Blissful Thanksgiving, baseball lovers! As the vacation title suggests, Thursday is a day to be thankful for the nice issues that have occurred and the nice issues to return. Non-football sports activities are usually secondary on Turkey Day, however baseball is a method of life as a lot because it is an curiosity. It is a companion, there with you each evening through the summer season.
With the Thanksgiving vacation upon us, right here is one factor followers of every MLB group can be grateful for this yr. Sit again, loosen up your belt, and take a gander as you digest.
Following a World Collection berth with a playoffs-less season is a tricky tablet to swallow. On the brilliant facet, Corbin Carroll completed 2024 very robust after a brutal begin that needed to be at the very least a bit of worrisome given his long-term contract and significance to the franchise. As late as June 5, Carroll was hitting .192/.278/.279, numbers that get most gamers despatched to the minors. Carroll went 3 for five with a double the subsequent day, and hit .256/.348/.522 with 16 doubles, 10 triples, and 20 homers in 98 video games the remainder of the best way. That’s the man who received Rookie of the 12 months in 2023. Glad to see him present up in 2024, even when it got here later than anticipated.
The Chris Sale commerce was my favourite transfer of final offseason, and it labored out even higher than I anticipated. Sale threw 177 ⅔ innings with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts and eventually — lastly! — received his first profession Cy Younger. He had completed within the high 5 of the Cy Younger voting six occasions beforehand, probably the most ever for a pitcher earlier than successful the award. Sale did that whereas the Pink Sox paid his wage and after the Braves gave up blocked prospect Vaughn Grissom within the commerce. Atlanta had nowhere to play Grissom, who was harm a lot of 2024 and ineffective when he did play. Among the finest trades in latest reminiscence. The Braves bought a Cy Younger winner with out giving up something they missed or paying a dime.
Regardless of successful 101 video games in 2023, the O’s opened 2024 with the fifth-lowest payroll in baseball. The Angelos household didn’t put money into the roster at a stage commensurate with a World Collection contender. Thankfully for O’s followers, Baltimore billionaire David Rubenstein purchased the group in March and took management of the franchise in August. GM Mike Elias has reportedly been given the thumbs up for store for a top-of-the-rotation starter this offseason, amongst different issues. The O’s have one of the proficient and highest-upside rosters within the sport. Now they’ve an proprietor who at the very least offers followers purpose to imagine payroll will rise accordingly.
Boston Pink Sox: New pitching infrastructure
Let’s not sugarcoat it: The Pink Sox had fallen behind the occasions on very important issues like pitch design and pitcher improvement lately. It was the only largest purpose they completed in final place 3 times in 4 years from 2020-23. That tide has begun to show. CBO Craig Breslow and new pitching coach Andrew Bailey, plus a number of behind-the-scenes people, have introduced the Pink Sox out of the Stone Age and onto the reducing fringe of pitcher improvement. These items do not occur in a single day, although the BoSox devoted ought to be inspired by the steps taken by Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, et al in 2024.
Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s glove
The jury remains to be out on whether or not heart fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will ever be something greater than a bottom-of-the-lineup hitter, however wow can that child play heart discipline. His glove alone is well worth the value of admission. Crow-Armstrong is a gifted defender, one of many highest within the sport, and he has a bit of showboat to him. Not in a nasty method — he isn’t exhibiting up his opponent — however he’ll let it when he makes an excellent catch. That is the leisure enterprise and Crow-Armstrong is a capital-E Entertainer.
It is type of outstanding that the White Sox misplaced a modern-record 121 video games in 2024 regardless of having among the finest pitchers within the sport take the mound each fifth day. Garrett Crochet’s transfer into the rotation was a smashing success. It earned him an All-Star Recreation berth and the Comeback Participant of the 12 months award (2024 was his first full season since Tommy John surgical procedure), and it’ll very probably internet the ChiSox a pleasant prospect package deal after they commerce him this winter. Crochet is 2 years away from free company and the White Sox are a lot additional away from competition than that. Buying and selling him now when his worth is at this highest is smart. Now it is on GM Chris Getz to nail the commerce.
