With the MLB season now officially underway, every team begins its regular season trek with varying expectations, but each team carries at least one big question mark l affecting how their season will play out. Whether it is a specific player, a rebuild or a team looking for a playoff/World Series push, we’ll go through every team by division and answer the biggest looming question heading into the 2023 season.
NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks – Is this team an NL West darkhorse?
The Diamondbacks have an interesting roster of young players and tested veterans and could surprise the baseball world if their young talent produces good seasons. The star that headlines the young core Arizona is building is Corbin Carroll, a 23-year old rookie born in Seattle, who signed an 8 year, $111 million dollar contract over the offseason, which shows the team’s confidence that he will be a mainstay in the Diamondbacks outfield. Alongside Carroll is Jake McCarthy, Alex Thomas, and Gabriel Moreno. On the pitching side, Zach Gallen looks to continue his ascent as one of the premier starters in the league, and he pitched to a 1.49 ERA over his final 14 starts last season. While they are in a tough division, they could make some noise this year with their young talent playing up to potential.
San Francisco Giants – Can this team improve despite missing out on big stars?
The Giants actively pursued Aaron Judge in the offseason before he re-signed with the Yankees, and they looked like they secured Carlos Correa before an injury helped send him back to Minnesota. After missing out on those two big names, the Giants went after some veteran acquisitions, the biggest of which was Micheal Conforto, who will be back on the field after missing the entirety of the 2022 campaign after a shoulder surgery. He struggled during the shortened season in 2020, but has shown he can be a bigtime bat in the lineup. After finishing .500 a year ago, will the Giants improve or take a step back in a topheavy NL West this season?
Colorado Rockies – What direction is this team going in?
The Rookies have not finished better than fourth in the NL West since 2018 and have made some of the most baffling moves I’ve seen any baseball organization make over the last few years. They traded away Nolan Arenado for basically nothing, then gave a massive deal to Chris Bryant, who struggled with injuries and didn’t impress last season. Instead of blowing the team up and building around young players like Zach Veen and Ezequiel Tovar, the Rockies continue to wander aimlessly, with a deal bringing Jurickson Profar and an extension on the 37-year-old Daneil Bard last July. And yet, Rockies owner Dick Monfort said that this team can play .500 baseball. As a fan of the Rockies myself, I sometimes struggle to truly understand the goals and plans of Colorado and its front office.
Los Angeles Dodgers – Is the grip on the NL West slipping?
The Dodgers have controlled the NL West for the past decade, winning the division nine times. While L.A. still has the likes of Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw and Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers lost a ton of talent in the offseason, including Trea Turner, Justin Turner, Craig Cimbrel, Andrew Heaney and Tyler Anderson. With the Padres hungry to take the division with their loaded roster, the Dodgers are the most vulnerable they’ve been in a long time. While the expectation in L.A. is still a World Series push, are the offseason additions of J.D. Martinez, David Peralta and Noah Syndergaard enough to take another division title?
San Diego Padres – Are the Padres the top dogs in the NL West?
This team is absolutely loaded and full of storylines going into 2023. After landing Juan Sotoin in a massive trade last season, San Diego beat the Dodgers in the postseason and were so close to a World Series berth. The Padres further improved on the offense in the offseason with the signing of Xander Bogearts, and now go into the 2023 campaign with arguably the best roster in the NL. Another superstar looking to return to form will be Fernando Tatis Jr., who missed all of last season with an injury then a suspension and will be eligible to return April 20th. Is this the year the Padres change the NL West landscape? They certainly have the roster to do so.
NL Central:
Chicago Cubs – Is a new core being established?
Chicago has only made the postseason once since the start of 2019, and is virtually devoid of the core that brought the Windy City their first championship in 108 years in 2018. The Cubs signed Dansby Swanson and then took a big risk in signing Cody Bellinger, a former NL MVP who has had back-to-back disastrous seasons with the Dodgers. Bellinger will have a chance to re-establish his career as the 27-year-old makes his debut with Chicago this season, who look to be competitive in a slightly weak NL Central.
