The Athletics

This season, the Athletics will be the only team without a location preceding their team name, as they are in the middle of a relocation to Las Vegas. They will be playing their home games in Sacramento while their new stadium in Sin City is being built. This move has left a sour taste in the mouths of Athletics fans, but the one cure for fan disappointment is—and will always be—winning, something I believe the Athletics have a real chance to do this year.

The A’s ended last season with many bright spots. They found a couple of potential franchise players in Silver Slugger Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler—two guys who propelled them from having the worst offense in Major League Baseball in 2023 to hitting the 8th most home runs in 2024. Because of that, Rooker and Butler earned 5-year and 7-year extensions, respectively. The Athletics also finished the season with series wins against multiple playoff teams, such as the Phillies, Mets, and Astros twice.

Now that the relocation to Vegas is imminent, it seems as if John Fisher has finally opened the checkbook. The Athletics went out and signed two veteran pitchers, Jeffrey Springs and Luis Severino, who have a combined 16 years of experience in the big leagues. Bolstering that starting rotation was a glaring need for the A’s, as they allowed the 6th most runs last season. They also added World Series champion, Jose Leclerc, to that already electric bullpen, which includes last year’s flame-throwing phenom, Mason Miller.

People may forget this is an A’s team that was sitting at 30-56 around the halfway point of the 2024 season and truly turned things around to finish 39-37—which was good for the fourth-best record in the AL since July 1. A big reason for this was Lawrence Butler, who hit 20 home runs in his last 73 games with the club. He’s still raking in Spring Training, posting an average of .375, along with 23-year-old SS Jacob Wilson, who’s hit 4 bombs and only struck out twice across 53 plate appearances.

The A’s are a team that many people are sleeping on due to their lack of success in recent years. The players know it, too, and they’re looking to shock the world. Butler said in a recent interview, “We still feel slept on, and we’re gonna wake the league up; y’all heard it here first.” Well, I’m here to reiterate that sentiment. These guys are not a team to be taken lightly, and as Butler said, they’ve “…had that feeling in the locker room of keeping the momentum from last season, the second half, to this season.”

The vibes are immaculate in Sacramento, and the Athletics finally have a young core mixed with some wily vets who believe they can compete. I’m not saying place a futures bet on the A’s to win the pennant or anything like that, but going over their 72.5-game win total seems like a six-month certificate of deposit with the great moves they’ve made this offseason and the emergence of their impressive young core.

Cincinnati Reds

In 2024, the Reds got a true glimpse of just how special Elly De La Cruz can be at the major league level. Whether it was his remarkable 67 stolen bases that topped the league, or the tremendous power he brings to the plate with 25 home runs, his talent was undeniable. It was more than enough to justify the Reds’ front office decision to build this team around De La Cruz.

There’s also optimism that second baseman Matt McLain can return to his 2023 form after missing the entirety of the 2024 season due to shoulder surgery. McLain finished 5th in the Rookie of the Year voting and was tied for second-most doubles on his team despite playing only 98 games. Pair him with left fielder Spencer Steer, who finished just behind McLain in 2023 Rookie of the Year voting, and this lineup has the potential to be extremely dangerous.

The starting rotation is similarly anchored by homegrown talent, with 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Hunter Greene, who was named the Opening Day starter for the second consecutive year. He’s coming off a season in which he made his first All-Star appearance and finished in the Cy Young Award voting. Behind him are Nick Lodolo and Nick Martinez. Martinez seemed to find his groove as the starter the Reds have been hoping for toward the end of last season. He delivered four consecutive quality starts to finish the year—a significant achievement for a player who has spent most of his career in the bullpen and is now working to establish himself as a reliable starter.

This team’s success will largely depend on how far Elly De La Cruz can take them. After showcasing his superstar potential last year, he’ll aim to refine his plate discipline (he led MLB in strikeouts) and become the more selective, feared slugger this organization believes he can be. The Reds play in a wide-open NL Central, a division that truly feels like it’s anyone’s for the taking following moves by teams like the Brewers and the Cubs. A wager on the Reds to win their division (+450 to win the NL Central) and go over their 78.5-game win total feels justifiable and offers another reason to tune in and watch the phenomenon that is Elly De La Cruz.