For my cash, Elly De La Cruz is probably the most thrilling participant in baseball. He has his flaws, particularly the MLB-leading 218 strikeouts, however De La Cruz has energy, has pace, has a rocket throwing arm, he performs with overt enthusiasm for the sport. Only a pleasant participant and among the finest all-around threats within the sport. Joey Votto was nice. He is a Corridor of Famer in my e book. However with all due respect, Votto lacked that “cannot take your eyes off him” high quality that De La Cruz has in spades. The final Pink to have it was … Eric Davis? Yeah, most likely. Baseball wants extra gamers like Elly. What a pleasure.
That is going to sound like I am a hater and I do not imply it to return out that method, however the Guardians had been an 86-ish win group that was elevated to 92 wins and the AL Central title and the AL’s No. 2 seed by the sport’s finest bullpen. It counts! The bullpen was so good and an enormous a part of their success. Nearer Emmanuel Clase was computerized, setup males Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith had been terrific, and supporting castmates Tim Herrin and Pedro Avila bought a variety of huge outs alongside the best way. Cleveland’s bullpen was the distinction within the AL Central and in addition the distinction within the ALDS, and nearly everybody will probably be again subsequent season. It is arduous to have a bullpen this good in back-to-back years, however the Guardians simply might need to personnel to tug it off.
Look, issues are unhealthy for the Rockies proper now. They’ve misplaced greater than 100 video games every of the final two seasons — these are the primary two 100-loss seasons in franchise historical past, in the event you can imagine that — and for some purpose payroll is coming down in 2025. Nolan Jones was harm and ineffective following his 2023 breakout too. Ezequiel Tovar is without doubt one of the finest shortstops within the sport and Ryan Feltner and Michael Toglia are attention-grabbing sufficient, however all indications are one other lean yr or three are coming. On the brilliant facet, the Rockies do play in Coors Subject, one of many sport’s underrated nice ballparks in an excellent metropolis. The group on the sphere is probably not excellent, however at the very least followers have a Grade-A spot to look at them.
Return to 2021 and three finest pitching prospects in Detroit’s system had been Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal in that order, per MLB Pipeline. Three years later, Manning and Mize have but to seek out their footing on the big-league stage, and the third pitcher on that listing simply received the Cy Younger unanimously. Skubal threw 192 innings with a 2.39 ERA and an MLB-leading 228 strikeouts in 2024, and is now on the very quick listing of the sport’s finest pitchers. He very effectively is perhaps the very best lefty within the sport. The Tigers have themselves a no-doubt ace, which is without doubt one of the hardest issues to accumulate in baseball. There’s younger expertise up and down the roster, and this yr’s wild-card berth ought to simply be starting of an prolonged run of competition.
Six weeks into 2024, Hunter Brown had a 7.79 ERA and the Astros needed to transfer him to the bullpen. That was after pitching to a 0.89 ERA in seven video games in 2022, a 4.12 ERA within the first half of 2023, and a 6.57 ERA within the second half of 2024. Brown was going backwards. He was performing worse with expertise, not higher, which is all the time worrisome. Following that temporary demotion to the bullpen although, Brown added a sinker, and turned his season round. He had a 2.48 ERA in 23 begins after rejoining the rotation and was the group’s finest starter down the stretch. The Astros are dealing with one thing of a altering of the guard. Alex Bregman is a free agent, Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez will probably be free brokers subsequent offseason, and Jose Altuve turns 35 in Might. Brown emerged as a foundational piece at precisely the correct time for Houston.
Previous to 2024, Alex Rodriguez was the one shortstop in baseball historical past to win a batting title, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger at any level in his profession. Bobby Witt Jr. then did all three in the identical season. I feel Witt is the closest factor to an ideal participant within the sport in the present day. It’s important to nitpick to discover a flaw. He is an elite hitter, an elite defender, an elite baserunner, he posts up each single day. You title it and Witt does it. As an added bonus, ending second within the MVP voting netted the Royals a Prospect Promotion Incentive draft decide. Witt helps Kansas Metropolis is ways in which prolong past what he does on the sphere. A franchise participant in each single method.
