13 Storylines To Watch For In The 2016 MLB Season

Opening Day for the 2016 Major League Baseball season is set for Apr. 3. There are many reasons for baseball fans to watch this year. So here are 13 of the biggest things to watch for this year.

1. New faces in new places

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Many star players changed teams this past offseason. Gold Glove Award winning outfielder Jason Heyward left the St. Louis Cardinals to sign with the National League Central rival Chicago Cubs for eight years, $184 million. Two former Cy Young Award winners also switched teams, with David Price signing with the Boston Red Sox, and Zack Greinke joining the Arizona Diamondbacks. Price signed for seven years, $217 million, with Greinke inking a six year, $206 million dollar contract. All three look to help lead their clubs to a World Series title, a prize that eluded each of them so far.

2. New managers calling the shots

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Five teams will be led by new managers in 2016. After a disappointing 2015 season, the Washington Nationals fired manager Matt Williams, and brought in veteran skipper Dusty Baker. Also, the Miami Marlins will rely on former Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who looks to lead the team to their first playoff appearance since 2003. Scott Servais and the Mariners, Andy Green and the Padres, and Dave Roberts and the Dodgers round out the new managers for 2016.

3. Can the young pitching of the Mets continue to dominate?

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2015 saw a magical run for the New York Mets, with the club reaching the World Series, only to lose to the Kansas City Royals in five games. A major strength of the team was their starting pitching. Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz, a quartet of pitchers under 28 years old, dominated hitters all season. It will be interesting to see if the Mets staff can stay healthy, and once again repeat as National League champions.

4. Red Sox resurgence?

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Few teams spent more this offseason than the Boston Red Sox. The team locked up David Price for seven years, and also acquired Craig Kimbrel from the Padres. Kimbrel has been one of the most dominant relief pitchers in recent memory, leading the National League in saves four seasons in a row. With additional signings of outfielders Chris Young and David Murphy, and a full season expected out of formally injured pitchers Koji Uehara and Clay Buchholz, the Red Sox look in good position to rebound from a disappointing 2015, which saw them finish last in the American League East, at 78-84.

5. Farewell Big Papi

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Speaking of the Red Sox, the face of their franchise for over a decade as been "Big Papi" David Ortiz. The slugger announced his retirement following the 2016 season. Over the past 13 years with the Red Sox, Ortiz has hit 445 home runs and been named to nine All-Star teams. Expect both the Red Sox and all of MLB to send him off in style, with gifts likely to be presented to him at ballparks across to bigs, similar to farewells received by Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter over the last few years.

6. Ichiro approaches 3,000 hits

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When 27-year-old Japanese sensation Ichiro Suzuki left Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball to sign with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, many believed he could be a star in the United States. However, not many could have imagined the career that Ichiro would built in America. Now 42, the 10-time All-Star nears one of baseball's most exclusive milestones, the 3,000 hit club. With 2,935 hits entering 2016, Ichiro looks to be a lock to become the 30th member of a club featuring the likes of Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays. Ichiro enters his second season with the Miami Marlins.

7. Barry Bonds is back

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Ichiro is not the only reason to keep up with the Marlins this year. Although the club features young stars like José Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton, the biggest name in the clubhouse this season will unquestionably be baseball's all-time home run king, Barry Bonds. Bonds has signed up to be the Marlins hitting coach for 2016, bringing with him a near unprecedented knowledge of hitting, along with controversy. The former slugger has been embroiled in steroid speculation for the last decade, which has caused him to miss election for the Baseball Hall of Fame in each of the last four elections. In uniform for the first time since his retirement after the 2007 season, Bonds also earned a reputation as one of baseball's most intimidating and polarizing personalities, with clashes with coaches, teammates and the media throughout his career. It will interesting to see if Bonds and the Marlins can put aside the controversy, and work to make Miami's lineup a force to be reckoned with.

