One Pro and Con for Every MLB Team Heading Into the 2024 Season

Pro - Starting Rotation Has Gotten Stronger: With an already impressive starting rotation last season, the Diamondbacks acquired left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez to slot in as their third option in the rotation. The veteran had a record of 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA last season for the Tigers. The 1-2 punch between Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly could arguably be called a 1-2-3 punch with the addition of Rodríguez. With another playoff push likely, the former Tiger could elevate this Arizona ballclub.

Con - A Division Title Will Be No Easy Task: After an underdog playoff run leading to a World Series appearance, the Diamondbacks were able to go on that run by scraping into the playoffs as a 6 seed. With a new season around the corner, and sharing a division with the Dodgers, it will be a difficult ask for the Snakes to win the NL West over arguably the most dominant lineup in the league. With that in mind, another payoff run is more likely than not going to be via a Wildcard appearance once again.

Pro - The Best Offense in Baseball: For the last few seasons, the Atlanta Braves have consistently been at the top of most of, if not all, offensive categories across the whole league. With a lineup that can consistently hit for both power and contact led by reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr, expect another monster year from the Atlanta bats. 

Con - Can They Handle the New Look Dodgers: The Braves are almost a certain lock for a postseason spot entering this season. With little to no weaknesses of note, the biggest challenger to the Braves supremacy will likely be the Dodgers. Having spent over a billion dollars this offseason, matchups between the two ball clubs will be must-see TV this upcoming season.

Pro - You’ve Found Your Ace: After a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, the Orioles have added their solidified ace, Corbin Burnes. The 3x All-Star won his first Cy Young award in 2021, and has placed in the top 8 the past two seasons. After a team ERA of 3.89 last season, placing the Orioles with the 7th best ERA on the year, the right-hander could be the key piece to elevate the bird's starting rotation.

Con - Birds Without Bradish to Start the Season: After a promising 2023, totaling a 2.83 ERA and placing 4th in the AL Cy Young voting, the right-hander obtained an elbow sprain and will start the season on the IL. The projected return date is early May, but with it being far out, that could change. It will have to be until later in the season until fans can see the 1-2 punch between Burnes and Bradish.

Pro - Youngs Stars Filling Out the Offense: Masataka Yoshida and Tristan Casas are due for big sophomore seasons after impressive rookie campaigns. This should provide hope for the future of the franchise, as these two young stars are set to be a part of the core of the future Red Sox. Even with all of the problems with the Sox, expect big seasons out of these two as well as all of the other young stars in this rebuilding squad. 

Con - Sizeable Decline in the Starting Rotation: With an already weakening starting rotation, the Red Sox received more bad news when they found out their marquee pitching signing of the offseason, Lucas Giolito, would be undergoing UCL surgery. This procedure will likely put the righty out of commission for his first season in Beantown. Combine this with the fact that Boston does not have a very strong rotation as is, and you have a recipe for disastrous season pitching wise. 

Pro - There’s a New Manager in Town: After falling one game shy of a postseason appearance last year, the Cubs filled their biggest offseason need in a new manager. Acquiring arguably one of the best managers in the game in Craig Counsell, and that manager being from your division rival, is the perfect recipe for future success in Chicago. In Counsell’s nine years in Milwaukee, he led the Brewers to three division championships and five playoff appearances.

Con - Bullpen Still Sore Thumb in Roster: Via Fangraphs, the Cubs bullpen ranked 22nd in the MLB last season. With the recent re-signing of Bellinger, as well as adding Shota Imanaga to the starting rotation, the bullpen still remains the marquee weak spot. An offseason acquisition of Héctor Neris helps the Cubs bullpen tread water, but besides him and Adbert Alzolay, the bullpen fills out pretty sub-par. Another factor to keep in mind when looking at this bullpen is that besides Luke Little, every arm in their bullpen is right-handed. With that in mind, games could be hard to close out against strong left-handed hitting lineups.

Pro - Colson Montgomery Up Next: After the worst season of his career in 2023, the Chicago White Sox have moved on from 2x All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson. With this move, Chicago will start the year having veteran Paul DeJong playing shortstop. Even with DeJong there in the meantime, Chicago’s top prospect Colson Montgomery, the No.9 prospect in the MLB, is projected to debut in the 2024 season. In a long journey ahead for the White Sox, it will be good to get your best prospect in Montgomery called up to the show as soon as possible.

