MLB · 1 year ago

NL Playoff Picture: Picking Division Winners & Wild Cards

Zack Cook

Host · Writer

6. Chicago Cubs (NL Wild Card #3)
The Chicago Cubs can make a real case to challenge for the National League Central in 2024. This division is wide open for the taking, and you can build a case for any of the five teams. The Cubs added a high-end manager in Craig Counsell while retaining Cody Bellinger's services. Overall, it was a strong offseason for the Cubs, who should be a legitimate playoff contender. The Cubs also have some talented youth making the jump, leading to us being bullish on them finding their way into the postseason.

National League Pennant Odds: +1800

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1. Atlanta Braves (NL East)
It's not hard to make a case for the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Dodgers to be the top seed in the 2024 National League playoff bracket. It's essentially a coin flip, especially if you factor in that both win totals are set at over 100 wins. The Braves have an advantage over the Dodgers with their rotation. There's more projectability for the Braves, and they have a safer outcome to be excellent in 2024. In addition, their batting order can go toe-to-toe with any team in baseball, leading us to pick them as the top seed in the National League.

National League Pennant Odds: +250

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2. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West)
Despite the dark cloud hanging over the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into the regular season, there's still a ton to be excited about with this group. The Dodgers have an incredible starting lineup, and their rotation has a ceiling that will play just fine in the National League. Although there are some real question marks about their rotation, LA can outscore those problems any night. The Dodgers have been the standard of regular-season dominance over the last decade, and we don't see that changing in 2024.

National League Pennant Odds: +165
3. St. Louis Cardinals (NL Central)
The St. Louis Cardinals are a fascinating team to project in 2024. After finishing 2023 dead-last in the NL Central, can the perennial contenders bounce back and make noise in the National League? The NL Central is right there for the taking in 2024, and the Cardinals have a potent mix of youth and veterans, which they were missing at times in 2023. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt can be much better, which we expect in 2024. Can St. Louis get enough starting pitching to qualify? We'll say yes, but it's hard to see them making a deep run.

National League Pennant Odds: +1600

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4. Philadelphia Phillies (NL Wild Card #1)
It seems that the Philadelphia Phillies are built to win in October. They'll stumble into the NL playoff bracket, but their high-end veterans must elevate their game when the stakes are higher. With how we've seen the Phillies perform over the last two seasons, we expect nothing different in 2024. Although the Phillies likely won't find themselves on top of the NL East, they're still a solid bet to qualify as one of the three wild-card teams in the National League.

National League Pennant Odds: +800

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5. Arizona Diamondbacks (NL Wild Card #2)
You're probably lying if you claimed to expect the Arizona Diamondbacks to qualify for the postseason in 2023 and make a run to the World Series. The D-Backs haven't been content with being a flash in the pan, as they made moves to help sustain their success this offseason. With a great mix of youth and veterans on the club, the Diamondbacks can make another run at the postseason in 2024. Anything less for this group would be taking a step back.

National League Pennant Odds: +1800
6. Chicago Cubs (NL Wild Card #3)
The Chicago Cubs can make a real case to challenge for the National League Central in 2024. This division is wide open for the taking, and you can build a case for any of the five teams. The Cubs added a high-end manager in Craig Counsell while retaining Cody Bellinger's services. Overall, it was a strong offseason for the Cubs, who should be a legitimate playoff contender. The Cubs also have some talented youth making the jump, leading to us being bullish on them finding their way into the postseason.

National League Pennant Odds: +1800

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Atlanta Braves (NL East)
It's not hard to make a case for the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Dodgers to be the top seed in the 2024 National League playoff bracket. It's essentially a coin flip, especially if you factor in that both win totals are set at over 100 wins. The Braves have an advantage over the Dodgers with their rotation. There's more projectability for the Braves, and they have a safer outcome to be excellent in 2024. In addition, their batting order can go toe-to-toe with any team in baseball, leading us to pick them as the top seed in the National League.

National League Pennant Odds: +250

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NL Playoff Picture: Picking Division Winners & Wild Cards

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