2024 Los Angeles Dodgers Q&A: What are their World Series odds, top storylines, players to monitor?

Despite finishing the 2023 regular season with a 100-62 record, the Los Angeles Dodgers were humiliatingly swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series.

In response to leaving the postseason without a win for the first time in 17 years, the Dodgers went all in this offseason like no other team in MLB history. To prepare for the most highly anticipated season in franchise history, here are the answers to some of the biggest questions about the 2024 Dodgers.

How many games are the Dodgers projected to win, and what is their season outlook?

To little surprise, the Dodgers are the odds-on favorite to win the National League West (-600) and the World Series this season (+320), according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Additionally, Los Angeles is expected to surpass last season's win total, as the team is projected to win 103.5 games in 2024. 

When is Opening Day, and who will start the Dodgers’ first game?

The Dodgers will open the 2024 MLB season on Wednesday, March 20, against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, as part of a two-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 a.m. EST, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (3.53 ERA in 2023), who was acquired from Tampa Bay this offseason, will start for Los Angeles on Wednesday, while RHP Yu Darvish (4.56 ERA in 2023) will take the mound for San Diego. 

Notable offseason additions?

You could say there were a few.

Los Angeles spent over $1.2B on player contracts this offseason, with no signing more notable than two-time American League MVP Shohei Ohtani, who inked an unprecedented 10-year, $700M deal. However, Ohtani opted to defer $68M of his $70M annual salary,, which opened the door for the Dodgers to add even more high-profile talent to their already star-studded roster.

Thanks to Ohtani's willingness to help his new team, Los Angeles landed and extended Glasnow and made a flurry of free-agent signings, including Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. Yamamoto, the top pitcher on the market this past offseason, was the Dodgers' second most expensive acquisition (12-year, $325 million contract) and will be one of the team's most important players in his rookie season.

Top storyline from spring training?

Yamamoto’s struggles. 

The three-time Pacific League MVP's transition to MLB hasn't been smooth, as he finished spring training with an 8.38 ERA. Across his 9.2 innings pitched, Yamamoto allowed 15 hits and nine earned runs while walking four batters and collecting 14 strikeouts.  

Of course, it was only spring training, so any results should be taken with a grain of salt. On the bright side, Yamamoto might have simply been suffering from bad luck, as his batting average on balls in play was a staggering .517, far above the league average of about .300. With more time to adjust to MLB mounds and baseballs, Yamamoto should look like the pitcher he's advertised to be sooner rather than later. 

Biggest question entering the season? 

Will the rotation be able to meet expectations?  

Although the Dodgers often seem to have as much pitching depth as any team, their rotation, which has improved since ranking 20th in the majors in ERA last season (4.57), is still an area of concern.

We've already touched on Yamamoto's disappointing spring, and his contract -- and lack of MLB experience -- will only add to the rotation's uncertainty if his struggles persist.

Meanwhile, other starting pitchers have extensive injury histories that should be of greater concern for Los Angeles. When healthy, Glasnow is one of the top pitchers in baseball, but he's only reached the 100 IP threshold in two of his eight career seasons. Additionally, James Paxton, the team's projected No. 4 starter, has only made 25 starts since 2020 due to multiple surgeries. 

It's worth noting that 10-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw should join the rotation at some point this summer once he's fully healed from offseason shoulder surgery. Kershaw's addition will benefit the Dodgers if an injury occurs. However, it's impossible to ignore the possibility of Kershaw being ineffective, given that he allowed six runs and recorded just one out in the first inning in Game 1 of the NLDS. 

Just how improved will the Dodgers be?

It's difficult to say just how much the Dodgers' acquisitions will help increase their success in the win column, considering they're a perennial 100-win team. Even so, since the 2022 Dodgers came closest to the single-season record of 116 wins, if anyone can surpass that mark, it's this team.

Nonetheless, anything short of a World Series title would make this a disappointing season for Los Angeles. While money doesn't always buy championships, the 2023 Texas Rangers proved it definitely helps.