9 MLB storylines to watch for this season ahead of opening day

Major League Baseball’s play officially began past week with the Tokyo Series, wherever the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs successful a two-game series. 

The remainder of the league begins its play this weekend, and the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers unfastened the slate Thursday astatine 3:05 p.m. ET.

Before the archetypal transportation for each 30 teams, present are 9 storylines to ticker heading into the season. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts celebrates aft the Los Angeles Dodgers bushed the New York Yankees successful Game 5 to triumph the 2024 World Series successful New York Oct. 31, 2024. (Wendell Cruz/Imagn Images)

Can the Dodgers repetition arsenic World Series champions?

No squad has repeated arsenic World Series champions since the Yankees did it 3 years successful a row, from 1998-2000. 

The Dodgers are well-positioned to go the archetypal squad since that Yankees squad to triumph the World Series successful consecutive years. 

After they dispatched the Yankees successful 5 games successful the World Series, the Dodgers added much stars to a roster that was already filled with them. 

They signed two-time Cy Young victor Blake Snell, prima Japanese starting pitcher Roki Sasaki and added alleviation aces Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to an already stacked pitching staff.

There is nary deeper oregon much talented starting rotation than the Dodgers. The starting rotation for the Dodgers to statesman the season:

1. Snell
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
3. Sasaki
4. Tyler Glasnow
5. Dustin May

That does not see Shohei Ohtani, who is expected to instrumentality to the mound astir May, and aboriginal Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, who volition articulation the rotation aft helium recovers from offseason surgeries connected his near ft and knee. 

As for the offense, they re-signed outfielder Teoscar Herandez and brought successful outfielder Michael Conforto successful escaped bureau to supply immoderate much powerfulness down their 3 MVP winners — Ohtani, Mookie Betts  and Freddie Freeman — astatine the apical of the order. 

Betts’ wellness is 1 of the fewer concerns for the Dodgers going into the season. The prima is dealing with an unwellness and has mislaid 25 pounds. He missed some games successful their Tokyo Series expanse but is expected to beryllium successful the lineup erstwhile they resume their play against the Detroit Tigers Thursday. 

Even if the Dodgers are without Betts for immoderate time, they person the extent and prima powerfulness to past his absence.

The Dodgers unquestionably person the endowment to repetition arsenic World Series champions. 

The New York Mets added Juan Soto aft a astonishment tally to the NLCS. Will it propulsion them implicit the apical to marque a run?

The New York Mets' Juan Soto during a outpouring grooming workout successful Port St. Lucie, Fla., Feb. 16, 2025.  (Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

The Mets mislaid to the Dodgers successful six games successful the NLCS past season, past gave the astir lucrative declaration successful nonrecreational sports past to the apical escaped cause connected the market.

Soto signed a 15-year, $765 cardinal declaration aft a vocation play with the Yankees, which helium helped propel to the World Series. 

The Mets anticipation Soto tin bash the aforesaid for them. The prima close fielder joins a lineup that features shortstop Francisco Lindor, archetypal baseman Pete Alonso, 3rd baseman Mark Vientos and near fielder Brandon Nimmo atop the order. 

The Mets person already been dealth 2 injuries to their starting lineup. Starting catcher Francisco Alvarez (fractured hamate bony successful near hand) volition miss six to 8 weeks, and 2nd baseman Jeff McNeil sustained a low-grade close oblique strain. McNeil volition miss opening time and should instrumentality by mid-April.

With McNeil and Alvarez missing time, the load volition autumn to Soto and unit to prime up the slack.

INVESTIGATION FOCUS IN DEATH OF EX-YANKEES STAR'S SON SHIFTS TO POSSIBLE FOOD POISONING

The Mets' starting rotation besides dealt with injuries during outpouring training.

Free cause acquisition Frankie Montas sustained a high-grade close lat strain and was unopen down from throwing for 6–8 weeks successful mid-February.

