Well, this is show number one for the 2024 season and it has already started. I’m going to go through the teams simply because some people trust me a little bit on baseball. I think year before last I picked the Astros to win the World Series. I picked them again last year and they were close enough, but who knows who I’ll pick this season, but the Astros will be in that final bunch. Boy, I’ll tell you what, we’ve got some good teams going this year. I think some of these teams did a great job of improving themselves. So, let’s get to it.

In the National League West – Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and the San Francisco Giants. So, who do you like? Well, I like the LA Dodgers. They’ve got …. Fact is, their pitching staff may be spectacular because they’ve got the player that everyone wanted, and I don’t think that anyone’s going to handle them real well. I think the Dodgers win the National League West. Arizona should come in second and they may go farther than the Dodgers do.

In the National League East, the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Washington Nationals. I think this again is a two team race. I think it’s the Atlanta Braves one and the Philadelphia Phillies coming in second. The Braves are a heck of a good ball club.

National League Central, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals. Who gets the nod in 2024? All of these teams got better, and some of them quite a bit better. But I’m going to step out – and pick the Cubs to win the Division and the second place team, I think, will be the Milwaukee Brewers. We’ll see.

Meanwhile the American League Central. Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and the Minnesota Twins. Again, this is another, I think every one I just mentioned is improved. Who’s going to win it? I’m going to step out and say the White Sox. I think the White Sox may win this thing and the runner up, I think it’s between Cleveland and Minnesota and I’ll take Minnesota.

American League East you’ve got Baltimore – boy are they on a streak or what? Two years ago, maybe it was three, they were the worst team in the Majors. Two years ago they weren’t very good. Last year they got real good and this year they think they are even better. Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees – they’ve got to be a lot better than a pitiful year last year – then you’ve got Toronto and Tampa Bay and they can both play. So, I don’t know what you do on this one. Baltimore, I guess is going to win it and the Yankees surely can’t stay down again so I’ll take them at number two.

I’ll end up with the American League West. Best Division in baseball probably for the second straight year. Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, LA Angels, Texas Rangers, and the Houston Astros. Astros, I believe, will win and a shock here, I think Seattle will finish second and if they don’t, Texas will.

So that’s it! Those are the winners and ones that ought to be the Wild Cards. I think, in the finals, they didn’t ask me to do this, but I’m going to take the Astros and the Dodgers in the World Series. I’ll be honest with you, I think that’s a heck of a World Series. And, I think the Astros will win it. Anyone surprised?

Until next time, so long everybody.

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‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at [email protected].