Bowden: 24 Reasons Why I’m Grateful for MLB in 2024

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Bowden: 24 Reasons Why I’m Grateful for MLB in 2024

It’s Thanksgiving, so I wanted to thank you for the 2024 MLB season in which the best team of the regular season – the Los Angeles Dodgers – won the World Series, but their impressive run was just one of many things that will doing. stay with me.

To the people, teams, moments and milestones that made this a special year. These are 24 reasons why I’m thankful for the MLB this year, and share your own in the comments section. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

1. Freddie Freeman, who scored a 10th-inning walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series, giving us another lifelong memory, along with the October bangers of Kirk Gibson, David Freese, Carlton Fisk, Joe Carter and consorts.

2. The MVP seasons of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Judge had one of the best individual seasons in history, hitting .322/.458/.701 with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and 10.8 bWAR. Ohtani opened the 50-50 Club in incredible 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 record for most runs scored in an inning on Opening Day, with 14 against the Rockies.

Elly De La Cruz, the human highlight reel. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)

4. Elly De La Cruz, who on April 8 against the Milwaukee Brewers became the first player to hit a 450-foot home run and an inside-the-park home run in the same game.

5. Gunnar Henderson, who became the youngest player in Major League history to hit ten home runs before May 1.

6. Juan Soto, who became the first Major Leaguer to walk 669 times before celebrating his 26th birthday, breaking Mickey Mantle’s record.

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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 home runs broke up a no-hitter in the ninth, tying a game in Toronto, the Mets somehow winning.

8. This year’s trade deadline. Some called it a “dudline,” but it still paid off: 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 these trades were important in helping their respective teams make the playoffs.

9. The emergence of so many talented young position players, from Jackson Merrill to Jackson Chourio, Colton Cowser, Austin Wells and Wilyer Abreu, among others.

Paul Skenes’ future looks bright. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)

10. Paul Skenes – who started in the All-Star Game in his first season – and Luis Gil, both of whom impressed on the mound and played their way to Rookie of the Year honors.

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11. Speaking of debuts, let’s hear what new leadership means in Baltimore as David Rubenstein became the Orioles’ principal owner. Hopefully the change in ownership will lead to more resources for a fan base that deserves better.

12. Chris Sale, who had a remarkable comeback season that led to the first Cy Young Award of his career. And Tarik Skubal, also a first-time Cy Young winner, who wrote 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 as a closer, with an ERA of 0.61 over 74 games.

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15. The Skenes-Ohtani game on June 5: Skenes strikes him out on three pitches in the first inning, then Ohtani goes to the yard in his next at-bat. A special moment when stars face each other.

16. There were four no-hitters to celebrate. Hat tip to the Astros’ Ronel Blanco, the Padres’ Dylan Cease, the Giants’ Blake Snell and Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge, who threw a combined no-no for the Cubs.

17. I’m grateful that Buster Posey, who retired after winning three World Series as a player, decided to take on the challenge – and long hours – of running a baseball 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 will be good to see Tito back in the dugout.

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19. Props to the Kansas City Royals, who won thirty more games this year – from 56-106 in 2023 to 86-76 in 2024 – and made the playoffs. A turnaround for all ages.

20. Speaking of turnarounds, hats off to two teams who staged signature rallies after poor 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 contenders, making the playoffs in dramatic fashion for the first time in a decade – and winning a series to boot.

21. On the other hand, I am thankful that there is no relegation in the MLB, otherwise the White Sox would no longer be in the major leagues after the worst season I have seen in my life. Here’s the page turn.

Joey Votto called it a career – and what a career it was. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

22. Let’s tip our hats 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.

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23. And let’s give a standing O to the city of Oakland, which wrapped up 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 left their mark on the game .