MLB 2024 season preview: Staff predictions on MVP, Cy Young, ROY, World Series

MLB’s Opening Day is technically next week, but the 2024 season kicks off Wednesday with the Seoul Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres

With that, the FOX Sports MLB staff offered its predictions on MVPs, Cy Youngs, rookies of the year, pennant winners and the World Series champion. 

Here are their picks!

AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP

Deesha Thosar: Juan Soto, outfielder, New York Yankees
Rowan Kavner: Julio Rodríguez, outfielder, Seattle Mariners
Ben Verlander: Juan Soto

Last year’s winner: Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani won’t be defending his crown in the American League. Aaron Judge, who won the award in 2022 after hitting an American League record 62 home runs that season, is the betting favorite (+550). But his new teammate, Juan Soto, is slightly behind (+600). A player hasn’t won MVP in his first season with a new team since Vladimir Guerrero in 2004 with the Angels, but the 25-year-old Soto already has four top-10 MVP finishes in his career. 

NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP

Thosar: Mookie Betts, infielder/outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kavner: Ronald Acuña, outfielder, Atlanta Braves
Verlander: Fernando Tatís Jr., outfielder, San Diego Padres

Last year’s winner: Acuña

The 26-year-old Acuña has a chance to make history, seeking to become just the 14th player to win back-to-back MVP Awards since the BBWAA issued the award in 1931. He’s the betting favorite entering the season (+500) after becoming the first player to ever record 40 homers and 70 stolen bases in a season. Ohtani, who’s widely regarded as the best player in baseball, is actually third on the odds market to win National League MVP (+750). He won’t be able to showcase his impressive two-way ability this season after undergoing elbow surgery in September, but perhaps will emerge as an even greater slugger as he focuses on just hitting. Betts holds the second-best odds (+650).

AL CY YOUNG

Thosar: Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles
Kavner: Pablo López, Minnesota Twins
Verlander: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

Last year’s winner: Gerrit Cole

Cole’s campaign to win back-to-back Cy Youngs already hit a detour, as he’s currently sidelined for at least a month with elbow inflammation. That plummeted his odds to 10th-best (+2200). Burnes, who won the 2021 NL Cy Young, was acquired by the Orioles in hopes of solidifying the start of their rotation, becoming one of the favorites to win the award. But Toronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman is the betting favorite (+650) entering the year. 

NL CY YOUNG

Thosar: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kavner: Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
Verlander: Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves

Last year’s winner: Blake Snell

The 2023 winner finally found his home for the 2024 season Monday, settling for a two-year deal with the Giants. But the two-time Cy Young winner has had some issues in the years he hasn’t won the award, pitching fewer than 130 innings in the other six seasons of his eight-year career. Strider is the betting favorite (+450) after the 25-year-old led all of baseball in wins (20) and strikeouts (286) last season, and has added a curveball to his pitching repertoire. 

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Thosar: Jackson Holliday, infielder, Baltimore Orioles
Kavner: Wyatt Langford, outfielder, Texas Rangers
Verlander: Evan Carter, outfielder, Texas Rangers

Last year’s winner: Gunnar Henderson

Can the Orioles get a repeat of Rookie of the Year winners? It certainly seems possible, as MLB’s No. 1 prospect is again climbing through their system and might make the Opening Day roster. Holliday, the betting favorite to win the award (+200), appears primed to succeed instantly. Carter played a pivotal role in the Rangers’ World Series run last year, while teammate Langford could break camp with the big-league club after a big spring. 

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Thosar: Pete Crow-Armstrong, outfielder, Chicago Cubs
Kavner: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
Verlander: Jackson Merrill, outfielder/infielder, San Diego Padres

Last year’s winner: Corbin Carroll

Yamamoto is the favorite to win the award (+175) and is one of the most fascinating rookies in years. The 25-year-old from Japan received the biggest contract for a pitcher in the history of the sport before throwing a pitch in the majors, earning a 12-year, $325 million deal from the Dodgers in the offseason. Crow-Armstrong and Merrill are longer shots to win the award, with the former set to begin the season at Triple-A. Merrill, however, will be the Padres’ Opening Day center fielder after having a strong spring training.

World Series matchup & winner

Thosar: Atlanta Braves over Baltimore Orioles
Kavner: Los Angeles Dodgers over Houston Astros
Verlander: Philadelphia Phillies over Baltimore Orioles

Last year’s result: Texas Rangers defeated Arizona Diamondbacks in five games

The Rangers are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles in 24 years, returning the majority of their core. But the Dodgers are the favorite (+350) after their record-spending offseason, while the Braves, Astros and Phillies are also expected to be in the mix again. The Orioles have more young talent than any organization and the addition of Burns could make them the best team in the AL.

Follow Deesha Thosar (@DeeshaThosar), Rowan Kavner (@RowanKavner) and Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) on Twitter.

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