Sean Manaea, who re-signed with the squad for 3 years and $75 cardinal contract, sustained a close oblique strain and is expected to instrumentality astatine immoderate constituent successful April. 

With the injuries to Montas and Manaea, the Mets starting rotation entering the play does not look arsenic heavy arsenic it did astatine the opening of outpouring training. These are the 5 starters the Mets are rolling retired for their archetypal 5 games:

1. Clay Holmes
2. Tylor Megill
3. Griffin Canning
4. David Peterson
5. Kodai Senga

After signing with the Mets successful the offseason, Holmes is transitioning backmost to being a starter aft being the Yankees’ person for 3 seasons. He volition get the opening time nod. 

Senga would person apt been the opening time starter, but helium pitched successful conscionable 1 regular-season crippled past twelvemonth owed to injury, and the Mets are being cautious with him entering the season. Last season, Senga dealt with shoulder, triceps and calf injuries. 

With a starting rotation hampered by injuries, the Mets are going to trust connected the discourtesy and bullpen to get them done the opening of the season. 

The Mets anticipation the summation of Soto and others is capable to assistance them flooded aboriginal injuries and marque different tally successful October.

The New York Yankees mislaid Soto successful escaped bureau and Gerrit Cole to injury. Can they marque it backmost to the World Series?

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole pauses earlier taking the mound against the Minnesota Twins during the archetypal inning astatine George M. Steinbrenner Field. (Dave Nelson/Imagn Images)

After the Yankees mislaid a heartbreaker successful Game 5 of the World Series to the Dodgers, they experienced different large nonaccomplishment erstwhile Soto near successful escaped agency.

They pivoted to program B quickly. They signed Max Fried to the astir lucrative declaration a left-handed pitcher has ever received (eight-years, $218 million), traded for outfielder Cody Bellinger, signed archetypal baseman Paul Goldschmidt and traded for 1 of the champion closers successful baseball, Devin Williams. 

In the Yankees' post-Soto world, they were going to physique their 2025 squad connected the spot of their pitching staff. 

Entering outpouring training, the Yankees had 1 of the apical starting rotations successful baseball. 

1. Gerrit Cole
2. Max Fried
3. Carlos Rodón
4. Luis Gil
5. Clarke Schmidt
6. Marcus Stroman

Cole is done for the play aft undergoing Tommy John country aft experiencing close elbow discomfort successful a outpouring grooming start. 

Gil, named the American League’s Rookie of the Year past season, is expected to miss 3 months with a close lat strain. 

Schmidt volition statesman the play connected the IL aft helium dealt with enarthrosis and backmost issues during outpouring grooming and is not built up capable to start. 

With those 3 not available, the Yankees' rotation looks a batch antithetic heading into opening day. 

1. Rodón
2. Fried
3. Stroman
4. Carlos Carrasco
5. Will Warren

Schmidt volition articulation the rotation eventually, but what was erstwhile a spot for the Yankees is nary longer. 

The Yankees' lineup besides took a large stroke with an wounded to designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton.

Stanton, who had an awesome playoff showing, has torn tendons successful some elbows and isn’t expected backmost successful the lineup successful the abbreviated term.

The nonaccomplishment of Stanton is particularly crushing due to the fact that helium was relied upon to assistance offset the nonaccomplishment of Soto, a hitter who was intolerable to regenerate successful the archetypal place. 

With Soto gone and Stanton injured, the Yankees are going to request Aaron Judge to proceed his ascendant tally aft helium won his 2nd MVP grant successful 3 seasons past year. 

In summation to needing an encore from Judge, who deed .322 with 58 location runs and 144 RBIs past season, the Yankees request 3 young players to instrumentality the adjacent measurement offensively to circular retired the lineup. 

Catcher Austin Wells, shortstop Anthony Volpe and near fielder Jasson Domínguez are going to beryllium leaned connected heavy successful Stanton's absence. 

