Hope springs eternal, even if getting every MLB prediction correct is eternally hopeless.
But here we are, on the doorstep of Opening Day and another season of baseball.
As Shane Bieber takes the mound in Oakland and the Guardians open the 2024 season against the A's, here are our awards, division and World Series predictions, along with a few favorite betting values.
These are the types of things that we look back on and shake our heads, wondering what was going through our heads at the time — but let's do it anyway.
These proposed bets are not actually being made, and this content is strictly for entertainment purposes only.All posted odds are via FanDuel as of March 26. To better understand how odds are posted, +1000 is equal to 10-1 odds (you'd make 10 while risking 1), +500 is 5-1 odds, and so on.
It's amazing that Juan Soto is still only 25 years old. He's coming off of a season in which he hit 35 home runs and had a .410 on-base percentage, and now he gets the short porch at Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge , hitting behind him, would be a strong pick as well, though Soto gets the nod due to the former dealing with toe injury that could need monitoring.
As for values, it'd be difficult to find a flaw with taking Jose Ramirez , who has four top-4 MVP finishes under his belt, at 22-1. Ramirez also has a strong argument that he's among the most valuable players to his team considering those around and behind him in the lineup.
Julio Rodriguez is in a group of players that could very well be the next faces of the game, if they aren't already, and at 10-1, he's a solid value as well as one of the most talented players in any lineup.
Adley Rutschman is proving he's not only one of the game's best catchers, but its best players, and might not have hit his peak yet.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is the frontrunner, though he's also nursing a knee injury. Still, he's the frontrunner for the reason, but Mookie Betts went toe-to-toe with him last year, and both are in truly dynamic lineups.
Freddie Freeman at 9-1 has the opportunity to rack up some ridiculous numbers in that Dodgers lineup, and he has longer odds than Betts. And at 12-1, Bryce Harper, a former MVP winner, is intriguing considering few players have a higher ceiling when he's healthy and swinging well.
Austin Riley found another gear in the second half of 2023. If that carries over into 2024, and in that lethal lineup, he's a great value at 25-1.
The Orioles made a huge splash with the Corbin Burnes trade , and there's a good chance he rewards them with a Cy Young in 2024.
Grayson Rodriguez , Burnes' teammate entering his sophomore season, has truly elite stuff and might be worth a shot in the dark at 23-1. Logan Gilbert has some strong analytical hints that he's better than most realize.
Tarik Skubal's odds have unfortunately come down to 10-1, so the value on this place is lessened. But he also has every chance to show he's one of the game's elite pitchers.
Spencer Strider is probably going to win a Cy Young at some point, and 2024 is as good of a year as any.
Zack Wheeler can put it together like few when he's healthy and in a rhythm. Freddy Peralta has had some tremendous stretches in the past and is among the best at his odds level.
Bobby Miller was a better value earlier in the spring, but he's still an intriguing long shot with his top-tier velocity (for a starter) pitching in a great situation.
Texas Rangers teammates Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford are both strong contenders for Rookie of the Year, which largely comes down to opportunity as much as talent. Langford and Carter have both.
In terms of value, there's one on the board that the Guardians would wince at: Junior Caminero , at 20-1, who has a chance to make a huge impact on the Tampa Bay Rays lineup. Cleveland dealt him a few years ago and since that time, the Guardians have watched him skyrocket up prospect rankings.
Colt Keith has a chance to carve out a major role in a Tigers lineup that Detroit hopes can take the next step.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a rocky start, but it's difficult to envision anyone overtaking him as the favorite as he makes the trip from Japan to the States.
Jackson Chourio , with Milwaukee , has a strong opportunity and a wealth of talent as a top prospect.
Kyle Harrison is a pitcher who seems to have plenty of momentum after this spring, and he'll be able to pitch in a great environment in San Francisco .
The New York Yankees are going to be the favorites, but the Rays remain a great value. They're a well-run organization that always seems to get the most out of their pitchers and young players. It feels like only a matter of time before they break through.
The Minnesota Twins are the favorites in the Central by default. The Guardians , Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers are all projected to be around or just below .500 with the hopes of breaking free enough to catch the Twins, who won the division in 2023 but then slashed payroll by around $30 million.
As for values, the Royals as a possible surprise team, and at 9.5-1 to win the AL Central, are intriguing. The Twins have a chance to cruise to the division, but if they run into injuries again with their lineup, it might not take too much above .500 to win it.
The Houston Astros remain one of the best teams in the American League. The Seattle Mariners have a dynamic rotation and a lot of young talent, so perhaps they offer the best value on the board, even with the defending World Series champs in their division.
The Atlanta Braves' lineup is borderline ridiculous, there's so much talent there. The Phillies might offer some value as a talented team with experience, and after all, baseball consists of a long 162-game season in which a lot can happen.
The Chicago Cubs are building upward, and quickly, and enter as essentially co-favorites with the St. Louis Cardinals . But the Cardinals have some troubling signs with a few key hitters in their lineup.
The Milwaukee Brewers are another well-run, analytical team that often seem to surprise people by doing more with less. At 7-1, and in a winnable division, the Brewers might offer one of the best values on the board.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have an absolutely insane amount of on-paper talent. It would take the iceberg from the Titanic to derail them from winning the division. But if they were to really falter, the Diamondbacks are among the most fun teams in the game and can be had at 11-1 to win the NL West.
The Dodgers pick to win the World Series is so boring, but, the talent accrued there is ridiculous.
The Braves might not seem like a "value" at the second-shortest odds to win it, but it's rare that you can get a team with that much talent even at 4.5-1, which is thanks to the Dodgers existing.
The Astros have a wealth of experience, and at 7-1, they're a good value because their path to the World Series is so much easier considering the Dodgers and Braves will have to go through each other.
The Twins have some holes on that roster, but they have the easiest path of all to at least get to the playoffs, which is Step 1, and we know how anything can happen in October. They also have some top-of-the-line starters (albeit not much depth) and when healthy, a potentially dangerous lineup. They're worth a shot at 21-1.
The Rays do so many things well and often make teams have to beat them as opposed to making their own mistakes. At 30-1, it's an easy team to take a chance on.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: MLB predictions and betting preview for MVP, Cy Young, World Series
