. The poor performance made the $13.5 contract given to him in Mibble free agency seem like a risky bet and Chicago was able to eat that risk and get him on the roster at a discounted acquisition cost. He has looked better this spring and if he can stay healthy on the other side of 30 and return to his pre-Bronx performance levels he could help the White Sox both in their matchups and as a possible trade chip as the season progresses.
State of the Farm: Handicapped. Adding Caissie gave a huge boost to this system, but it does have Noah Schultz from the homegrown system as well as Blake Mitchell and Dax Fulton brought in from other organizations. The real problem with this system is that it just gets no support from its affiliated IRL club. The White Sox have whiffed on multiple picks and have failed to develop much in their own system as evidenced by 3 of their top 5 prospects being brought in via trade over the last year. They do have the #5 pick in this year’s draft so hopefully they will add an impact player because they have not demonstrated much ability to generate talent from the lower rounds.
Biggest Question Mark: Post-hype sleepers! The roster here has quite a few guys for whom hopes were quite high in their prospect days but, for one reason or another, haven't quite lived up to the hype. C Luis Campusano finally got a little run last year and performed well in a small sample size, he looks to have first crack at the everyday job in 2024. Royals 2B Michael Massey was an OBP machine in his time in the minors but that hasn't crossed over to the big leagues so far over his first 601 ABs, but he still hasn't fallen out of favor in KC and should get another shot to show what he can do. Former top pick and reliever Garrett Crochet is moving into the rotation this year for the first time to see if he can establish himself as a SP. Jo Adell out in LA is still out there trying to get back to the talent that made him a top 10 prospect in baseball once upon a time. Hope also springs eternal for Miguel Sano trying to resurrect his career with the Angels.
Arrow Up/Down: Down. The White Sox are in a tough division and don't get much help in terms of prospects or international signings from the parent club so they have to get by on smart trades and free agent signings. It is a tough thing to do with little margin for error. This season will probably be another at the bottom of the division and, despite some solid additions and a few bright spots on the farm, it is hard to see them competing in the near term, more rebuilding is needed.
Cleveland Guardians
'23 Finish: 88-78-14, 2nd in AL Central; lost in Wild Card round
'24 Prediction: 4th in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: SP Shane Bieber. It feels weird to use a re-signing as the biggest impact acquisition, but the 30% discount proved to be a huge value for the Guards as they were able to ink their rotation leader to a lower than last year and well under market value $5.6 through the 2027 season. The extra cap space will come in handy for a team who has 4 key starters hitting free agency after this season. His numbers were slightly down last year and he dealt with an injury late in the year, but he seems to be healthy again entering 2024 and remains a highly rated option as a SP. The rotation in Cleveland has plenty of talent still in their ARB years and they probably would've been fine even if they didn’t resign Bieber, but at that price you really cant turn it down.
Breakout/Sleeper: RP Nick Sandlin. With an injury to Trevor Stephan and, however unlikely they may be, trade rumors surrounding closer Emmanuel Clase, Nick Sandlin could see some opportunities opening up at the back end of the Cleveland bullpen. He struck out 9.9 / 9 IP last year with declining walk rates leading to a 1.03 WHIP and 10 SVHD. He has looked quite solid over the small sample size of spring training and it looks like the club views him as an important piece of the pen in '24. He was a 2nd round pick as a SP in 2018 but they Guards pretty quickly moved him to relief and it seems to have paid off; look for him to rack up the holds this year.
State of the Farm: Middle class. The system took a brutal hit when the highest upside player on the farm, Daniel Espino, required another surgery that will cost him yet another full season of ball. Outside of Espino there is some talent here that projects to be major leaguers, but it isn't likely to generate many players approaching all star level. The Guards seem to have a preference for middle infielders with good bat to ball skills but not loud tools and that seems to be indicative of the system overall here. The big club has done an excellent job of development so some guys may still pop and perform higher than projections, especially on the pitching side.
Biggest Question Mark: How do the standings look in July? The Guardians have a bunch of players in their 6th year of arbitration, if they get off to a slow start will they be cashing them out in the trade market for fear of not being able to afford them all next offseason? Bats at key positions could fetch good returns to help keep the Guardians competitive for years to come if they decide to go that route. But, if they are at or near the top of the division do they hold on to all of those expiring guys to make a playoff run this year then figure out the economics of it next year. Should be fun to watch.
Arrow Up/Down: Up-ish. This is a team in a good position. Whether they choose to roll the dice and make a run this year or cash in a few chips for the future or somewhere in between there is a good base of talent here and some payroll flexibility to make moves. The #1 pick in the 2024 draft will be added to the system this summer and the top prospects mostly seem to be college bats not too far away from being ready. They might be a little thin at C and possibly OF, and you could wish that the farm system had some more impact players but there is a good collection of players at the big league level, this team should compete for the next few years at least.