Wells had a beardown rookie play astatine the sheet but tapered disconnected late, bringing his wide numbers to a .229 batting mean with 13 location runs. The 25-year-old catcher has had a beardown outpouring grooming and volition deed leadoff up of Judge against right-handed pitchers. 

Volpe, successful his two-year career, has been a bully defender, winning a golden mitt successful 2023. He's besides a astute baserunner, but his discourtesy has lagged behind. In the playoffs past season, Volpe elevated his crippled astatine the plate, hitting .286 with a .407 on-base percent with a expansive slam successful the World Series. 

DODGERS' TRUMP VISIT DECISION SENDS FANS SPIRALING

The Yankees anticipation Volpe’s playoff occurrence volition construe implicit the people of the regular season. 

Domínguez volition regenerate Alex Verdugo successful near field. Verdugo was a coagulated defender past play but struggled astatine the sheet with a .291 on-base percentage.

Domínguez, a power hitter, has agelong tantalized fans with his imaginable since helium signed with the Yankees arsenic a apical imaginable astatine 16 years old.

Now 22, helium volition beryllium fixed the accidental to clasp down the near tract occupation successful the majors aft excelling successful the insignificant leagues. 

The Yankees' bullpen has agelong been a spot of the squad and should proceed to beryllium this year. Williams and past season’s revelation, Luke Weaver, signifier 1 of the strongest duos successful shot successful the backmost of the bullpen.

For the Yankees to get backmost to the World Series, they are going to request cardinal contributions from players who haven’t yet done truthful successful their large league careers successful a competitory AL East. 

The Boston Red Sox traded for Garrett Crochet and signed Alex Bregman. Is it capable to drawback their playoff drought?

Boston Red Sox 3rd baseman Alex Bregman participates successful media time astatine JetBlue Park astatine Fenway South Feb. 18, 2025.  (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

The Red Sox precocious to the ALCS successful 2021, wherever they fell to the Houston Astros successful six games. They person not made the postseason since. 

Last season, the Red Sox were 81-81 and finished 3rd successful the American East down the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. 

In the midst of a three-year playoff drought, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow took a mates of large swings this offseason. He traded for Crochet to springiness the Red Sox a existent No. 1 pitcher and signed Bregman to a three-year woody to adhd immoderate thump and a seasoned beingness to a young lineup. 

They were ninth successful shot successful runs scored and sixth successful squad batting average, hitting .252 past season. Pitching was their downfall. Their squad ERA of 4.04 was 17th successful shot past season. 

With the summation of Crochet, on with erstwhile Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler, the Red Sox anticipation they tin dependable the rotation capable to get backmost to the playoffs.

However, their starting rotation, similar the Yankees' and Mets', took immoderate hits successful outpouring training. Brayan Bello (shoulder), Lucas Giolito (hamstring), and Kutter Crawford (knee) volition each commencement the play connected the injured list. 

Bello and Giolito are expected to instrumentality successful April, but Crawford’s imaginable instrumentality is unknown. 

CATCHER CAL RALEIGH, MARINERS AGREE TO $105 MILLION, 6-YEAR CONTRACT

With those 3 out, their starting 5 to statesman the play volition be:

1. Crochet
2. Tanner Houck
3. Buehler
4. Richard Fitts
5. Sean Newcomb

Offensively, the Red Sox are returning astir of the lineup that had a batch of occurrence past year. 

Left fielder Jarren Duran, 3rd baseman Rafael Devers, archetypal baseman Triston Casas, catcher Connor Wong, close fielder Wilyer Abreu, and halfway fielder Ceddanne Rafaela volition beryllium backmost successful the fold. 

Shortstop Trevor Story volition beryllium steadfast connected opening time and should supply a boost to the lineup. Health has been an contented successful his Red Sox career. Story played successful lone 26 games past play and 163 successful his 3 seasons with the team. 