Con - A Long Downhill is Ahead: After the White Sox were starting to look like one of baseball's next powerhouses with tons of young talent, many of the young stars never panned out, and some have now even departed Chicago. After Chicago’s first playoff appearance since 2008 coming in 2020, and their first division title in 13 years coming in 2021, that’s all that would come for White Sox baseball as now they will be going back in a rebuilding phase. With a 61-101 finish last year, being their worst record since 1970, and more pieces departing this offseason such as Dylan Cease, White Sox baseball could be seeing a lot of bottom of division finishes for the long road. 

Pro - A Young, Bright Future is Ahead: Young stars like Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer will look to build on promising campaigns in the 2023 season. The Reds will be aiming to establish themselves as the core of the future and build around their current stars to make themselves a top competitor in the league. This year could be a lot of fun for the Redlegs if all of their young key pieces are able to stay healthy and produce as they are expected to. 

Con - Lack of Depth Could Lead to Problems Later in the Season: Despite all of the young talent spread throughout the roster, the Cincinnati Reds have a noticeable lack of depth in their squad. This overall lack of backups in key positions will put a lot of pressure on the team to stay healthy. The outcome of this could be that the team will not play up to their complete potential as the fear of injury will be constantly looming. 

Pro - Strong Defense All Around: As a team that is known for strong defense, the Guardians 2024 predictions back that up wholly. With a projected +47 runs saved as a team for the upcoming season via MLB.com, Cleveland is far and away the best defensive team in baseball going into the year. The next closest team is the Chicago Cubs with a projected +35 runs saved. 

Con - No Noise Made in the Offseason: It was an extremely quiet off season in Cleveland as the Guardians did not improve much as far as their team as a whole. They actually lost one of their best and most consistent starters in Cal Quantrill to the Colorado Rockies. This could prove costly in a division with young and upcoming teams such as the Tigers and Royals as well as the always competitive Twins team.

Pro - A New Superstar is Rising in Colorado: After a promising 2023 season, slashing .297/.389/.542, Nolan Jones placed 4th in the NL Rookie of the Year standings. The young star also tacked on 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. A quadruple of Nolan Jones, Kris Bryant, Charlie Blackmon and Elías Díaz could lead to an entertaining offense in Colorado.

Con - Pitching Is at an All Time Low: After a team ERA of 5.97 last season, and every starting pitcher having an ERA above 5.00 themselves, the Rockies slotted in as the worst team ERA in the league. With little to no additions during a rather quiet offseason, the Rockies may be in for a similar season as last year.

Pro - Offensive Averages Could Start Trending Up: After a 78-84 finish in 2023, the Detroit offense was a big reason why they sat below .500. Knowing that offensive pieces needed to be acquired, Detroit went out and got Mark Canha and Gio Urshela to add to the ballclub. In his time in Milwaukee after being traded from the Mets at the deadline, Canha had some of the best offensive numbers on the team. In his 50 games for the Brew Crew, he slashed .287/.373/.427 with 33 RBIs. Urshela’s season on the other hand was unfortunately cut short due to a broken pelvis in mid-June. Before the injury however, the Colombian native had a near .300 batting average, finishing at .299. With a fourth lowest league batting average last season at .236, these bats could help Detroit get some offensive numbers to trend upward.

Con - Loss of Rodríguez Hurts Starting Rotation: Even after acquisitions of Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda giving the starting five something to look forward to, the Tigers took a big hit in losing ace arm Eduardo Rodríguez to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Last season for Detroit, Rodríguez ended the season with a 13-9 record on a 3.30 ERA. 

Pro - Bullpen Gets Even Stronger: With the departure of Héctor Neris, Houston was in need of a replacement at closer. The Astros didn’t just find a replacement, but they acquired arguably one of the best closing arms in baseball in Josh Hader. In the lefty’s nine-year career, he has made five all-star games, as well as won three National League Reliever of the Year Awards. Last season in San Diego, Hader finished the season with a 1.28 ERA, as well as 85 strikeouts over 56.1 innings pitched.