Milwaukee Brewers – Can Milwaukee overcome offensive shortcomings?
The story with the Brew Crew has long been a great pitching staff and bullpen but a mediocre offense. It’s likely they’ll chase the Cardinals this season, so the offense, headlined by Victor Carantini and Willy Adames, looks to back up the pitching staff of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Eric Lauer and Freddy Peralta. Burnes grew frustrated over his arbitration negotiations over the offseason and could be a potential trade candidate if the Brewers are not playing as expected.
St. Louis Cardinals – Does the rotation have enough depth?
The Cardinals will enter the season as the favorites to repeat as NL Central champs, but the starting rotation depth is going to be a question mark. Last year, the Cardinals ranked right in the middle in team ERA and were 26th in K per 9. With Adam Wainwright out several weeks with a groin injury to begin the season, the rotation will lean heavily on Jack Flaherty, Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas to stay healthy and be productive. No changes or additions were made in the offseason, so it seems the organization feels confident the pitching will improve in 2023.
Cincinnati Reds – Is this Joey Vott’s last season?
With the Reds in a rebuilding state, most of the focus is on 39-year-old Joey Votto, who said he would retire if he doesn’t play up to his standards. He is in the final year of his contract, and, after posting a career-worst OPS last season, he enters the season recovering from a shoulder surgery. Votto is a serious Hall of Fame candidate and one of the best Reds of all time, and this season may end up being his last.
Pittsburgh Pirates – Will Oneil Cruz break out?
There’s not a whole lot to cheer for or look forward to in Pittsburg, but Oneil Cruz really is one of the most interesting players in the league. He smashed the hardest hit ball in the statcast era last season, but he still struggles with strikeout and inconsistency. He will be looking to establish himself as one of the premier young stars in the game and a cornerstone in the Pirates long rebuild. He finished his season on a tear with a near .900 OPS and six home runs over the last month and change of the year. Time will tell if he can transfer that success to this season.
NL East:
Washington Nationals – Is Joey Meneses for real?
Joey Meneses was one of the great baseball success stories in the second half of 2022. After bouncing around the minor leagues and a stint in Japan, he made the most of his opportunity in the big leagues. In 56 games, Meneses hit .324 with 13 HRs and 34 RBIs. The 30-year-old will look to be a key contributor on a team without a lot of starpower in Washington this season.
Miami Marlins – Is there enough offense to compete?
The Marlins pitching staff is very deep and talented heading into 2023, headlined by the reigning Cy-Young winner Sandy Alcantera, and it also includes Edward Cabrera, Jesus Luzardo and Trevor Rodgers. But the big question is, how will this team score runs? They failed to secure any middle of the order bats in the offseason, and while Luiz Arraez, Jean Segura and Yuli Gurriel are nice additions, the biggest thing this tram lacks is power. In a tough division, Miami will likely have the pitching to be a decent team, but the offense doesn’t seem good enough to get the Marlins to the postseason.
Philadelphia Phillies – How to manage early injury trouble?
The Phillies had a magical run to the World Series last year, but they are already facing some big roadblocks entering 2023. The biggest blow was Rhys Hoskins tearing his ACL and being sidelined for the whole year, but then Bryce Harper underwent elbow surgery and will be out for the first few months of the season. So who will step up in those players’ absence? The signing of Trea Turner will be key for the offense, but will it be enough in a competitive NL East? A return to form from Nick Castellanos would be huge, as well as a big season from Alec Bohm and Kyle Schwarber.
Atlanta Braves – A return to form by Acuna Jr.?
Acuna Jr. is one of the top superstars in the league on a great team in Atlanta, but had a slightly disappointing 2022 where he batted .266 with 15 HRs and 50 RBIs. After blowing out his knee in 2021, if the Braves want to repeat as champs in the East, Acuna will need to be a huge part of that. The Mets spent even more money to win the division, so Atlanta may need to win over 100 games again this season to capture the division.
New York Mets – Will they need a closer?