Bregman volition slot successful arsenic the 3rd baseman, which volition displacement Devers to the designated hitter role, which improves the squad defensively. 

Playing 2nd baseman for the Red Sox this play is apical imaginable Kristian Campbell. Campbell is 1 of 3 apical prospects the Red Sox person that could spot clip this year. Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer are the others. 

For the Red Sox to drawback their playoff drought and propulsion the Yankees and Orioles atop the AL East, they request those young players to proceed to physique disconnected past play with the seasoned additions to marque an contiguous impact. 

What does Paul Skenes person successful store for twelvemonth two?

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes reacts connected the tract earlier a crippled against the Cincinnati Reds astatine PNC Park.  (Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)

Skenes had 1 of the astir ascendant seasons by a rookie pitcher successful MLB past past play for the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

The 22-year-old went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA past season, portion striking retired an astounding 170 batters successful 133 innings. Skenes’ dominance earned him the commencement for the National League successful the All-Star crippled past season.

Despite lone pitching successful 23 games, Skenes finished 3rd connected the NL Cy Young ballot and adjacent received MVP votes. 

Skenes' sparkling 1.96 ERA was the lowest among rookie pitchers who had made astatine slightest 20 starts since 1920. 

While helium fell abbreviated of the NL Cy Young past season, his run for the grant begins Thursday astatine 4:10 p.m. ET erstwhile the Pittsburgh Pirates instrumentality connected the Miami Marlins.

Skenes is the ace of a young rotation that volition look to transportation the Pirates to the playoffs successful a anemic NL Central, and shot fans everyplace volition beryllium watching to spot what helium does this year. 

How galore bases volition Elly De La Cruz bargain this season?

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a outpouring grooming crippled astatine Camelback Ranch-Glendale March 4, 2025.  (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

After being called up successful 2023 by the Cincinnati Reds, De La Cruz stole 35 bases successful 98 games. In a afloat play of enactment successful 2024, the 23-year-old stole 67 bases successful 160 games, which led the large leagues. 

The closest subordinate to De La Cruz was Ohtani with 59 stolen bases. 

In summation to upping his stolen basal full implicit a afloat season, De La Cruz improved offensively. 

In 2023, helium deed .235 with 13 RBIs and a .300 on-base percentage. In 2024, helium deed .259 with 25 location runs and 76 RBIs with a .339 on-base percentage, but helium led the league successful strikeouts with 218.

While De La Cruz stole 67 bases and led the league, helium besides led the league by being caught stealing 16 times.

Should De Le Cruz proceed to amended offensively and/or chopped down connected getting caught stealing, helium could surpass 70 steals connected the season. 

The Reds anticipation De La Cruz continues to look arsenic a superstar arsenic the Reds look to marque the playoffs for the archetypal clip since 2020 and marque the playoffs for the archetypal clip successful a afloat play since 2013. 

Two teams are playing successful antithetic stadiums this year. Where are they playing, and wherefore are they moving?

The extortion of Tropicana Field is damaged the greeting aft Hurricane Milton deed the portion Oct. 10, 2024, successful St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The Oakland Athletics are nary longer. They are conscionable the Athletics until they implicit their determination to Las Vegas.

The Athletics’ caller location is astatine Sutter Health Park successful Sacramento, California, for 2025-2027. The Sacramento River Cats, the San Francisco Giants Triple-A affiliate, volition besides play their games astatine Sutter Health Park. 

After 3 years successful Sacramento, the A's volition determination to Las Vegas. 

The A’s played their location games astatine the Coliseum successful Oakland since 1968, but the franchise and metropolis didn’t hold to a lease extension, hence their determination to Sacramento. 

The Tampa Bay Rays volition besides person a antithetic location tract successful 2025 but for a antithetic reason. 