Con - Early Inning Leads Could Be Hard to Come By: Looking into the 2024 season, the Astros stand at a combined starter ERA of 4.03. Veteran Justin Verlander is back in Houston and leading this rotation in the ace spot, hoping to provide a solid arm to kick off the rotation cycle. Even with Verlander slotted at No.1 however, he is likely to miss time until mid-April due to a shoulder injury. On top of this key absence, the starting rotation stands at a combined 4.03 ERA. A starting ERA over 4 is unfamiliar territory for a powerhouse team like the Astros. Due to the Verlander absence, as well as the rotation not being as strong as usual, the Astros may take awhile to find consistency. 

Pro - Bobby is Here to Stay: In early February, the Kansas City Royals locked up their most prominent talent in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. In only his second season, the young star placed 7th in MVP voting last year after an astounding .276/.319/.495 season. The 23-year-old also hit for 30 home runs, as well as stealing 49 bases, making him one of the most well-rounded players in the league. The perfect piece to build around.

Con - Pitching Staff Remains the Leading Weakness: Last season the Royals had the second worst team ERA in American League at 5.17, only being ahead of the Oakland A’s who sat at 5.48. The additions of Seth Lugo and Will Smith gives Kansas City a clear ace and closer. However, even with those additions, the Royals still have a long way to go to rebuild the pitching staff.

Pro - Trout Wants to Stay: With Mike Trout in the lineup, the Angels should always be competitive (in theory). With Ohtani out of the picture, the veteran will once again have the entire spotlight at the big A. This could end up being a very fruitful development for an Angels team that is in search of their first playoff appearance in a decade.

Con - No Ohtani, Now What: This offseason was one that Angels fans have dreaded, but simultaneously expected. Shohei Ohtani is no longer in Anaheim. While he unpacks his bags up the road, Angels fans will wonder who, if anyone, will be able to fill the superstars' shoes. Losing Ohtani and getting nothing in return will prove to be a huge mistake for the Angels front office as they approach year ten since the franchise’s last playoff berth.

Pro - Sho Time in LA: After one of the most anticipated signings in MLB history, the Dodgers were able to come out on top and sign Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year contract. The dual-threat superstar will be a huge boost to this Dodgers squad who have faced recent playoff struggles.

Con - Injuries Swirl Throughout the Starting Rotation: Even with arguably the best offense in baseball, a roster is more than just the bats. The Dodgers brought back veteran Clayton Kershaw for a 17th season, but he will not be able to pitch until at least the middle of the summer, due to an elbow injury he faced in the NLDS. On top of Kershaw’s injury, Shohei Ohtani will be unavailable to pitch for the entire 2024 season after he suffered an elbow injury himself. Now, while the signings of Yamamoto and Glasnow should aid their absence, it is still a big loss for the Dodgers.

Pro - High Average Offense Back for 2024: Despite scraping into the playoffs with an 84-78 record, the bats were what lifted Miami to a playoff appearance. The Marlins had the fourth highest batting average in the MLB last season with a .259 team average, only trailing three other playoff teams: Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, and Tampa Bay Rays. On top of the team average, the Marlins also struck out the fifth least in the entire MLB, showing the strong plate discipline this squad has.

Con - Already Weak Starting Rotation Will Be Without Former Cy Young Winner: Coming off of a Cy Young Award in 2022, Sandy Alcántara faced a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in early September right before the playoffs last year. This injury caused the right-hander to get Tommy John surgery, scratching him from any playing time this season. On top of Alcántara’s injury, the Marlins will open up the year with three of their five pitchers possibly not healthy for Opening Day. Eury Perez, the projected two spot pitcher, is questionable due to a finger injury. Braxton Garrett who backs up right behind him is expected to be out until at least mid-April due to a shoulder injury. Lastly Edward Cabrera is estimated to be out until mid-April as well with a shoulder injury of his own.

Pro - The Farm System: The Brewers were officially ranked the No.2 farm system in the MLB, with 7 players in MLB's Top 100 Prospects, the most out of any team. Top prospect, outfielder Jackson Chourio, is expected to start the year off on the Brewers Opening Day roster. In a year where not many people can predict how the Brewers will end up, these young stars could boost the future in Milwaukee. In addition to Chourio, Milwaukee is hoping the pitching arms can find some time in the majors sooner rather than later. D.L Hall, Robert Gassar, and Carlos F. Rodriguez are three of the arms projected to find time at American Family Field this season.

Con - Marquee Starting Rotation Coming to an End: With the departure of 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, and Brandon Woodruff being out of the 2024 season, the starting rotation will be a work in progress to see who really fits in. With the best team ERA in the MLB last season at a 3.71, it is more likely than not that that number significantly increases in 2024.