Not a complete lot went proper for the Angels in 2024. They misplaced a franchise-record 99 video games and a pair of meniscus surgical procedures restricted Mike Trout to solely 29 video games. One factor that did go proper was the choice to place big-armed righty José Soriano within the rotation. Soriano had a 3.64 ERA in 38 reduction appearances in 2023, the Angels gave him an opportunity to begin in 2024, and he rewarded them with a 3.42 ERA in 113 innings and 20 begins. Is he an ace? No, however Soriano to the rotation was an enormous win for Angels group that wants as many wins as it could actually, each on the sphere and on the roster.
You play to win championships, so we should go together with the World Collection title right here, however Dodgers followers also needs to be grateful for MVP Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw coming again for an additional yr, and a number of different issues (that features touchdown 2023 Cy Younger winner Blake Snell in free company on Tuesday evening). A spoiled fan base they’re proper now. The 2024 title was the franchise’s eighth general, and in addition their first in a 162-game season since 1988. All of the haters who say 2020 was a pretend season with a pretend championship not have a leg to face on.
Miami Marlins: Alcantara’s return in 2025
The Marlins are within the “tear it all the way down to the studs” part of their rebuild, which implies it is fairly early and there is a variety of unhealthy baseball forward. Employees ace and 2022 Cy Younger winner Sandy Alcantara will probably be again subsequent season although. He missed the 2024 season with Tommy John surgical procedure, although all indications are is his rehab goes effectively, and Alcantara ought to be able to pitch on Opening Day. He is without doubt one of the high pitchers within the sport when wholesome and a real building-block piece. A constructing block for the Marlins, or another group after they commerce him? That is still to be seen. Level is, Miami will get its finest participant again in 2025.
Final December, the Brewers signed outfielder Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract with two membership choices earlier than he’d even performed a single MLB sport. Heck, he’d performed solely six Triple-A video games on the time. It was a dangerous contract for the small market Brewers, little question, however quick ahead to current day and it seems to be like a steal. Chourio, who will not flip 21 till March, slashed .275/.327/.464 with 21 homers, 22 steals, and three.8 WAR as a rookie in 2024. That earned him a third-place end within the Rookie of the 12 months voting. Had the Brewers waited and as an alternative tried to lock up Chourio now, it might most likely price them one other $100 million on high of the $82 million they already agreed to pay him. A budding celebrity on a wildly team-friendly deal.
The 36.4% strikeout price means it is not all the time fairly, however after coming again up from Triple-A in July, Matt Wallner authored a .282/.386/.559 slash line with 12 residence runs in 228 plate appearances. He has large energy — we’re speaking a few of the finest exit velocities within the sport — so the Twins will stay with the strikeouts to get the power to vary the sport with one swing. The Twins have a variety of actually good younger hitters and Wallner is as productive as any of them, even when will drive you nuts generally with strikeouts. Dwelling runs win ballgames and Wallner has an opportunity to hit an terrible lot of them.
New York Mets: Lindor’s all-around brilliance
There are higher hitters in baseball, and there are higher defenders and baserunners, however only a few gamers do all three issues at as excessive a stage as Francisco Lindor. He is a superb expertise. Among the finest all-around skills within the sport, plus he is affable and accountable, two traits you need in a franchise participant. It appears loopy now that Lindor heard boos from the Citi Subject crowd as just lately as this previous April. Lindor is every little thing you need in a face of the franchise. Nice participant, nice within the clubhouse, nice in the neighborhood. There ought to be extra gamers like him.