8. Young stars look to avoid sophomore slumps

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The 2015 rookie class was among the greatest of all-time. American League hitters Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Miguel Sano all shined in their first taste of the big leagues, with young National League phenoms Kris Bryant, Matt Duffy, and Noah Syndergaard all having breakout campaigns. They will all hope to avoid a sophomore slump. The two biggest names, last years Rookies of the Year Correa and Bryant, will need to be productive to get their clubs, the Astros and Cubs, back into the Postseason.

9. Here come the Diamondbacks?

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The Arizona Diamondbacks were competitive in 2015, finishing 3rd in the National League West. The team had two of baseball's most underrated hitters in Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock. The D-Backs certainly improved their chances for 2016, acquiring star pitcher Zack Greinke. Coming off a phenomenal 2015 season with the Dodgers, Greinke led the NL in ERA, WHIP, and pitcher Wins Above Replacement. Also, in a shocking move, Arizona flipped Dansby Swanson, last years #1 overall draft pick, to Atlanta, for 2015 All-Star pitcher Shelby Miller. Arizona hasn't made the playoffs since 2011, and hasn't seen a World Series appearance since their defeat of the Yankees in 2001.

10. Yankees beef up their bullpen

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Last season, the New York Yankees featured two of baseball's best relief pitchers, in Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. Combining for 45 saves and 231 strikeouts, the pair helped lead New York to a postseason birth. The Yankees bullpen gets even better for 2016, with the addition of Aroldis Chapman. Regarded as baseball's hardest thrower, the Cuban pitcher routinely throws over 100 miles per hour, and has been an All-Star in each of the last four seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. Betances, Miller, and Chapman may make the 7th , 8th, and 9th innings a place were opposing hitters go to die in 2016. However, the party might have to wait a few weeks, as Chapman has been suspended for the first 30 games of the season as a result of a domestic violence incident. He will be eligible to return May 9.

11. Can the Royals create a dynasty?

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Entering the 2014 season, the Kansas City Royals were in the midst of a long playoff drought, with the team's last postseason appearance coming in the 1985 World Series. In 2014, the Royals shocked the baseball world, by making it all the way to the Fall Classic, losing to the Giants in a 7-game series. 2015 saw the team once again make the World Series, this time defeating the Mets for the title. Will Kansas City be able to make it three World Series appearances in a row? This feat has not been reached since the Yankees of 1998-2001. With a returning nucleus of stars, including Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis and Salvador Perez, the Royals will look to silence their critics for the third year in a row.

12. Even year, do the Giants keep the pattern going?

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In one of baseball's oddest ongoing storylines, baseball fans have come to understand one thing over the past few seasons: a year ending in an even number means a San Francisco Giants World Series title. Just look at the Giants last few seasons: 2010 - World Series Championship, 2011 - missed playoffs, 2012 - World Series Championship, 2013 - missed playoffs, 2014 - World Series Championship, 2015 - missed playoffs, 2016 - ? While of course this appears to be just a coincidence, fans of the Giants certainly have a reason to hope in 2016. San Francisco' added Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Denard Span to a roster also packed with great players, including stars Buster Posey and Madison Bumgardner. Will 2016 see a continuation of baseball's strangest dynasty?

13. Can the Cubs finally do it?

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No team has as much hope and anticipation surrounding the 2016 season than the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs added utility-man extraordinaire Ben Zobrist, star outfielder Jason Heyward, and veteran starter John Lackey, to go along with a core of players that saw the Cubbies win 97 games in last season. 2015 Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, and All-Stars Anthony Rizzo, Jon Lester and Kris Bryant look to secure a Cubs World Championship for the first time since 1908. Baseball's longest championship drought has survived the sinking of the Titanic, two World Wars, and the emergence of radio, television, and the internet. The team is also celebrating their 100th year of playing at Wrigley Field. Can this years Cubs finally break the "Curse of the Billygoat" and bring a title back to the North Side of Chicago?