Pro - Royce Lewis Has Arrived: After back-to-back ACL tears in ‘21 and ‘22, and long periods of time spent in rehab, the former 2017 No.1 overall pick was starting to seem like he was never going to be himself or even get a shot at MLB play. However, last season, Royce Lewis proved everyone wrong. In 239 plate appearances, the 24-year-old slashed .309/.372/.548, as well as an OPS of .921. The right-hander was a huge component to Minnesota’s first playoff win since 2004 and looks to continue to make noise heading into 2024.

Con - Strikeout Issues Haven’t Been Resolved: Despite an AL Central Championship, as well as winning the AL Wild Card against the Blue Jays, the Twins offense fell into slumps when it came to strikeouts. Minnesota led the MLB with 1,654 strikeouts, which made their team strikeout percentage sit at 30.1%. After barely any offseason moves offensively, as well as Jorge Polanco departing, the Twins could be right back in the same spot at the plate. 

Pro - Young Talent is Plentiful: The Mets, having traded away and releasing many of their aging players, have ample young and talented prospects that are slated to come up from the minors this year. Players like Luisangel Acuña and Drew Gilbert will be fun to follow as they begin their story in the Big Apple. 

Con - Starting Pitching is Questionable: The key to this season for the Mets will be whether or not the pitching will be serviceable. For the past few seasons, the emphasis has been on pitching. After last year’s failure, the Mets got rid of their two big veterans in Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Although they have made some pitcher signings this off-season including Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Adrian Houser, the question still remains if they will be enough to fill the big void left by their former aces, especially with the questionable return date of Kodai Senga.

Pro - Soto and Verdugo Will Provide a Jump to a Dormant Offense: Last year, the Yankees had one of the worst offenses in the league. Part of that was due to Aaron Judge missing a majority of the season, but that certainly was not all. Giancarlo Stanton is fading with age and is not what he once was. With Soto in the outfield, the Yankees can feel comfortable leaving Stanton in the DH spot where he is most likely to thrive. 

Con - Ace and MVP Likely to Miss Considerable Time: Yankee fans have received the worst possible news over the last few days as ace Gerrit Cole and former MVP Aaron Judge are both undergoing MRIs and will likely miss a good portion of the start of the season. It’s difficult to imagine the Yankees are able to perform to even half of their potential without their top two players. The importance of the addition of Juan Soto will be tested in the early going of this rollercoaster season for the Bronx Bombers.

Pro - Zack Gelof: The young second baseman showed plenty of promise coming up from the minors and slashing .272/.342/.513 in 68 games for the A’s. As of today, March 15, Gelof is hitting .378 with an OPS of 1.209 in his 37 spring training at bats. With all of the issues in the East Bay this season, the youngster should provide a light in the midst of an extremely dark situation.

Con - More Issues Than Just the Roster: The Athletics had a league worst 50 wins in the 2023 season. This, however, may be the least of their concerns. With no discernible future and the lease on the coliseum coming to an end in the next few years, the Athletics may be homeless before they have a chance to figure out future arrangements. With all of these facts considered, it is no wonder why fans of the Green and Gold do not want to show up to games.

Pro - A Healthy Bryce Harper: Last season, Bryce Harper missed 36 games returning from Tommy John surgery. Even at that, the 2x MVP was not his full healthy self for the 126 regular season games he played in 2023. With Harper slated to play first base most of the year, it should allow the veteran to stay healthy and provide his much-needed bat to an already loaded Fightin’s lineup. The hope of Harper playing all season, especially at first, will be a needed piece after the departure of postseason hero Rhys Hoskins.

Con- Centerfield Still Not Comfortably Filled: With an overall strong lineup offensively, the one position that sticks out from the rest is centerfield. With no true day-to-day starter, the three players that cycle through are Johan Rojas, Cristian Pache, and Brandon Marsh. Rojas, who spent the majority of the time in centerfield for the Phillies, had an overall solid regular season. When it mattered the most in postseason play however, he couldn’t buy a hit. The young right-hander batted .093 (4-43), the lowest out of any position in the Phillies postseason lineup. Christian Pache, a once top prospect in the MLB, hasn’t been able to get it started offensively. The 25-year-old ended the 2023 season with a slash line of .238/.319/.417 over 84 at bats. Lastly is Brandon Marsh, who is the strongest option of the group. While Marsh is the best option, he is needed in more than just one outfield position. With Kyle Schwarber mainly staying at DH, Marsh will become the day-to-day left fielder.