Not since David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, and perhaps not even since additional again than that, have we see two hitters this good on the identical group. MVP Aaron Choose and top-ranked free agent Juan Soto mixed to hit .305/.439/.634 with 99 residence runs and 18.7 WAR in 2024. The remainder of the Yankees hit .233/.302/.375 with 138 residence runs and 11.6 WAR. The 2024 Yankees had been the primary AL/NL group with two certified hitters with a 179 OPS+ or higher for the reason that Lou Gehrig/Babe Ruth Yankees within the late Nineteen Twenties and early Thirties. Choose and Soto had been a two-man military all summer season. Will Soto re-sign with the Yankees and proceed with Choose shifting ahead? It is solely Thanksgiving. Save that one for Santa.
Athletics: Butler’s breakout
It sucks out loud that the A’s are leaving Oakland for a Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento, and that they are owned by the worst proprietor in sports activities. It’s a rattling disgrace what is going on to one of the iconic franchises in baseball. All of the off-the-field nonsense makes it simple to miss the very fact the A’s went a decent 39-37 of their remaining 76 video games this yr, they usually have some legit expertise on the roster (JJ Bleday, Mason Miller, Brent Rooker, and so on.). Amongst them: Lawrence Butler. The 24-year-old hit .179/.281/.275 in his first 41 video games and bought despatched to Triple-A for a reset in Might. Butler returned as a brand new hitter a month later and slashed .291/.330/.565 with 20 homers in 84 video games the remainder of the best way, together with two separate three-homer video games. The proprietor is doing his finest to sabotage the franchise, however the A’s have some actual gamers, together with Butler.
What began as an experiment to get him again within the lineup as quickly as attainable following Tommy John surgical procedure a yr in the past has blossomed right into a full-blown second part of his profession. Bryce Harper has shortly turn into a standout defensive first baseman, one adequate to be a Gold Glove finalist this yr. He was initially tough across the edges at first base, understandably, and now he seems to be like a seasoned veteran there. Harper’s transfer to first allowed the remainder of the roster to fall into place (i.e. Kyle Schwarber might DH and never need to play the outfield) and will assist prolong his profession. Now not do Harper and the Phillies have to fret in regards to the put on and tear of working across the outfield. A smashing success, the transfer to first base has been.
It is arduous to imagine that, barely 17 months in the past, the Pirates had been criticized for taking Skenes with the No. 1 decide over Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford just because he is a pitcher, and pitchers get harm. A yr later, Skenes is the NL Rookie of the 12 months and a third-place finisher within the Cy Younger voting, and already within the dialog for the very best pitcher in baseball. Throwing 133 innings with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts as a rookie will try this. Hardly ever is it as simple as Skenes made it look. Even the easiest pitching prospects can want an adjustment interval within the huge leagues. Skenes got here up and was an ace from Day 1.
It isn’t usually you possibly can commerce a participant nearly as good as Juan Soto and are available away with a greater group, however that is precisely what occurred with the Padres in 2024. The Soto commerce gave them the pitching depth that lacked in 2023, together with nominal ace Michael King, plus it opened up outfield spots for Jackson Merrill and Jurickson Profar, who had been San Diego’s two best place gamers this previous season. I would not say the Padres received the Soto commerce — it is a textbook win-win commerce to me — however they need to be thrilled with their finish of the deal. It is actually arduous to return away with a greater group after buying and selling a star, but San Diego did it.
It was not sufficient to avoid wasting POBO Farhan Zaidi’s job, however the shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald and outfielder Heliot Ramos emerged as on a regular basis gamers for the Giants in 2024, and wow did they want that. Fitzgerald hit .280/.334/.497 with 15 residence runs in 96 video games whereas Ramos slashed .269/.322/.469 with 22 homers in 121 video games. They mixed for five.1 WAR, which can not sound nice, however A) neither performed a full season, and B) Giants place gamers aside from Matt Chapman accounted for under 11.8 WAR mixed. Fitzgerald and Ramos did a variety of heavy lifting. These two plus Chapman give new POBO Buster Posey a strong offensive basis to construct on.
