The 2024 baseball season is just around the corner. There has been a lot of movement in the off-season, with huge names moving between leagues and teams getting stronger. Here are five players who will be expecting to have a big campaign.
Juan Soto, New York Yankees
One of the biggest moves this off-season was the trade by the New York Yankees to acquire three-time all-star and 2019 World Series Champion Juan Soto. The historic franchise have not made it to the World Series since 2009, and hope that Soto can be the piece that takes them all the way to win their 28th title this year. The four-time Silver Slugger joins a team that was ravaged by injury last season, but at full strength can be one of the most dangerous line-ups in the majors. He will be hitting ahead of 2022 American League MVP Aaron Judge, in what should be an electric one-two punch. The Dominican has an excellent ability to draw walks, and he did so 132 times last season, more than anyone else. His on-base percentage was .410, which was the third highest. Only MVPs Ronald Acuna Jr and Shohei Ohtani’s were better. He recorded 35 home runs last year, and as a left-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium, he may see this increase. With Judge on deck behind him, Soto and the Yankees should be must-see baseball.
Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Amongst the best hitters in the league and the most feared in a dangerous Houston Astros line-up, Yordan Alvarez is definitely one to watch this season. The race for AL MVP is wide open this year, especially with the departure of Ohtani to the National League, and Alvarez will almost certainly be in contention as long as he remains healthy. Already a World Series champion in 2022 with the Astros, the 26-year old is hoping to add another title to his resume this year. That season, he came third in MVP voting, behind Ohtani and winner Judge. He batted .306/.406/.613, whilst setting a career-highs in home runs (37). Last year saw him miss 39 games with an oblique injury, but he still produced a fantastic campaign. He was given all-star honours for a second consecutive year, and ended the regular season batting .293/.407/.583 with 31 home runs. In April, he hit his 100th career home run, and in doing so became the fifth-fastest player in history to reach that milestone. It took him 372 games, which was also a record for the Astros franchise. During the post-season, he became the second player in history to record at least four home runs and six extra-base hits in a three-game span.
Bobby Witt Jr, Kansas City Royals
In early February, Bobby Witt Jr signed an 11-year $288.7m contract extension with the Kansas City Royals, the largest in franchise history. At just 23-years old and entering his third season in the majors, Witt Jr is one of the most exciting players in the league, and is certainly an individual fans need to watch out for. His first season saw him place fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year race, as he enjoyed a great first campaign in the big leagues. Overall, he hit .254/.294/.428 in 150 games, whilst being the 10th youngest player in the AL. With 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases, he became the fifth player in history to join the 20-20 club in their first year. His second year saw him take a leap as he hit .276/.319/.495 with 30 home runs. He also led the league in triples with 11. His 30 stolen bases meant he became the first player in Royals history to record 30-30. He also became the first player in MLB history to hit 30 homers, 10 triples and steal 45 bases in a single season. In year three, he is only going to improve and build on his impressive career so far.
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners
Julio Rodriguez has only just completed his second season in the big leagues, but has already become one of the best players in the game. MLB Network recently ranked him 10th in their best players list, which is a testament to the quality he has shown in his young career. The outfielder made his Seattle Mariners debut at the beginning of the 2022 season at just 21 and has been a fixture ever since. In that year, he won Rookie of the Year after hitting .284/.345/.509 which put him eighth in the AL. He also won a Silver Slugger award, as he recorded 28 home runs. The following season saw him reach new heights, which confirmed his status amongst the league’s elite. He enjoyed a historic month in August, in which he broke the record for most hits in a four-game span with 17. During this period he went 17-22, with two home runs and 8 runs batted in. Furthermore, in 10 games he had 28 hits, which included five four-hit games, a feat which had not been achieved for over 120 years. Another record was broken in September, as Rodriguez became the first player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 25 stolen bases in his first two seasons. He ended up with 32 and 37, with averages of .275/.333/.475. He won a second consecutive Silver Slugger and placed fourth in MVP voting. At just 23-years old, the sky is the limit for the Dominican, so make sure not to miss out.
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers
Despite playing in only 119 games last year, Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager still had a career year. He finished second in AL MVP voting, as he hit .327/.390/.623 with a career-high 33 home runs and 96 RBI. For the second straight year, he made the AL all-star team. His season ended in spectacular fashion as the Rangers made it to the World Series, and eventually won it, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. He was named the World Series MVP, producing three home runs with a batting average of .286. This meant that he became the fourth player in history to win this award twice, and just the second player to achieve the feat with two different teams. He won it for the first time in 2020 with the LA Dodgers. He is the first to do this in both the American League and National League. As he and his side look to retain their title this season, look for Seager to potentially produce another MVP-calibre campaign.