Pro - Strong Backend of the Bullpen: After his best season of his career, earning himself a 2.00 ERA and second career all-star appearance, David Bednar is starting to solidify himself as one of the best closers in all of baseball. The Pirates looked to double up on strong closers and acquired World Series Champion Aroldis Chapman. The 7x all-star ended last season with a 3.09 ERA, as well as 103 strikeouts over 58.1 innings pitched. The duo could arguably be one of the best set-up, closer combinations in the MLB. 

Con - Offense Remains Weak: After a rather quiet offseason for Pittsburgh, the needed boost in the offense to make this team competitive in the NL Central still remains. While it will be nice to have Oneil Cruz back, besides acquisitions of Rowdy Tellez and Yasmani Grandal, the offense remains pretty in line with last year's team. In 2023 the Pirates had a team batting average of .239, the 7th worst in the entire MLB.

Pro - Big Three Still Remain in Slam Diego: Even with the departure of the versatile Juan Soto, the Padres still have a group that can go toe to toe with anybody. With Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, and Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres offense should still prove to be a force to be reckoned with in the NL West. The three combined for an average of .266, as well as an on base percentage of .330. On top of these numbers, the trio also combined for 74 home runs.

Con - Departures of Best Bat and Arm Leave Friars in a Bind: With Juan Soto being dealt to the Yankees and the expected departure of defending Cy Young pitcher Blake Snell, the Padres will certainly feel as though they have suffered a massive blow this off-season. Snell, having a 2.25 era last year, was the anchor of a very good Padres rotation. While the recent trade for former White Sox ace Dylan Cease should help, he is no Blake Snell. Soto, 25, is coming off of another all-star campaign last season. The left-handed slugger slashed .275/.410/.519 in the 2023 season and will certainly be missed in the Friars' upcoming campaign. 

Pro - Big Offseason Helps Fill the Diamond: Being in the NL West means you have to compete with some of the top dogs of the National League. Last season the Dodgers took first with a record of 100-62, and despite coming in second and making the NL Wildcard, the Arizona Diamondbacks who finished 84-78 made a Cinderella run all the way to the World Series. Despite an under .500 record of 79-83, they were only 5 games out of a postseason appearance. Off-season additions of Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler and Jung Hoo Lee could gratefully be that push to get them back to playing October baseball.

Con - Robbie Ray’s Absence Leaves Starting Rotation Weak for First Half of the Season: With Logan Webb in need of a partner in crime for a powerful 1-2 punch, the Giants went out and acquired former Seattle Mariners pitcher Robbie Ray on a 5-year, $115 million dollar deal. Despite the big move, Ray missed a majority of the 2023 season with Seattle due to Tommy John surgery in May. As a result of the surgery, Ray’s return date is expected to be sometime in the second half of the 2024 season. The absence of the right-hander will have the Giants starting five in a tough spot for at least half of the season.

Pro - Starting Rotation Remains Strong Despite Ray Departure: Last season, Seattle ranked fourth in MLB in starting pitcher ERA. The starting five from the second half of the season of Castillo, Kirby, Gilbert, Miller and Woo remains exactly intact. These five are projected to yet again be the key to the M’s success and be the reason they hang in the talks of postseason contention.

Con - Hot Corner in Need of Help: Offseason rumors swirled around Seattle, where many thought the Mariners would make a push to get 2x Platinum Glove winner Matt Chapman. However, it was San Francisco who jumped in and acquired the elite defender on a 3-year, $54 million dollar deal. With Chapman being the last big name third baseman on the board this offseason, the Mariners are short-handed at the hot corner. The duo of Josh Rojas and Luis Urías will be the ones who stand at third. While both are solid defenders, they are no Matt Chapman. Turning it to the offensive numbers from both last season, Rojas slashed .245/.303/.338 and Urías slashed .194/.337/.299. In a competitive top-half of the AL West with the Astros and Rangers, the Mariners may monitor making a move come the trade deadline. 

