The Los Angeles Dodgers are the team of 2024. They signed Shohei Ohtani and added no shortage of other talented players as well this past offseason. For LA, it's World Series or bust.
This Dodgers ball club will be interesting to watch. They obviously feature plenty of star-power, but will young promising players take the next step in their development? Will established veterans continued to find success with all of the added pressure? And will Los Angeles add more talent prior to the trade deadline this summer?
Here are three bold predictions for the Dodgers' 2024 season as spring training gets underway.
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Gavin Lux officially breaks out
I'll admit that I had a similar prediction about Lux last spring. Trea Turner had just signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and Dave Roberts was prepared to make Lux Los Angeles' starting shortstop.
And then he suffered a season-ending injury in spring training.
But Lux is back and ready to play once again. Staying healthy will obviously be of the utmost importance, but Lux's potential is undeniable.
The 26-year-old will form one-half of a double play duo with Mookie Betts moving to second base. Playing next to Betts on defense will help Lux from a confidence perspective. Maybe Lux won't be the best defensive shortstop in the sport, but he should be able to play reliable enough defense at the position.
Offensively, Lux displayed signs of breaking out in 2022. He slashed .276/.346/.399/.745 across 129 games played. He did not have a set position, though. Now Lux is going to be LA's everyday shortstop and that should help him feel comfortable in all facets of the game.
Hitting in the Dodgers star-studded lineup will also eliminate a lot of pressure for Lux. Will he be an All-Star? Possibly, but even if he isn't selected to the Midsummer Classic Gavin Lux will play a pivotal role for this Dodgers team in 2024.
Dodgers acquire Dylan Cease at trade deadline
The Dodgers were aggressive this past offseason. Winning the World Series is their primary goal. So why not remain aggressive ahead of the MLB trade deadline this summer?
In all reality, it is possible that Los Angeles makes another big move or two before the beginning of the '24 campaign. With that being said, it is looking less likely that the Chicago White Sox will move Dylan Cease this spring. But Chicago is expected to struggle in 2024 and may be open to moving the star pitcher in July.
If Cease is made available, the Dodgers will surely inquire about him. After all, adding mid-season pitching help is always important for contending teams. The Dodgers have enough prospect capital to entice the White Sox as well.
Look for Dylan Cease to be rocking Dodger Blue by August.
Mookie Betts wins NL MVP over Shohei Ohtani
I need to make one thing clear: This prediction is not suggesting that Shohei Ohtani will have a down year. Instead, it's a credit to Mookie Betts.
Of course, hitting in a lineup that will include superstars like Ohtani and Freddie Freeman is going to lead to more good pitches to hit for Betts. He is going to potentially see an uptick in home runs as a result.
Betts finished second in NL MVP voting in 2023 after slashing an impressive .307/.408/.579/.987. He also crushed a career-high 39 home runs and scored 126 runs while hitting atop LA's lineup.
Again, Betts' home run total could increase. And smashing 40-plus home runs would obviously draw MVP consideration. Betts is also going to score even more runs with Ohtani and Freeman both in the Dodgers lineup.
And this year, Mookie Betts will be the Dodgers everyday second baseman. Betts has seemingly wanted to move from the outfield to second base for a while now, and perhaps he will play even better as a result.
Meanwhile, opposing pitching staffs will still approach Ohtani with extra caution. And Ohtani will not pitch in 2024, so in order to earn the NL MVP award he will need to produce truly stellar offensive numbers. Of course, Ohtani is a great hitter and could easily do that, but his decision to sign with LA will help Betts' statistics.
In the end, there is a possibility that the top MVP vote-getters in the National League will be Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman. Of course, Ronald Acuna Jr. will still make things interesting. And there are other stars who could enter the conversation.
Nevertheless, I am predicting that Mookie Betts will win the award in 2024. Dodgers fans can still expect Shohei Ohtani to perform well in his first season with LA, though.
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