2024 was an exciting, downright giddy 12 months of baseball, with historic particular person seasons, riveting playoff chases, hair-raising postseason video games and a World Collection with the largest stars within the sport.
However to our eyes, there have been 10 gamers who made their mark on the game greater than another, 10 gamers who, after we look again on 2024, would be the ones we consider first.
Listed here are the ten signature gamers of the 2024 MLB season.
1. Shohei Ohtani, DH, Dodgers
2. Aaron Decide, CF, Yankees
In 2022, Decide hit 62 homers and captivated the whole nation as he set the American League dwelling run document and have become the toast of the best metropolis on the planet. In 2024, he was higher. Critically, Decide improved on that 2022 season in each method aside from his homer complete (a still-impressive 58): His common was 11 factors larger (.322), his OBP was 33 factors larger (.458), his SLG was 15 factors larger (.701), and his OPS+ was 13 factors larger (223; the perfect by a right-handed hitter in fashionable AL/NL historical past). He additionally drove in 13 extra runs, struck out 4 fewer instances and hit eight extra doubles and a triple. And oh, yeah: He led his workforce to the World Collection for the primary time in his profession and gained his second AL MVP Award.
3. Tarik Skubal, LHP, Tigers
Skubal had completed 2023 extremely robust, so it wasn’t a complete shock that he got here out of the gates storming in 2024. However that he was in a position to maintain his brilliance all 12 months was jaw-dropping. Skubal didn’t simply win a pitching Triple Crown — the primary AL pitcher to take action in a full season since 2011 — he helped lead a younger Tigers workforce to its first playoff look since 2014 due to a post-Commerce Deadline surge. (And to suppose, a lot of the thrill earlier than that Deadline was about Skubal getting dealt.) Skubal carried his success into October, throwing 13 scoreless innings in opposition to the Astros and Guardians in his first two postseason begins. To prime it off, he was a unanimous choose for the AL Cy Younger Award.
4. Chris Sale, LHP, Braves
Sale completed within the prime six of AL Cy Younger Award voting each single season from 2012-18 — however someway by no means really gained it — earlier than accidents derailed him. From 2020-22, he threw fewer than 50 innings over a three-season stretch. That makes what he did in 2024 that rather more outstanding. Sale, on the age of 35, was a superb counter to Skubal’s exploits within the AL. The veteran lefty gained the NL pitching Triple Crown (18 wins, 2.38 ERA, 225 strikeouts), whereas throwing his most innings (177 2/3) since 2017. He helped the Braves survive a tumultuous, injury-plagued season and gained the NL Comeback Participant of the Yr Award. However that wasn’t the perfect award he acquired: Yep, he lastly gained himself that elusive Cy Younger.
5. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers
6. Juan Soto, RF, Yankees
Sure, we’re nonetheless counting him as a Yankee right here. Was this his most interesting 12 months within the Majors? He was the right operating mate for Decide, although within the postseason, it was Soto who was the top-performing Yankee, together with a basic Soto plate look in ALCS Recreation 5, capped by a dramatic homer that might have secured his place in Yankees lore if, uh, nicely, if what occurred this offseason had occurred in a different way. Soto had an all-timer of a stroll 12 months. Yankees followers might not be considering of Soto fondly proper now. However they will’t complain one bit about what he gave them in 2024.
7. Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets
Bear in mind when Mets followers booed Lindor, when he first arrived? (“I got here to New York to win,” Lindor stated on the time, “and I’m going to do no matter it takes to win.”) Mets followers won’t ever admit it, and you may hardly blame them: Lindor would be the most purely pleasant participant to root for in the whole sport. This 12 months, he had the perfect season of his profession for a Mets workforce that shocked the world to make all of it the way in which to Recreation 6 of the NLCS … and is poised to maybe take over their metropolis over the subsequent decade. Lindor was a clutch hitter, a pacesetter and the NL MVP Award runner-up to Ohtani. And now he has a operating mate in Queens. The Mets are a profitable franchise. Lindor will eternally be often known as the man who established that straightforward truth.
8. Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
It took a moonshot 12 months from Decide to maintain Witt away from the AL MVP Award, however the 24-year-old phenom made it apparent in 2024 that he’s going to win one ultimately. Witt is simply incredible at every little thing on a baseball subject, main the Majors in each batting common (.332) and hits (211) whereas posting a 30-30 season and capturing AL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards. (He even gained the Coronary heart & Hustle Award.) Oh, and he elevated a Royals workforce coming off a 106-loss season to the franchise’s first playoff look since its 2015 World Collection title.
9. Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates
In June 2023, Skenes was main LSU to a Males’s Faculty World Collection title. Earlier than June 2024 rolled round, the No. 1 general choose within the 2023 Draft was already dominating within the Main Leagues. Not solely did Skenes take NL Rookie of the Yr honors, however he completed third within the NL Cy Younger Award race. There was no extra joyous touring street present this 12 months than the Skenes Present, because the swagger he confirmed on the mound was nearly as spectacular as his pitching. Nearly. Skenes took the league by storm, is a social media star and is primed to be the perfect pitcher in baseball in 2025. And 2026. And for a very long time in spite of everything that. Simply please don’t lose the mustache, Paul.
10. Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians
This was the third consecutive season through which Clase led the American League in saves, however there isn’t any query that he has by no means had a 12 months like he did in 2024. His 47 saves did lead the AL, however his numbers past that have been staggering: a 0.61 ERA, simply two homers given up all season, a 6.6 Okay/BB ratio, a 0.66 WHIP. He additionally might have been the only largest cause the Guardians gained a surprisingly aggressive AL Central race. It was pure dominance, begin to end … nicely, at the least for those who ignore the postseason.
