The Cubs open the 2024 season against the defending World Series champions.
This will be the first time in Cubs franchise history that they will open a season against a defending World Series champion that’s an American League team.
The last time the Cubs opened the season against a defending World Series champion was 1998, when they began the year in Miami against the Marlins. They won two of three in that series on their way to a wild card berth, winning 90 games (including the wild-card tiebreaker game, which no longer exists). We’d take a 90-win season this year, I think.
For more on the Rangers, here’s Adam J. Morris, manager of our SB Nation Rangers site Lone Star Ball:
The 2024 Texas Rangers are doing something no Rangers team has ever done before — defending a World Series title. A weird feeling for Rangers fans, and one that has me, at least, much more sanguine about the coming year than I might otherwise be.
The big question for the Rangers coming into 2024 is about their pitching staff — and in particular, the rotation in the first half of the season. Thus, it seems appropriate that after Nathan Eovaldi, who will be starting on Opening Day, the final two games of the first series between Texas and the Cubs currently have TBD as the starter. Dane Dunning pitched on Tuesday, which would seem to put him on track to start Sunday, but that is up in the air. Jon Gray was supposed to pitch on Tuesday, but didn’t because of a sore neck. Andrew Heaney hasn’t pitched in an A game in two weeks. Michael Lorenzen may not be ready to go, having just signed, so maybe Cody Bradford will start the second game of the year.
Fortunately, there are fewer questions about the lineup. The Rangers scored a metric crapton of runs last year, and appear well suited to do that again in 2024, particularly with the additions of Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford, who will be playing in their first ever Opening Day game and who are co-favorites for A.L. Rookie of the Year. The lineup is solid top to bottom and in the field, they play solid defense. Corey Seager and Josh Jung, recovering from injuries, only got into games in the last week, so they will probably each get a game at DH in this series. Nathaniel Lowe is on the injured list due to an oblique injury, so Jared Walsh and Ezequiel Duran will platoon at first base in his absence.
Fun facts
This will be the 13th opening series that is the Cubs’ first visit to a park. It happened nine times from 1876-94. The only times since then were:
1902: Palace of the Fans, Cincinnati
1912: Redland Field, Cincinnati
1962: Colt Stadium, Houston
2000: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo vs Mets
All of those four were the first regular-season MLB series ever played in those parks.
…
In all season-opening series since 1876, the Cubs’ record is 208-193-4, a .518 winning percentage. They have a .512 percentage in all subsequent games of seasons.
In season-opening series on the road, the Cubs are 130-121-1, .518. They have just a .466 percentage in all subsequent road games of seasons.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups (2023 records)
Thursday: Justin Steele, LHP (16-5, 3.06 ERA, 1.171 WHIP, 3.02 FIP) vs. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP (12-5, 3.63 ERA, 1.139 WHIP, 3.88 FIP)
Saturday: Kyle Hendricks, RHP (6-8, 3.74 ERA, 1.204 WHIP, 3.81 FIP) vs. TBD
Sunday: Jordan Wicks, LHP (4-1, 4.41 ERA, 1.269 WHIP, 4.70 FIP) vs. TBD
Times & TV channels
Thursday: 6:35 p.m. CT, ESPN (full national broadcast, no blackouts)
Saturday: 6:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Sunday: 1:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
There will be lots of hoopla for this series given the Rangers are defending WS champs and will have a ring ceremony, etc. But I think the Cubs are ready for battle and will take two of three in this opening series, especially with the Rangers pitching sort of in disarray as noted above.
Up next
The Cubs head home for the Wrigley Field opener Monday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies, the first of a three-game series.