Opening Day Storylines in Major League Baseball

The Lights went out at Chase Field 140 days ago in Phoenix, Arizona. A long 148 days Separated meaningful Baseball, outside of the Seoul Series between the Dodgers and Padres on March 20th and 21st. And as America's pastime returns and the excitement builds towards one of the most anticipated years of baseball we’ve seen in recent times, the storylines continue to grow and flourish. From Ohtani signing a North American Record Contract with the Dodgers and the gambling scandal currently raising doubts about his Integrity to the League, Craig Counsell leaving Milwaukee for the Windy City after the Cubs surprisingly fired David Ross, Juan Soto heading to the Bronx Bombers, and many, many others. we’re currently watching live cinema unfold before our very eyes.

So let's dive into a few of them

My mind flashes to the Stories I heard as a kid about the game I love being infected with integrity issues. From Steroids, to the Black Sox scandal, and Pete Rose being a degenerate gambler. And with the rapid acceptance of online sports betting growing across the country, it was only a matter of time before a Gambling scandal would hit Major League Baseball. I think it’s a genuine shame that this cloud of mystery is hanging over the Head of Shohei Ohtani at a time when the Sports world should be celebrating one of the biggest sports stars in the world signing a massive; record-breaking contract, and playing with one of the “Blue Bloods” of Major League Baseball.
Shohei is a “Dawg,” one of the best Athletes the World has ever seen. The strength with which Shohei Hits, the Speed with which he glides, and the Heat that flames from his arm separates him from anyone who has ever played the game. He’s the international face of Japan and the face of the Sport we love. But now we’re left in a predicament that no one could have seen coming with Shohei. The reigning American League MVP has reportedly paid 4.5 Million Dollars to an illegal bookie in California. This isn’t something that could have happened with the Face of the Sport, but it seems like it has. And the Evidence seems damning at least from the Payment side. I stand on the side that shady things are going on between the attorneys, Shohei, and his translator Ippei Mizuhara. I want to believe Shohei didn’t place a bet on Baseball, but the changing stories between parties point to something fishy going on. Hopefully, the FBI can get to the root of the problem before Commissioner Manfred has to get involved in deciding to place Ohtani on Administrative leave or bar him from playing Baseball in the States. We’ve seen before how incompetent the Commissioner has been in making hard decisions (The Astros cheating scandal.) 
But I stand with the precedent set before by many other commissioners that if Shohei did place a Bet on a Major League baseball game he should never step foot in a Major League Ballpark to play again. Integrity is at play here, and a precedent needs to be set to prevent future and current players from placing wagers on games that they could influence, even subconsciously. We’ll see how this story plays out over the coming days, weeks, and months for Shohei, the Dodgers, and Major League Baseball. But this is a generational story that could have an impact on the sport for decades.


Another Storyline that could affect the landscape of Major League Baseball for the next half-decade or more, is the Cubs firing their former Manager David Ross and bringing in their longtime rival manager, Craig Counsell. 
It was a shock felt across the NL Central and National League, with David Ross outperforming expectations as the Cubs manager, gaining 10 wins above their average projection of “W’s” for the 2023 season and only missing the playoffs by 1 game to the Diamondbacks after losing 6 out of 7 in the final 3 weeks of the year to the 2023 NL Champs, only to be Fired by the team on the Northside of Chicago. The last 2 years were supposed to be rebuilding years for the cubbies, and 2022 certainly was. But Carter Hawkins (General Manager) and Jed Hoyer (President of baseball operations)  had different plans following the 2023 season. They want more, they seek a return to the glorious run the Cubs had in 2016. They moved on from a popular manager to one of the game's best, Craig Counsell. 
And it was a surprise to many, even myself, who thought Craig Counsell would stay in Major League Baseball’s smallest Market, Milwaukee for the next 20 years. The Mets sought After Counsell and he told them publicly that he didn’t want to move his family away from his hometown team. He loves Milwaukee, and Milwaukee loved him, though they aren’t fond of their former baby-faced assassin anymore. And like a thief in the night the news came out that 90 miles south down I-94 from Milwaulkee, that the Northside Cubs were stealing Counsell from their enemy. He swapped sides, went from foe to friend, the new face of the now new-look Cubs. And looking at Counsell’s resume, it speaks for itself. 4 time runner-up for manager of the year, 700 career wins, playoff appearances 5 times, and a Former Player in the big leagues for 16 years. 
The Windy City is ready for a return to glory, and the cards are lined up. Bellinger seems to be back in former MVP form, with solid defense up the middle with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner, bringing in Japanese pitching sensation Shota Imanga and a rotation that can compete with some of the Best in the league, and young talent like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cade Horton, and Owen Caissie waiting in the wings. I think it’ll be a tough, hard fight for the division crown in the NL Central, but if Counsell can replicate his Milwaukee magic in Chicago, expect the Cubs to at least be buyers and not sellers around the Trade deadline which could catapult them to a postseason berth.

And I would be remiss to not mention anything about Baseball's most popular team, the Yankees. The pinstripes, clean-shaven faces, and coliseum of a stadium needed another superstar to grace the Bronx with Aaron Judge. And Juan Soto fits perfectly into this Yankees lineup, even if it might only be a 1-year rental. The underperforming Yankees needed a breath of fresh air and Brian Cashman (General Manager) needed a lifeline, and they got it in the blockbuster Trade for the former World Series Champ. Adding another Lefty to hit in Yankee Stadium just increased prices in the Right Field seats twofold. The amount of Homers leaving the short porch is going to be like watching a home run derby all season with the slugging cast the Yankees have on their roster with Soto, Judge, Stanton, and Verdugo. And even with Gerrit Cole being out for the beginning of the year in New York, the offense might just carry the Bronx Bombers into a rough and tough showdown with the young gun Orioles team and the mighty BlueJays, and I’m pumped for the race in the American League East. 
Soto might also help the struggling Yankees explode in Run production and Batting Average. Soto himself had a 7.3 Win above replacement in 2023 on a very embarrassing Padres team. His OBP is the 4th highest in baseball in the last 2 years. Though the Yankees lost multi-time gold glove Trent Grisham in the trade for Soto, his bat will surely make up for all that was lost defensively. Adding Soto also added roughly 3.3 Wins above Average to this Yankee team that will most likely be in a dead heat with three other AL East teams in the summer, and that number is only that low due to his lack of defensive dominance. If he moves into a DH role for the Yanks that number would increase to about 6.1. 
But if anyone thinks that Soto isn’t ready for the pressure of wearing pinstripes, you must know about the pressure that was on his back to carry the nationals to a World Series title at only 19. He’s built for the moment, he’ll rise to the top. But the question remains, are the Yankees prepared to take the necessary steps to go and get that 28th title?

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Joshua Suggs

Joshua is an Avid lover of all things Nascar, Panthers, Charlotte FC, and the Braves