The 2024 Major League Baseball season gets underway today, with a number of marquee matchups highlighted by the defending champion Texas Rangers hosting the Chicago Cubs (7:35 ET, ESPN).
The games cap a particularly active offseason, which saw the already-formidable Los Angeles Dodgers spending more than $1B in free agency (their 2024 payroll is estimated at $304M). A large chunk of the spending went to superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is now embroiled in a gambling scandal involving his translator.
Other storylines include whether the Rangers can build on last year's long-shot title run, manager Craig Counsell joining the Cubs from the Milwaukee Brewers, and whether the New York Yankees can bounce back from a disappointing 2023 campaign. In the background, the long-term fate of Diamond Sports—which airs games for 11 teams but recently declared bankruptcy—remains unclear.
The Dodgers enter as favorites to win the World Series, followed by the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, and Yankees. See today's full schedule here.
Comments