Detroit Tigers
'23 Finish: 79-86-15, 3rd in AL Central; Consolation Cup champions
'24 Prediction: 3rd in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: P Randy Vasquez. Not a lot to choose from as Vasquez was 1 of 2 trade acquisitions and Martin Maldonado was the only non-returning FA the Tigers signed despite being involved in the bidding on several other names. Vasquez came over to the Pads in the Juan Soto deal after putting up solid numbers in the Bronx. The Friars’ acquisition of Dylan Cease probably cemented Vasquez's ticket to AAA to start the season but any injury or ineffectiveness ahead of him should create an opportunity sooner rather than later. Alternatively, the Pads could move him to the bullpen where I expect his stuff could play up and raise his ceiling a bit. Either way, it seems like a smart pickup for the Mibble Tigers.
Breakout/Sleeper: SP Tarik Skubal. Cheating a bit as Skubal is certainly not a sleeper, but he could be poised to finally fully break out. A consensus top 50 prospect in the years leading up to his debut Skubal has had a hard time staying healthy and effective so far in his career. Flexor tendon surgery limited him last year to 15 big league starts, though he was outstanding in them. Now healthy and entering his age 27 season I would not be surprised at all to see him in the top 10 of SP at the end of the season.
State of the Farm: Very good. The Tigers graduated several players off the farm from the last few years of high draft picks, but they have managed to keep the system stocked with picks and the Mibble owner has held on to most all of them. Max Clark, Colt Keith, Jackson Jobe, and Jace Jung all have high ceilings and are rapidly approaching the majors. Red Sox 2B Nick Yorke has been added to the homegrown talent to make up possibly the best collection of hitting prospects in the AL. There is plenty here to dream on or to use as trade fodder to speed up the timeline of the Tigers to compete in a big way.
Biggest Question Mark: Is this year too soon? The Tigers have an excellent roster, that probably still needs a few things before truly competing but the talent exists in the system to fill a lot of those holes. The question is will ownership continue to be patient and wait for reinforcements to graduate or will they start wheeling and dealing to make some splashes for the big club. They could probably use an upgrade at C and SS, another SP and relief help wouldn’t be unwelcome either though the current options at those spots aren't terrible.
Arrow Up/Down: Big up. There is a lot of talent here and more on the way. If everything clicks into place this team could sneak into the playoffs this year and I expect them to do it in following seasons as more players join the majors. The window is just starting to open.
Kansas City Royals
'23 Finish: 111-61-8, 1st in AL Central; lost in World Series
'24 Prediction: 2nd in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: SP Grayson Rodriguez. The Royals continued their trading ways and flipped a collection of farm team talent for the recently debuted Rodriguez. The numbers from the rookie season of the Birds’ 2018 top pick were not phenomenal overall, but it was a tale of two halves for the former top prospect. After the All Star break last year Rodriguez posted a 2.58 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over his last 13 starts. His K rate was down from the first half when his ERA was a significantly inflated 7.35 so it seems he figured out something in the way he approaches hitters that led to better results. In the words of Crash Davis "Quit trying to strike everybody out, ok? Strikeouts are boring, besides that they're fascist. Throw some ground balls; more democratic." Seems to be working for him and the Royals are hoping that success translates into a superb season anchoring a very solid rotation ahead of Chris Sale, follow youngsters Ricky Tiedemann, Mason Miller and the age defying Max Scherzer.
Breakout/Sleeper: Jeremy Pena. I went back and forth debating whether Pena or Rodriguez would be better suited as top acquisition or breakout candidate as both are new to the 2022 Mibble Champion's roster this offseason and both seem to be trending upwards. I settled on this distribution since I think Rodriguez will have a bigger impact on the roster, but it could've gone either way. Pena has always been a good defender at the 6 but how much his bat was going to advance was the question that would determine if he was a top 5 SS or just a top 20. Pena improved his BB rate from 3.9% to 6.8% and cut his Ks from 24.3 to 20.3 from '22 to '23. While his HR totals dropped from 22 to 10 over that time frame, he had 13 more 2B and 3B suggesting that the power was still there, just a bit if bad luck with balls finding their way over the fence. If the pitch recognition and plate discipline continue to improve like this and he keeps hitting the ball with authority, he could be the complete package at the top of lineup with a 20/20 season and 100 R scored a reasonable goal.