It seems New York is going World Series or bust this year, as they unloaded contracts for Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and Joe Quintana to replace Jacob DeGrom. This team has a loaded roster, but they suffered a pretty big setback when star closer Edwin Diaz suffered a knee injury in the World Baseball Classic. This leaves a massive hole in their bullpen. They do have a couple veterans in David Robertson and Adam Ottvino, but may have to look for an external option to close out games as they chase a NL East title this season.
AL East:
Boston Red Socks – How will team gel with so much turnover?
Some big names left the Boston Red Sox over the offseason, including Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Matt Barnes and Nathan Eovaldi. Boston went out and got quite a few veteran replacements including Justin Turner, Adam Duvall, Kenly Jansen, and Clorey Kluber, as well as Japanese star Masataka Yoshida. With all this turnover and new faces, including top prospect Triston Casas, it will be interesting to see how all these players will mesh together with the Red Socks in a competitive AL East. Rafeal Devers with his new extension will be the unquestioned clubhouse leader, but this is certainly an interesting group.
Baltimore Orioles – Are they ready to be true competitors?
Last season was certainly an impressive one for the Baltimore Orioles. They won 83 games and nearly made it into October on the strength of a young core and a few important veteran pieces, including Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins, and Dean Kremer. The young star catcher Adley Rutschman will play his first full season, and other youngsters like Gunnar Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez will also be asked to make big impacts. While nobody’s expecting them to win the division, anything but a wildcard spot would be a slight disappointment this season for Baltimore.
Tampa Bay Rays – Can the offense improve and stay healthy?
The Rays got into the postseason as the No. 6 seed last season, but their offense certainly wasn’t the driving factor for them. They averaged just 4.11 runs per game last season and were carried by a great pitching staff. Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe are linchpins for this offense, but they struggled to stay healthy last season. They will be key pieces to help back up the effective starting pitching and great bullpen for Tampa Bay looking to improve and gear up for another playoff push.
Toronto Blue Jays – How effective can the back half of the rotation be?
After a truly brutal end to their season a year ago, Toronto is determined to not only get back to the postseason, but make some noise in the playoffs. The top of the rotation (Alex Manoah, Kevin Guasman, and Chris Bassitt) can hold the line against anyone, but Yusei Kikuchi is uneven and inconsistent and Jose Berrios had a disastrous year in which he led the majors in both hits and earned runs allowed, and struggled in spring training. They will need those guys to be consistent and have good depth, as the offense is in good shape with stars like Vladimir Guerro Jr., George Springer and Bo Bichette.
New York Yankees – Who will contribute on offense outside of Judge?
The Yanks were carried last year in part because of Aaron Judge having a historic season with 62 home runs, but the offense was not incredible behind him. The most exciting addition this year is rookie Anthony Volpe. He was great in spring training and will be the starting shortstop, and will have high expectations from Yankees fans despite his youth. Can he help finally carry the Bronx Bombers to a title and another AL East crown? The offense will certainly be the biggest question mark outside of Aaron Judge, just as it was a year ago.
AL Central:
Detroit Tigers – How will the young stars contribute?
It’s going to be another rebuilding year in Detroit, and that means a continued focus on the young core the Tigers are building around. This season is particularly important for Spencer Torkelson, who will look to cash in on the potential the Tigers saw in him when he was drafted first overall three years ago. Other youngsters like Riley Green and Kerry Carpenter will also look to have big seasons as the rebuild continues.
Kansas City Royals – Will Bobby Witt Jr. ascend to stardom?
Bobby Witt Jr. is the cornerstone of this Royals team, and showed some of his massive potential with a 20-20 season and 80 RBI’s while batting .254. While it may seem like a lot to ask from this 23-year-old, this season will be important to see if he can truly lead the next Royals contender. He should benefit from the bigger bases and less pickoff move rules this season, but he’s the biggest piece for this rebuilding Kansas City club.
Chicago White Sox – How can new management right the ship?
