As it is customary with every calendar year’s closing, it is the perfect time to reflect on the past. Considering that baseball prides itself on looking back, it is just natural that we take the best from both worlds and think about this past year before putting 2024 on the rearview mirror. After all, this was an eventful year in several ways. Years removed from massive global events, CBA frictions, and seismic rule changes, it can be argued that 2024 could become a landmark year for MLB and usher in a new era of baseball.
So, before cheering for a better 2025 and the great unknown to come, let’s look back at the five storylines that defined baseball in the year 2024. On and off the field, they are likely to be remembered for many years, and their effects are also likely to be felt in this industry that we love so much.
#5 – Baseball is Just Fine
The inevitable decline of the erstwhile national pastime has been a hot topic of debate over decades, with other, more dynamic sports overtaking it in popularity. That narrative took a leave of absence in 2024, however. Year two of shorter games and rules aiming to create more action continued the trend of making baseball more attractive and accessible for fans, with plenty of numbers that prove the game is thriving.
According to official attendance data, more than 70 million fans visited MLB stadiums during the regular season, reaching levels that hadn’t been seen since 2017. It was also the first instance of a year-to-year attendance increase since 2011-12, making it clear that people have really appreciated MLB’s initiatives regarding the pace of play. This trend has also translated to TV and digital viewership, as MLB’s national broadcast partners have seen significant ratings increases across the board. With 2024 regular season games played in Japan, the UK, and Mexico, the league also continued to drive its international brand a year after a memorable World Baseball Classic.
While a few issues like the Three True Outcomes style of play, stagnation of the mid-tier free agents, and uncertainty regarding regional sports networks will continue to plague MLB, it is undeniable that the sport is having a moment.
https://twitter.com/JoePompliano/status/1852357720717861284
#4 – The Legends that Left Us
For all the exploits and accomplishments that we saw on the field, 2024 should also be remembered by the number of notable figures that passed away. Baseball Almanac does a great job of keeping track of every former MLB player death by year, but just like with every Oscars In Memoriam section, a few names simply jump out of the page.
From the front office/managerial perspective, Whitey Herzog and Billy Bean were trailblazers in their own right, with the former becoming an all-time great winner and the latter opening up the industry towards a new world of inclusion and diversity. We also saw the loss of all-time Latino greats, as Cuban-born Luis Tiant and Mexico-native Fernando Valenzuela left an indelible mark on their countries and fan bases. While neither of them were inducted into the Hall of Fame during their lifetimes, here’s hoping that it might change someday.
Continuing with another legend that is not enshrined in Cooperstown, the baseball world mourned the passing of Pete Rose, whose excellence on the field was clouded by some notable bad decisions off it. His status as an all-time great is unquestionable, though, as it is for a handful of Hall of Famers that were also lost in 2024.
Two Bay Area legends belonging to different eras, Orlando Cepeda and Rickey Henderson, will also be fondly remembered. To round out this diamond of baseball icons, we also lost arguably the best player of all time. Willie Mays lived on to see his beloved Giants become one of baseball’s iconic franchises, while also tutoring his godson into becoming one of the best ever. He was honored all around the game, reminding us that baseball is still the best at connecting the past with the future.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1803795627408503197
#3 – Futility and Sad Goodbyes
Across American sports, we could say that things are more stable and filled with parity than ever before, with many things becoming standardized and predictable. And yet, 2024 gave us two extreme instances of what happens when things go terribly, terribly wrong.
The Chicago White Sox entered the season projected to be one of the worst teams of the season, only to become one of the worst teams of all time. The team started the year by losing 22 of their first 25 games, at one point endured an astonishing 21-game losing streak, and almost single-handedly brought its division mates to the top of wild card contention. Around the middle of the summer, it became almost inevitable that the Sox would challenge the record for most losses in MLB history. An improbable 5-1 mark to close out the season almost saved them from ignominy, but the mission was accomplished: 121 losses and a -306 run differential.