Pro - New Additions Give Starting Rotation Hope: After an unpredictable underwhelming season for St. Louis last year finishing at 71-91, the Cardinals took action quickly to get this squad back on track to their typical first place contention. Last season, St. Louis had a whopping 4.81 ERA between their starters, one of the worst starting pitching ERAs in all of baseball. In an effort to fix that, the front office went out and made moves for three starting pitchers: Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson. Despite the current hamstring injury to Gray, it is projected that he will possibly be available for Opening Day.

Con - Outfield Will Be Thin to Kick Off the Season: As Opening Day rolls around, it’s important to have your full squad ready in a year where you’re aiming for a strong bounce back. Unfortunately however, center fielder Tommy Edman, as well as left fielder Lars Nootbaar will both start the year on the injured list. Edman, injuring his wrist, and Nootbaar, injuring his ribs, are both expected to be out until at least early April. Starting off the year with two starting outfielders hurt in a year where you look to change the narrative will give the Cardinals some struggles early on.

Pro - Typical Pitching Dominance Stays Secure: The prime reason why the Tampa Bay Rays have always found a way to a playoff appearance for the past five years is their pitching dominance. Last season, the Rays placed top 5 in nearly every pitching stat. While the departure of Glasnow will take a toll on the starting end of things, Tampa has been known for having well rounded pitching in both the starting rotation and bullpen regardless. The strong presence of these arms will keep Tampa a competitive playoff caliber team per usual.

Con - Minimum Offseason Noise Could Lead to a Tough Year in the AL East: After finishing second in the AL East at 99-63 and earning the top Wild Card spot, the Rays yet again exited quickly from the playoffs. Tampa was eliminated in their first playoff series for the third year straight, getting swept 2-0 in ‘22 and ‘23, and losing 3-1 in ‘21. In that eight-game playoff stretch, the Rays have been outscored 40-22, including getting shutout in two of those games, as well as only scoring one run in two more. With the clear issue being the bats come playoff time, Tampa’s only notable offseason bat added was Amed Rosario. The minimal offensive moves made this offseason could lead to a similar playoff result as the previous three seasons.

Pro - The Offense Hasn’t Gone Away: Last season, the Rangers had one of the best offenses in all of baseball, ranking top three in nearly every offensive stat. With the 2024 season right around the corner, every offensive piece from the World Series roster is returning. While Seager may miss some time to start the year, the electric bats should pick up right where they left off.

Con - Bullpen Departures Make Leclerc the Lone Closer: With the Rangers making a successful push to the World Series and coming out on top, the bullpen depth was a huge contribution to the first World Series in franchise history. On top of José Leclerc, closing arms Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith were strong contributors to the team's success. With Chapman and Smith leaving Texas, the Rangers backend of the bullpen will be slimmer than last year. 

Pro - One of the Best Rotations in All of Baseball: With a strong starting rotation, anchored by 2x All-Star Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays should have no issues whatsoever in the starting pitching department. Outside of Alek Manoah, the starters combined ERA on the year sat at an impressive 3.55. Toronto will look to continue to build on that in the upcoming season as they attempt to keep up in a rapidly improving AL East. 

Con - Playoff Woos Keep on Happening: The Blue Jays are no strangers to postseason baseball. They are, however, strangers to postseason victories. In their past three postseason appearances ranging from 2020-2023, the Blue Jays have been swept 2-0 in all three. You’d have to date back to October 18, 2016, to locate Toronto’s most recent postseason victory. This win came in a 4-1 ALCS series loss to Cleveland. The Blue Jays have to figure out how to get over their slump.

Pro - Young Talent Has Strong Upside: Since the first World Series win in franchise history in 2019, a lot of key players have departed Washington since. The young talent in trade returns, as well as draft picks over the years have formed a solid future in D.C. The Nationals currently sit at the 12th best farm system in the MLB, with three players cracking the top 50. Dylan Crews, OF (No.7); James Wood, OF (No.14); Brady House, 3B (No.48). 

Con - Winning Could Come Difficult When Rebuilding in the NL East: The young-filled Washington roster is one to look forward to down the road. Despite a 71-91 record last year, there were glimpses of light in the lineup from young stars such as C.J Abrams, Keibert Ruiz and Josiah Gray that gave fans hope for the future. Even with this high promise, a tough division stands in their way with the Atlanta Braves (104-58) and Philadelphia Phillies (90-72) leading the way. Despite the bright glimpses, it could be longer than many expect for Washington to be atop the NL East.