Many were pleased to see Tony La Russa go last season after many baffling in-game decisions and an overall lack of direction from the franchise. Rookie manager Pedro Grifol will take over at the helm, and he looks to improve a team who had a very disappointing 2022 finishing at exactly .500. This team has the talent to compete in a pretty wide open AL Central, but with the injury to Liam Hendricks, it looks like Grifol will have his work cut out for him.
Minnesota Twins – Can the team stay healthy?
Health has been the biggest obstacle for many of the Twins stars in recent years, with the most obvious example being Bryon Buxton. Buxton has incredible talent, but he has only played in 100 games in one season so far in his career, and injury concerns already reared their ugly head in spring training. Jorge Polanco, Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, and Gilberto Celestino all start the season on the IL. Not to mention the concern over Carlos Correa’s ankle, and you have a team that will be putting health as their top priority as they look to take the AL Central this season.
Cleveland Guardians – Can the offense do its part?
The Guardians will have no question about their pitching staff this season, as Shane Beiber and Triston McKenzie are both top-end starters. The bullpen also has one of the better closers in the league in Emmanuel Clase. They won the AL Central a year ago despite hitting the second-fewest homers in the league and finished with a 99 wRC+, the lowest among all playoff teams. Cleveland certainly has the talent to win the division again this season, but the offense will need to be more than Jose Ramirez to get the job done this season.
AL West:
Oakland Athletics – What does the future of this team look like?
The Athletics shipped off all their stars including Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Murphy and Frankie Montas, and while they have a few interesting pieces, this will be a long season in Oakland. There is a certain air of uncertainty around this franchise, as their plans for a new stadium in Oakland fell through and the owner John Fisher has been in talks about moving the team to Las Vegas. Either way, this team will struggle for the next few seasons, and by the time the rebuild is coming to an end, the Athletics may not even be in Oakland anymore.
Texas Rangers – Does the new look rotation make the rangers a competitor?
Rangers General Manager knew his team needed a boost of talent on the mound going into this season, and so he proceeded to add two time Cy Young winner Jacob DeGrom and depth pieces in Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Jake Odorizzi. All of these pitchers have fairly extensive injury histories, so health will be a big key for the Rangers this season. The team ranked middle of the pack offensively last season, raking 16th in average and 12th in runs per game. The question is whether this rotation will stay healthy enough and provide enough support for the Rangers to be competitive this season, as they seek their first winning season since 2016.
Los Angeles Angels – Can they keep Ohtani?
Shohei Ohtani is truly a unicorn player, doing things no one has in the history of the game. He will certainly look to test free agency next season, but the Angels need to make the postseason and possibly win a game or two in the playoffs to encourage Ohtani to think about staying with the club. How long will this Angels franchise waste two of the best players we have seen in decades in Ohtani and Mike Trout? The offseason saw several veterans added to the squad, but this is an absolutely critical season for the Angels as they have one simple goal – keep Shohei in Anaheim.
Seattle Mariners – Can the team build on last year’s success?
Last season was great for Mariners fans, as Seattle broke the longest playoff drought in baseball and followed it up by winning two games against Toronto, including one of the biggest playoff comebacks ever in the Wildcard series. The Mariners go into this season with high expectations for the first time in a while, and a big piece looking for improvement is the offense. Seattle added Teoscar Hernandez in the offseason to an offense that finished 17th in slugging percentage and 18th in runs scored last year. Julio Rodriguez will look to build on his Rookie of the Year campaign, and youngster Jarred Kelenic will also attempt to make his mark after struggling mightily last season. If the offense can improve this season, don’t be surprised if they give the Astros a run for the AL West crown.
Houston Astros – Will Houston continue to cultivate its dynastic legacy?
After winning the World Series without an asterisk last season, the Astros go into 2023 as still one of the best rosters in the AL, although they will be without the services of Jose Altuve for the first few months of the season. The 36-year-old Jose Abreu will be asked to pick up the slack in Altuve’s absence, but this team is absolutely loaded. With stars like Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez, and a young and exciting Jeremy Pena, Houston will be the AL West favorites once again and the team to beat in October.