To add insult to injury, Chicago’s short-term future looks almost as murky, with the team trading its few valuable players and ownership not seeming particularly interested in a quick rebuild.
Similar issues with a maligned owner took a dark turn with the late Oakland Athletics, as John Fisher cynically completed his long-standing plan to uproot the team from its home of 50+ years.
After bottoming out in 2023, the A’s presented a better product on the field this season, albeit as a bittersweet feeling for the few loyal Oakland fans who had to watch the final 81 home games at the Colosseum. The last homestand was especially sad, as the fanbase got to experience first-hand what could have been with a packed house and a team on the rise. As the A’s plan to play at least for two seasons in a minor-league stadium in Sacramento, Fisher and his MLB cohorts cleared the way towards a new stadium in Las Vegas, where the once-proud A’s will try to build an identity.
The trials and tribulations of these franchises stand directly in contrast to the other tier of teams, who appear to have seized control of baseball’s future.
https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1837984379030696062
#2 – The Inevitable Rise of the Super Teams
The lack of a salary cap has always created some sort of disparity in MLB, even as the nature of baseball tends to aid in terms of unpredictability and chaos. However, this year showed us just how powerful money can be. The six top teams in terms of payroll may have only averaged 92 wins, as no one was able to reach the 100-win mark, but their sheer advantage in depth and talent became evident once the playoffs arrived.
Even as upstarts like the well-run Brewers, the surprising Royals, and the plucky Guardians navigated the regular season admirably, they would all be vanquished by a wealthier opponent. The clearest example of this came in the ALCS, where Cleveland had a chance to extend the series and give the Yankees a real scare, but a fateful inning with a subpar reliever against the likes of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto was enough to extinguish their dreams. With many of these mid-market teams facing an uncertain future in terms of revenue, the early part of the offseason has seen the big boys strengthen their stranglehold on the sport.
Not even a year after the Dodgers spent a billion dollars in free agents, the Mets stepped up to give Soto the biggest contract in MLB history, while the Yankees responded with the signing of Max Fried and trading for former MVP Cody Bellinger and all-world closer Devin Williams. Meanwhile, other financial powerhouses like the Phillies, Atlanta, Houston, Red Sox, and even the Giants will continue to spend their way into relevancy.
A Yankees-Dodgers World Series was certainly a boon for MLB and its partners, but it could also be a sign of things to come in the competitive landscape of the league. With the arms race in full force, it will be interesting to see how the have-nots of the sport adapt with better scouting, shrewd signings, or even a bit of good fortune.
Juan Soto Contract Breakdown 💰 pic.twitter.com/Z91VlJNbxF
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) December 19, 2024
#1 – The Year of Shohei
After years of toiling with the Angels, Shohei Ohtani became the most coveted free agent of his generation, if not ever. Even as an elbow ailment would prevent him from pitching in 2024, teams lined up in the Ohtani sweepstakes. Following weeks of rumors and flight tracking, the Japanese phenom ultimately landed a historic, heavily-deferred contract with the Dodgers, who already had a great team but became the prohibitive favorites after his addition.
Despite a rocky start that included the bizarre gambling saga involving his former interpreter, Ohtani was able to focus on his prodigious hitting and had one of the best seasons we have ever seen. His third MVP in four seasons was marked by a ton of black ink, with him leading the NL in WAR, homers, RBI, OPS, and total bases, while also stealing 59 bags in 63 tries…all from the DH spot. His dominance was encapsulated in a September game in Miami, in which he went 6-for-6, with two doubles, three homers, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases – one of which made him the first 50/50 player in MLB history.
Even as his first foray into the playoffs was not as impressive (only three homers and a .767 OPS over 16 games), his presence in the lineup was valuable enough to help the Dodgers earn their first full-season title since 1988. To add to his impressive year of accomplishments, he also got married and unveiled his adorable dog, Decoy, who has become a celebrity in his own right.
With a contract that will keep him in Dodger Blue seemingly for the rest of his career, and with the possibility of pitching again, the sky remains the limit for the most unique talent in baseball.