Predicting the Winner for Each National League Division Title in 2024
While the American League's Texas Rangers are the reigning World Series Champions, two of the National League's three divisions offer powerhouse teams that are expected to be playing late into October.
While the third division in the National League doesn't contain a team expected to approach 100 wins like the Braves and Dodgers, it will likely be the most competitive division in Senior Circuit.
Will the Braves and Dodgers repeat and who wins the Central?
Here are my picks to win the National League Divisions in 2024.
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National League East: Atlanta Braves (-290)
While there are projections for the Braves to fall short of their 104 regular season win total of 2023, that's not the question we're answering here.
With an offense that projects to include six everyday players with at least 24 home runs, including four over 30, the Braves are set to once again be a powerful offensive juggernaut.
I'm skeptical Jarred Kelenic is the long-term answer in left field, but if that's the worst of your problems you're in great shape.
Atlanta's in great shape.
They've added Chris Sale to a rotation led by Spencer Strider, including Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Reynaldo Lopez.
The only other team in the division that is even worth mentioning in this context is the Philadelphia Phillies, but that's a team built more for the postseason than the 162-game slog of the regular season and the Phillies will likely finish double-digit games behind Atlanta.
National League Central: Chicago Cubs (+200)
The most competitive division in the National League, an argument could be made for each of the five teams if you stretch it a bit, but realistically comes down to the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, or Milwaukee Brewers.
While the Cardinals are the trendy pick, going from 71 wins to the Division Champ is quite the ask.
The Brewers trading away Corbin Burnes helped in the short term, but that also helps the Cubs and the addition of Manager Craig Counsell is another boost for Chicago.
As the odds for this division indicate, this will likely be a three-team race that could come down to the arm of someone who hasn't thrown an official Major League pitch yet in Shota Imanaga, who's making the move from the Nippon Professional Baseball League to the Windy City.
I'm betting on Counsell, Justin Steele, and Imanaga to do just enough to take the flag, though I do see the Cardinals as an improved squad.
National League West: Los Angeles Dodgers (-600)
Similar to the East, there's only one team to consider and that's the Dodgers at this unfriendly number if you're a bettor.
Sure, they could be sidetracked by injuries and their pitchers seem to fall by the day, but what an offseason this team had.
Signing Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar to slide into an already potent lineup and adding Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the pitching staff spoke volumes about the goals for ownership in 2024.
Whether the Dodgers reach their lofty win total is another question and I expect the Diamondbacks to win more than the 84 of last season, but if someone else other than Los Angeles wins this division something has gone horribly wrong in Dodgerland.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.