Baseball fans can’t wait for the start of the new MLB season, as we are just one week away from the 2024 Major League Baseball season kickoff. There have been a lot of interesting moves in the off-season, so this is expected to be another exciting year. The Texas Rangers are the defending champions after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series.
The 2024 Major League Baseball season is set to start with two games in South Korea on March 20 and 21, while the official opening day will be a week later on March 28, and it will run until September 29. The MLB playoffs will then kick off on October 1, and they can potentially end on November 2.
This season’s MLB spring training has been going on for about three weeks and will end on March 27. The Texas Rangers surprised everyone last year as big underdogs, beating teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, and Arizona Diamondbacks in the postseason to win the first World Series title in their history.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) Season |
| 🏟️ Venues: | Venues across the United States |
| 🗓️ Dates: | 20 March – 2 November 2024 |
Major League Baseball consists of 30 teams split equally between the American League and the National League. Each team plays 162 games in the regular season to determine the qualifying teams for the postseason. This will be the second year with the format of 12 MLB teams qualifying for the playoffs. The winners of the ALCS and the NLCS face off in the end for the title in the World Series.
The New York Yankees have won the most World Series titles (27). The second-place team, the St. Louis Cardinals, have 11 championships, while the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox have nine titles each.
There will be a set of new rules for the 2024 MLB season. The most important new rules will be:
Here’s a look at the latest MLB season 2024 odds and top favorites to win the AL this year, according to the best baseball bookmakers:
The Houston Astros are the current favorites to win the AL this season. They have won the American League Championship Series in four of the last seven years, and they are always one of the best contenders to win the AL. The New York Yankees are coming off one of their most disappointing seasons. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, even though Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole performed really well.
The Texas Rangers are the defending champions after winning their first-ever title last year, and they will be trying to win it in back-to-back seasons. The Baltimore Orioles were undoubtedly the surprise of the 2023 season, as they finished on top of the AL regular season standings with a stunning 101-61 record. They didn’t replicate that achievement in the postseason, though, so they will try to do even better this time. The Toronto Blue Jays failed to qualify for the Wild Card Round last year, but they have made some good moves this off-season and should improve more.
1 (100%)
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The Baltimore Orioles have one of the most talented rosters in the MLB going into the new season. The Orioles won the AL East Division regular season last year, and they have made excellent moves in the off-season to strengthen their team even more. Baltimore signed the 2021 Cy Young Award winner, Corbin Burns, from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Corbin Burns is a proven ace and will improve this Orioles team a lot this season. The Baltimore Orioles are doing great in their current spring training, as they are on top of the Grapefruit League with 15 wins in 20 games, showing that they are ready for the 2024 MLB season.
2 (100%)
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The Los Angeles Angels had 73 regular-season wins last year, but they lost their most valuable player, Shohei Ohtani, to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the off-season. The Japanese star won the AL MVP Award twice in the last three years with the Angels, and his loss will be a big hit for the team. Los Angeles had one of the worst rotations in the league last year, and they haven’t made many changes to that. The ceiling isn’t high with this Angels roster, and it will most likely be very hard to reach 72 wins this season.
Here’s a look at the latest odds of the top favorites to win the NL this year, according to the best MLB 2024 betting odds:
The Los Angeles Dodgers have had at least 100 regular-season wins in the NL in three consecutive years. They made the biggest move in the off-season by acquiring Shohei Ohtani to form a super team. The Atlanta Braves won the NLCS only once in the last 24 years, which was in 2021, and they won the World Series in that year as well. They had the best regular-season record in the MLB last year.
The Philadelphia Phillies reached the National League Championship Series in two consecutive seasons. They are improving every year, hoping to win their first World Series in 16 years. The Chicago Cubs had 83 regular-season wins last year, and they should definitely improve more after appointing Craig Counsell as their new manager. The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off their worst season in the last three decades. They have made some good signings in the off-season, but they are unlikely to win the NL.
1 (50%)
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The Atlanta Braves had a 104-58 regular-season record last year, which was the best in the whole league. The Braves lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the same stage of the playoffs in two consecutive years, but they are looking much stronger right now after the off-season.
The additions of Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez will benefit the Braves a lot in the season, as they have now improved their weakness from last year, which was the rotation. The 2023 NL MVP, Ronald Acuna Jr., and the Atlanta Braves have a much deeper roster now, and their National League-winning chances will be there.
1 (100%)
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The Miami Marlins had only 666 runs in the MLB regular season last year, which was the fewest by any National League team. They have a big problem in their offense, and they haven’t made many moves in the off-season to solve that. The Marlins ace, Sandy Alcantara, will miss the 2024 MLB season after undergoing surgery last year, so the team is much weaker this time and can struggle a lot.
Houston Astros to Win @ 10.0 (9/1)
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The legal betting sites in USA think that the Houston Astros have a pretty decent chance of winning the 2024 World Series. The Astros have reached the ALCS in seven consecutive years, and they won it four times in that period. They have won the World Series twice in the last seven years, and they have been one of the most consistent MLB teams in the last decade.
The Houston Astros have a lot of talented players on their roster, like Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, and Framber Valdez. If they can stay healthy throughout the season, then they will have good chances of winning the World Series.
Yordan Alvarez to Win the AL MVP Award @ 10.0 (9/1)
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Yordan Alvarez is the healthiest he has been in the last few years. Alvarez was unstoppable in the 2023 MLB playoffs, having 20 hits and 12 runs scored in 11 postseason games. Shohei Ohtani moved to the NL this season, which makes it easier for Alvarez to win the award while Houston Astros should still dominate. The odds for Yordan to win the AL MVP Award this year are enticing, especially if he can finally start this season healthy.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Win the NL Rookie of the Year @ 2.75 (7/4)
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto became the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history, with the Los Angeles Dodgers signing the Japanese star in free agency for $325 million for 12 years. Yamamoto performed very well in his spring training debut with the Dodgers, and he has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in the league this season.
Corbin Burns to Win the AL Cy Young Award @ 11.0 (10/1)
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Corbin Burns has been one of the best pitchers in the last few years. He has had a 146 ERA in the last four years, which puts him in 4th place among the league’s pitchers in that period. Burns has very high quality, and he is expected to improve more with the Orioles this season. Corbin has been sharp in spring training so far, and he was named the starting pitcher for Baltimore on the opening day as expected. Burns won the NL Cy Young Award with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021, and now he will try to win the AL Cy Young Award with the Baltimore Orioles.
This MLB season will be one of the most exciting ones in the last few years, and it will be interesting to see how the teams with big trades in the off-season do. Make sure you use our 2024 MLB predictions and bet them at the US Sportsbooks and sports betting apps to have more fun watching the event.
