MLB 2024: Ten things to be grateful for about the season

On the West Coast, Othani, but on the East Coast, the headlines were stolen Aaron Judge. The season started very badly, he even received boos in the Yankee Stadium. His hierarchy and status as leader did not matter. Captain of the team. But Judge turned the horrible start into one of the strongest seasons in the Big Apple in memory. ‘The Judge‘led the majors (both leagues) in home runs (58), RBIs (144), walks (133), OBP (.458), SLG (.701), OPS (1.159), total bases (392) and WAR ( 10.8).

To top it all off, they both met on the best stage of all: the World Series, and then unanimously won the Most Valuable Player in their respective leagues. Japan’s Ohtani won his first MVP in the National League and his third award overall. While Judge became the seventh player in Yankees history to win the MVP unanimously and put his name next to historical ones like Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantleamong others.

Thank you for the dream World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees

The MLB fan longed to have the two most popular teams in the league. World Series and finally the stars aligned so that in 2024 it would be fulfilled after 43 years of frustrations. The clash between the now current MVP’s: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge caught attention. However, the Dodgers ended the story very quickly by winning the series in just five games. Remaining in memory are the errors that the Yankees had in the fifth inning of that last fifth game.

Thanks to the Mets for restoring the confidence of baseball lovers in Queens

The New York Mets were one of the big surprises of the 2024 season. Although they entered the campaign with the highest payroll in baseball (+314 million) and, therefore, the obligation to compete, things did not go well at all. in the first three calendar months of the season. During that period they had a balance of 24-33.

The arrival of infield utility man José Iglesias (also an urban music singer) on the last day of May, and then the first pitch of the Grimace On June 12, they lit the fuse of a group, led by the debutant manager Carlos Mendoza and shortstop Francisco Lindor (second in the MVP voting), who did not stop until he qualified with a wild card spot and disputed the Championship Series to the Dodgers.

Thanks to Freddie Freeman for his historic Walkoff Grand Slam and World Series record

The postseason for Freddie Freeman It was very complicated after an ankle injury in the penultimate series of the regular season against the San Diego Padres. The first baseman was absent from several playoff games, until the World Series arrived. In the first game, his grand slam against Néstor Cortés to remember the hit of Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Freddie Freeman, after this home run, achieved a six-game World Series streak by going out. Two games in 2021 with Atlanta and from Game 1 to Game 4 with Los Angeles in 2024.

Thanks to Juan Soto for giving us a spectacular season and at the same time helping us find a contract that looks like it will be historic

Juan Soto He came to the Yankees and gave a tremendous change to the Bronx franchise along with Aaron Judge. If you do not qualify playoffs in 2023, took them to best record in the American League and stay close to winning the World Series. Soto finished with his best season in home runs with 41 and carrying the team into the postseason. Although the goal of winning a second ring in his career was postponed, right now there is no talk of anything other than how much and where Soto will sign. What many already take for granted is that it will be a contract among the best in history.

Thanks to Luis Arráez for achieving his third batting championship with a third different team

The Venezuelan Luis Arraez He experienced his third consecutive change, after he won the batting title with the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins.

During the development of the 2024 season, the Parents They made the change for Arráez. And the dimension of the team changed, by achieving the third consecutive batting crown. This year he hit .314 and thus made history in the Major Leagues.

Thanks to Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale for Triple Crown and Cy Young seasons

Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale They put on a show on the shooting mound by becoming winners of the Triple Crown of pitching in each circuit. And weeks later, they unanimously won the awards for Cy Young in American League and National Leaguerespectively. Skubal led the Detroit Tigers to their first postseason in a decade; while Sale was absent from the playoffs with Atlanta due to an injury.

In addition to these two Cy Young winners, we cannot stop thanking the Dominican Emanuel Clase. The Dominican closer of the Cleveland Guardians broke a 15-year streak without a reliever being nominated for the Cy Young. The right-hander also won the reliever of the year award with the AL champions. American League Central Division.

Red Sox fans are thankful the Yankees didn’t win

Not everyone is grateful at this point, if you doubt it, ask any fan of the Bronx Mules. However, in Boston, most will probably be giving thanks to their archrival Yankees coming up short in the World Series against the Dodgers.

Las Vegas baseball fans will have a franchise

The history of the Oakland Athletics ended this season with the victory they had over the Rangers on September 26. The people of Oakland have nothing to be grateful for, quite the opposite. But as they say: “the misfortune of some is the happiness of others.”

From now on, the franchise begins the move to vegas. For now, they will be leaving the nickname of city and in the coming years they will be called only The Athletics. Las Vegas fans will be able to follow their new team, currently in Sacramento in their temporary home for the next few years.

Thanks to the pitch clock and the increase in the size of the bases that have meant a real change in MLB

Two years ago, the rule of 15 seconds to pitch without men on base and 20 seconds with players on the bases was implemented. In addition to an increase in the size of the bases, which has served to break stolen base records and led to the historic season of Shohei Ohtani this 2024.

In 2022, which was the last season without a clock, the average length of games was 3:03 hours, for 2023 it dropped almost half an hour to 2:39 hours and this 2024 it was 2:36. Achieving the clock’s mission to make games more agile. However, there has been a debate among MLB fans and specialists whether this has led to a greater number of elbow injuries in pitchers.

Bonus Track: Thanks for catching Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter of Shohei Ohtani

Just days before the 2024 season began, the announcement was made that Shohei Ohtani’s translator: Ippei Mizuhara He left the Dodgers organization, due to a gambling problem and money he took from the Japanese player. In June, Mizuhara was found guilty of stealing approximately $17 million from Shohei Ohtani’s bank account to carry out bets Major League Baseball and other sports in the United States.

You might ask, what is there to be thankful for here? Simple, imagine that this whole mess had negatively affected Ohtani. That probably would have deprived us of witnessing the historic and unprecedented 50-50 season of what for many is called to be the best player in the history of baseball. I hope you agree that that is no small thing…