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Things are a little different this year.

For the first time since 2012, someone other than Terry Francona is at the helm. Not only does this organization have so much to learn about the young talent that is on the Opening Day roster, but the Guardians need to learn how their new manager, Stephen Vogt, operates.

It’s time to learn if Tyler Freeman can handle center field. Can Brayan Rocchio bring some offensive production to shortstop? Will Bo Naylor settle in now that he’s in his second season? There are countless things to learn this year. This journey to find all these answers begins tomorrow, as the Guardians open the year in Vogt’s home away from home: The Oakland Coliseum.

“[Craig Albernaz] and I were talking during the ninth [on Tuesday],” Vogt said. "Just like, ‘All right, we’re ready. It’s time to go.’ The guys are ready. It’s go time.”

What needs to go right?

Youth has to be the answer. It’s time for all the prospects who have been sitting in Cleveland’s system to finally get a fair look in the big leagues. But with youth comes a lot of question marks. If these young players can deliver, this can be a contending team -- but that’s a big ask. Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams (once he’s healthy) need to build on tremendous rookie seasons and fight off sophomore hiccups. Naylor will need to settle in offensively and be a consistent contributor to the offense. Freeman will need to take advantage of getting frequent at-bats in center field. Rocchio will need to demonstrate that everything he worked on with his approach at the plate can translate to the regular season. And when even younger guys (like Kyle Manzardo) inevitably get called up to the Majors, they will need to be immediate contributors. In short, everything has to go right for the Guardians to get back on track.

Great unknown

Can they score enough runs? Even with starter Gavin Williams and three relievers beginning the year on the injured list, the Guardians should still be in pretty good shape when it comes to their pitching. When it comes to the offense, we don’t have enough evidence to believe that it can be better than last year just yet. The two differences with this roster from 2023 are the additions of catcher Austin Hedges and outfielder Estevan Florial and the removal of center fielder Myles Straw. Hedges is known for his leadership and his defense -- not his bat. Florial could help offensively, but after an underwhelming spring, it’s hard to simply assume that will be the case. Getting Freeman more consistent at-bats in center field could be a help, replacing Straw’s lackluster bat. But this is an offense that ranked last in homers, 29th in slugging percentage and 27th in runs scored last year; they’ll need to find a way to push more runs across the plate this season.

Team MVP will be … José Ramírez

What a boring answer, but is there anyone else the team can absolutely count on with one of the youngest rosters in baseball yet again? The Guardians need Ramírez, Josh Naylor, Andrés Giménez and Steven Kwan to all be at their best offensively. But it’s Ramírez who has proven that, year after year, he can be the heartbeat of this lineup. There’s no reason to believe that will stop now.

Team Cy Young will be … Gavin Williams

Shane Bieber could be the easy answer here, especially after he’s shown improvement with his fastball velocity and his curveball. But let’s say Bieber is at his best in the first half of the season. He’s set for free agency this winter. If the Guardians could find a trade partner in July, maybe they make a deal. Until we know for sure that Bieber will be here for all of 2024, we’ll steer clear of naming him the team Cy Young. So, that title goes to Williams -- assuming he only misses a handful of starts to begin the season. Last year, the spotlight was on Bibee (and rightfully so), but Williams has so much in the tank that he has yet to display. With a little bit of experience under his belt, he could take serious strides in his sophomore campaign.

Bold prediction

Let’s go really bold: Manzardo will win AL Rookie of the Year. A lot of things have to go right for this to happen. First, the Guardians need to call him up early enough in the season for him to establish a credible case to take the honors. Then, he needs to be able to look as poised at the plate as he did in Spring Training, plus provide above-average offensive production if he’s going to win. But he showed he has the capability (and maturity) to handle that tall task.