The Cardinals are calling it a retool than a rebuild, however the backside line is they’re constructing extra for the longer term than the current, they usually have an excellent constructing block in shortstop Masyn Winn. Winn authored a .267/.314/.416 slash line and was a 4.9 WAR participant due to his excellent protection. He might need to the strongest infield arm within the sport. Whenever you’re rebuilding — sorry, retooling — shortstop is without doubt one of the most tough and most vital positions to fill, and St. Louis is already in good palms there. Winn is a terrific younger participant.
A sizzling take? It should not be. Cal Raleigh led all catchers in FanGraphs’ WAR (which incorporates pitch-framing), he received the Platinum Glove because the league’s finest defender at any place, and he slugged 34 residence runs. Raleigh additionally led baseball in innings caught. He is a workhorse, he is an excellent defender, and he is a middle-of-the-order bat. He additionally turned solely 28 this week. It is attending to be time for the Mariners to signal him to a long-term extension earlier than he hits free company after 2027. Change-hitting catchers with energy and nice protection are just about the rarest commodity within the sport. Seattle cannot let him get away.
Let’s be actual right here, issues should not nice for the Rays proper now. The group went 80-82 in 2024 and bought on the commerce deadline. Tropicana Subject suffered important injury in Hurricane Milton. Vital sufficient that the ballpark is not going to be usable in 2025, and the Rays will as an alternative play their residence video games in close by George M. Steinbrenner Subject, spring coaching residence of the AL East rival Yankees. Their new stadium could have hit a snag as effectively. So, yeah, not nice. What to be grateful for then? There’s Junior Caminero, among the finest younger hitters within the sport. The return of ace Shane McClanahan, who missed 2024 with Tommy John surgical procedure. Taj Bradley is a keeper. Even when the Rays are unhealthy, they’re hardly ever unhealthy unhealthy. There’s nonetheless sufficient expertise right here to contend in 2025, even when they are going to play residence video games in a rival’s spring coaching stadium.
It is simpler to abdomen a postseason-less season if you’re the defending World Collection champions. The Rangers bought their rings and may have an opportunity to contend once more in 2025. Issues did not work out so effectively in 2024, but it surely occurs. And are available 2025, Texas ought to have a wholesome Jacob deGrom fronting the rotation. I do know, you possibly can’t rely on deGrom to remain wholesome, however he’s wholesome proper now, and he regarded very deGrom-like in his three late-season begins following Tommy John surgical procedure. The facility, the precision, it was all there. The distinction between even 20 begins of deGrom and 20 begins of his substitute is huge. Huge sufficient that it might swing the AL West race subsequent yr.
It is by no means good when it’s a must to reward the ballpark (ask Rockies followers). Not a complete lot went proper for the Blue Jays in 2024 although, aside from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. regaining his MVP type for the ultimate 5 months. Even that had the cloud of the group’s poor document and Guerrero’s looming free company (after 2025) hanging over it. As an alternative, we’ll say Blue Jays followers ought to be grateful the multi-year renovations on the Rogers Centre are full, respiratory new life into the sport’s sixth-oldest ballpark. New facilities, new seating, new taking part in floor, new partitions, new backdrop. I have been instructed by people who’ve been there that the stadium expertise has been upgraded significantly, plus it seems to be lots nicer on tv. Now the mind belief needs to be a greater group to fill this revitalized ballpark.
CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, MacKenzie Gore, James Wooden. Now not are they prospects. They’re huge leaguers, productive ones too, and people guys (and others) imply the Nationals are inching nearer to competition. They actually ought to spend some cash and complement that younger core with veteran free brokers this winter. Herald a frontline starter, add to the bullpen, perhaps discover yet another bat. There are three wild-card spots now, and when you will have as many extremely proficient younger gamers as Washington, issues can come collectively actually fast. You can also make the soar from 90 losses one yr to 90 wins the subsequent. The Braves and Cubs did it not too way back. Why cannot the Nationals?
