It’s Thanksgiving, so I wanted to give thanks for the 2024 MLB season, which saw the best team in the regular season — the Los Angeles Dodgers — go on to win the World Series, but their impressive run was only one of many things that will stick with me.
Here’s to the people, teams, moments and milestones that have made it a special year. These are 24 reasons I’m thankful for MLB this year, and please share your own in the comments section. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!
1. Freddie Freeman, who hammered a 10th-inning walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series, giving us yet another lifetime memory to go with the October blasts by Kirk Gibson, David Freese, Carlton Fisk, Joe Carter and company.
2. The MVP seasons of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Judge had one of the best individual seasons in history, slashing .322/.458/.701 with a league-leading 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and 10.8 bWAR. Ohtani opened the 50-50 Club in unbelievable fashion, becoming the first player to hit 54 home runs and steal 59 bases in a season, while posting a 190 OPS+ and 9.2 WAR.
3. The Diamondbacks, who started the season by breaking the modern-era record for most runs scored in an inning on Opening Day, with 14 against the Rockies.
4. Elly De La Cruz, who became the first player to hit a 450-foot home run and an inside-the-park homer in the same game, on April 8 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
5. Gunnar Henderson, who became the youngest player in major-league history to hit 10 home runs before May 1.
6. Juan Soto, who became the first major leaguer to walk 669 times before he celebrated his 26th birthday, breaking the record held by Mickey Mantle.
7. Francisco Lindor, who became the first shortstop to hit at least 25 home runs and steal 25 bases in three seasons (2018, ’23, ’24). Oh, and one of those homers broke up a no-hitter in the ninth, tying a game in Toronto the Mets somehow went on to win.
8. This year’s trade deadline. Some called it a “dudline,” but it still delivered: The Dodgers acquired Jack Flaherty, Tommy Edman and Michael Kopech; the Padres landed Tanner Scott; the Royals got Lucas Erceg; the Yankees traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr.; the Astros picked up Yusei Kikuchi. All of those trades were significant in helping their respective teams make the playoffs.
9. The emergence of so many talented young position players, from Jackson Merrill to Jackson Chourio to Colton Cowser to Austin Wells to Wilyer Abreu, among others.
10. Paul Skenes — who started the All-Star Game in his first season — and Luis Gil, who both wowed on the mound and pitched their way to Rookie of the Year honors.
11. Speaking of debuts, let’s hear it for new leadership in Baltimore, as David Rubenstein became the Orioles’ principal owner. Hopefully the ownership change will lead to more resources for a fan base that has deserved better.
12. Chris Sale, who had a remarkable comeback season that led to the first Cy Young Award of his career. And Tarik Skubal, another first-time Cy Young winner, who authored the best season of any starting pitcher in the sport.
13. Luis Arraez, who became the first player in major-league history to win three consecutive batting titles with three different teams — the Twins, Marlins and Padres.
14. Emmanuel Clase, who had one of the most dominant seasons ever by a closer, with a 0.61 ERA over 74 games.
15. The Skenes-Ohtani matchup on June 5: Skenes strikes him out on three pitches in the first, then Ohtani goes yard in his next at-bat. A special moment of stars squaring off.
16. There were four no-hitters to celebrate. Hat tip to Ronel Blanco of the Astros, Dylan Cease of the Padres, Blake Snell of the Giants, and Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge, who threw a combined no-no for the Cubs.
17. I’m thankful that Buster Posey, who came out of retirement after winning three World Series as a player, decided to take on the challenge — and long hours — of running a baseball operations department, for his San Francisco Giants. The game is a better place when former players like him give back.
18. A warm welcome back to future Hall of Fame Manager Terry Francona, who came out of retirement to sign a three-year contract to manage the Cincinnati Reds. It’ll be good to see Tito back in the dugout.
19. Props to the Kansas City Royals, who won 30 more games this year — improving from 56-106 in 2023 to 86-76 in 2024 — and made the playoffs. A turnaround for the ages.
20. Speaking of turnarounds, a hat tip to two teams that put together signature rallies after subpar starts: the OMG Mets, who took their fans on a wild ride, making the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and then advancing to the NLCS; and the Detroit Tigers, who went from trade-deadline sellers to ‘pitching chaos’ postseason participants, making the playoffs, for the first time in a decade, in dramatic fashion — and winning a series to boot.
21. On the other hand, I’m thankful there is no relegation in MLB, otherwise the White Sox would no longer be part of the big leagues after the worst season I’ve seen in my lifetime. Here’s to turning to the page.
22. Let’s tip our caps to the stars of the game who decided to retire, from Joey Votto to Stephen Strasburg to Cole Hamels to Kevin Kiermaier to Brandon Crawford.
23. And let’s give a standing O to the city of Oakland, which capped 57 years of major-league baseball in the Coliseum. There were so many things that made baseball in Oakland special and so many superstars in green and gold — from Reggie Jackson to Rickey Henderson to Catfish Hunter to Rollie Fingers to Dennis Eckersley to Vida Blue to Dave Stewart to Mark McGwire — who made their mark on the game.
24. Finally, and most importantly, I’m thankful for the fans of baseball, the very best in the whole wide world!
(Top photo of Freddie Freeman: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