DIAMONDBACKS LEFT-HANDER JORDAN MONTGOMERY TO HAVE TOMMY JOHN SURGERY FOR SECOND TIME

Hurricane Milton blew the extortion disconnected and destroyed Tropicana Field, the Rays' location ballpark. With the ballpark destroyed, the Rays are playing their location games successful 2025 astatine their rivals' outpouring grooming home. 

The Yankees’ George M. Steinbrenner Field volition beryllium the location of the Rays successful 2025. The stadium is modeled aft Yankee Stadium successful the Bronx. 

It is chartless whether Tropicana Field volition beryllium rebuilt oregon if the Rays are going to physique a caller stadium to regenerate Tropicana Field. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks added Corbin Burnes this offseason. Is it capable to propulsion them into the playoffs and adjacent unseat the Dodgers?

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Corbin Burnes successful the dugout earlier facing the Chicago Cubs successful the archetypal inning during a outpouring grooming crippled astatine Salt River Fields March 3, 2025. (Imagn)

The Diamondbacks narrowly missed the playoffs past season, a twelvemonth aft making the World Series, and they finished 89-73. 

The Atlanta Braves and Mets some had 89-73 records past season, but those teams made the playoffs owed to tiebreakers, which kept the Diamondbacks connected the extracurricular looking in. 

The Diamondbacks started 49-48 past season, earlier a 40-25 surge to extremity the season, but they inactive fell conscionable abbreviated of the playoffs.

The team’s discourtesy was not astatine responsibility for not making the playoffs. 

No squad scored much runs successful shot past play than the Diamondbacks. They had the second-highest squad batting mean (.263), the highest squad on-base percent (.337), and the second-highest squad slugging percent (.440) successful the sport. 

The team’s pitching was its Achilles bottommost past season. 

The D-Backs' squad ERA was 4.62, which was 27th successful baseball. They struck retired the 26th fewest hitters (1,313) and yielded the 2nd astir hits successful shot (1,468).

Ace Zac Gallen was the lone pitcher who started much than 10 games with a sub-4.00 ERA. He had a 3.65 ERA successful 28 starts. 

This season, Gallen volition person a co-ace aft the squad signed 2021 NL Cy Young victor Corbin Burnes successful the offseason. 

Burnes had a 2.92 ERA successful 32 starts with the Orioles past play and finished 5th successful the American League Cy Young voting. The 30-year-old has made the All-Star squad each of the past 4 years. 

With Gallen and Burnes atop the rotation and Merrill Kelly steadfast again aft missing portion of 2024 with a enarthrosis injury, the Diamondbacks should person a formidable apical of the rotation. 

With a stronger rotation and with astir of the lineup that mashed past play acceptable to return, the Diamondbacks could instrumentality to the playoffs and possibly adjacent springiness the Dodgers a tally successful the NL West. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

What volition the Toronto Blue Jays bash with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays runs the bases aft hitting a three-run location tally against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning astatine Fenway Park June 24, 2024, successful Boston.  (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

The Blue Jays and prima archetypal baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could not travel to an statement connected a declaration hold earlier the archetypal baseman’s deadline to motion a deal.

Guerrero, 25, has 1 twelvemonth near connected his declaration earlier hitting escaped bureau and is successful enactment for a monolithic payday. 

Guerrero is coming disconnected a stellar season, erstwhile helium deed .323 with 30 location runs and 103 RBIs successful 159 games. 

While Guerrero had a beardown play past year, the Blue Jays did not. They went 74-88 and finished past successful the AL East. 

If the Blue Jays conflict to commencement the season, Guerrero’s sanction volition beryllium floated successful commercialized rumors, and helium could beryllium the biggest sanction connected the commercialized market.

Would the Blue Jays commercialized their superstar for a imaginable haul earlier helium departs successful escaped agency?

Or would the squad hazard keeping him done the commercialized deadline successful a pugnacious play successful hopes of signing him successful escaped agency.

What the Blue Jays determine to bash with Guerrero could alteration the equilibrium of powerfulness successful a pennant contention down the stretch.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.