2024 MLB predictions: Our hottest hot takes two weeks in.
We are two weeks into the 2024 MLB season, and teams have played about a dozen of their 162 games. While that isn’t enough for bold declarations, we’re not about to let that stop us.
As we do every year at this time, we asked our MLB experts to go all-in on one thing they’ve noticed this season by making a prediction based on the small sample size. They were allowed to pick anything they wanted with two ground rules: It had to be bold, and it had to be something they actually believe could happen.
Some of our predictors brought the heat, while others have taken a mild approach, so we have taken the liberty of ranking the predictions — and identifying their hot sauce equivalent.
Take a walk on the mild side.
Kiley McDaniel: Four pitchers will shake up the Cy Young leaderboard.
I’ll pick some pitcher breakouts. Royals LHP Cole Ragans will post a 4+ WAR season and finish in the Top 8 in the American League Cy Young voting. Garrett Crochet, Jared Jones and Chris Sale will all post 3+ WAR seasons with Jones grabbing a top 5 National League Rookie of the Year finish. Ragans broke out last year and I think he’ll build on that with more innings. Crochet has made three big league starts and Jones has made just two, but I’m pushing my chips to the middle that what they’ve done is for real. I’m hoping Crochet will post enough innings to hold up his end of my prediction. That is also the question for Sale, but his velocity so far this season is his best since 2018.
Hot sauce equivalent: The house sampler. Individually, any of these could have seemed bold. But you’ve left yourself the easy out of simply picking the one that comes true to point out you were right.