State of the Farm: Mostly on other teams. Since entering the league the Royals’ strategy has been to trade prospects almost as soon as they are acquired in order to staff the MLB roster and it led to a Mibble crown in '22 and an AL title in '23. New White Sox prospect Samuel Zavala headlines the non-Royals division of the farm and has the upside to impact the roster in a few years. A .420 OBP and .871 OPS for the precocious 18-year-old in the California league last year gave a glimpse up the potential he possesses. A bit more power is likely to develop as he grows physically and if he can maintain the plate discipline as it does he should be a fixture on top prospect lists until he debuts in the bigs.
Biggest Question Mark: Power. There is talent and depth in the rotation, back-end options in the bullpen and good hitters at pretty much every position as you would expect from the defending AL champ. But, in contrast to the reigning AL East Champ O's, the Royals are built to get on base and score runs rather than hitting the ball out of the park. Ty France, Justin Turner and Nolan Schanuel are all hit-over-power types who should contribute in a lot of ways but probably aren't providing the thump expected from the positions they play. The bigger bats in the lineup, Nolan Arenado, Byron Buxton and George Springer are more the 20-25 HR type than the 40+ kind of slugger, and the latter two have question marks around injury/age.
Arrow Up/Down: Up. Not much room to move up after back to back AL championships, but the Royals managed to get younger adding a trio of 1st/2nd year SP to form a core for the foreseeable future along with Byron Buxton on a $5.2 contract that could be a steal if he stays healthy and produces. Add to that Sam Zavala and Nolan Schanuel and the future remains pretty bright for the Royals as they have shown that they know what to do with the cap space that will be available when their veterans start to leave. The only question is how much value can they wring out of the draft picks the parent club makes in the coming year.
Minnesota Twins
'23 Finish: 79-90-11, 4th in AL Central; missed playoffs
'24 Prediction: 1st in AL Central
Offseason Acquisition: SP Zack Wheeler. The 11th ranked SP on the player rater last year changes teams this offseason joining the Twins on a $10.3 free agent contract. A 1.07 WHIP and near 10 K/9 rate over 192 IP in his age 33 season last year point to this being a good investment for next few years. Coming into the offseason the Twins roster had a collection of good-but-not-great middle of the rotation types that now look a lot better pitching behind Wheeler than they did trying to anchor the rotation. Tyler Mahle was added as well and while he won't contribute to the team in 2024 due to injury the pickup could pair with Wheeler next season to headline the staff.
Breakout/Sleeper: 2B Edouard Julien. The Twins re-acquired the Canadian on base machine to man the keystone in an offseason trade with the Rangers after having dealt him away back in his prospect days. This addition completes an IF made up of 2nd year talents including Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Royce Lewis and Gunnar Henderson which should keep the team competitive for the next several years. The second sacker made his debut in 2023 and performed well, knocking 16 HR and scoring 60 times over the course of 338 ABs, registering an OPS 30% better than league average and even managed to go 3-3 on stolen base attempts. A full season of ABs could cement him as a top option at 2B if he can cut down the K rate a little bit and establish himself near the top of lineup. He is off to a good start, logging an OPS over 1.000 in spring training; look for him to keep the bat hot when the games move north to start the season. Also keep an eye on former top prospect Nick Gordon who gets a fresh start in Miami after a pretty anemic offensive output led to his ouster in Minnesota, the change of scenery and wide-open opportunity might let him remind everyone why he was so highly thought of as the 5th overall pick in 2024.
State of the Farm: Impactful. Lots of high-end talent here in this system, especially in the OF department. Homegrown prospects Emmanuel Rodriguez, Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee all have quite high ceilings with the bat while Kumar Rocker and Chase Petty lead the way on the pitching side of the ledger. Gavin Cross and Robert Hassell III lost a bit of prospect shine after dealing with lingering injury issues last year but if they are back healthy again in 2024 they could go a long way to reestablish themselves as high end prospects, providing the Mibble Twins with some trade fodder to make additions to the big league roster. A lot of these guys project to be just debuting or establishing themselves as some of the younger players on the roster approach the end of their ARB cycles so the Twins have to hope everything comes together at the same time right around that time.
Biggest Question Mark: Who will own the Central? This team was probably the best team with a 4th place division finish last year, and the AL Central looks incredibly competitive again this year. This is the deepest division in the Mibble and possibly the most likely to shake up the standings in 2024. Any of the top 4 teams in this division could end up taking it and a lot of that will depend on how they do when matched up against each other. Keep an eye on the inter-divisional matchups when they happen and see who gets an edge.
Arrow Up/Down: UP. A core of mid-ARB players, some FA additions on reasonable contracts, some veterans whose deals expire after this season, and a solid roster of prospects not too far away from the majors put this team in a great position both to improve their performance this year and compete for the future. I am starting to feel the breeze coming through the opening window of competitiveness and it should be wide open in the coming years. This was a smartly executed rebuild that is starting to come to fruition now.
