The 2024 MLB season is over, and free agency is in full swing. Fans were gifted with a lot of exciting moments this year, from great players having many great performances, to a star-studded World Series, and teams raising the bar or falling below their expectations. While navigating through the rigors of 162 games over six months, teams can both find their groove and go through extended slumps, which leads to some that surprise and some that disappoint.

Detroit Tigers

After a 10-year postseason drought, the Detroit Tigers made it back to the postseason for the first time since 2014. On Aug. 10, the Tigers had a 55-63 record but then went on a tear to end the regular season, winning 31 of their last 44 games to finish with an 86-76 record and clinch a postseason spot. Detroit ended up facing the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Series and swept them in two games, and then lost in five games to the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS. Despite falling short of the ALCS, this team should be proud of what they accomplished in 2024, and their future is one of the brightest in the league as well. The one at the helm for the Tigers was starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, who won the Triple Crown by leading the league in wins (18), ERA (2.39), and strikeouts (228). Other key players that were major factors in Detroit’s success were Tyler Holton in the bullpen, in addition to offensive staples like second baseman Colt Keith and outfielder Riley Greene.

Kansas City Royals

Moving on to another team in the AL Central division, the Royals were also in the midst of a long postseason drought coming into the season, as they hadn’t made it since they won the 2015 World Series. The Royals were 56-106 a year ago, but they turned the tables in 2024 by finishing 86-76 and clinching their first postseason appearance in nearly a decade. Kansas City took on the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card Series and won both games before losing in four games to the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. emerged as one of the best offensive players in the league by tallying 211 hits, 32 home runs, 109 RBIs, and a .332 batting average in 161 games. He also finished top-two in the American League MVP voting but ultimately fell short of Aaron Judge. In the pitching department, a 1-2 punch of Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans took control as key starters, while Michael Wacha was a great third option in the starting rotation.

New York Mets

In the National League, the New York Mets had a very exciting and eventful season. The Mets started off their 2024 campaign with an 0-5 record, and they were 22-33 on May 29, but this team built some very good chemistry and eventually caught fire, finishing with an 89-73 record and clinching a postseason spot for the second time in three years. The Mets also had a great postseason run, beating the Brewers in three games in the Wild Card Series and winning in four games against the division-rival Phillies in the NLDS before their run ended by losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a six-game NLCS. Star shortstop Francisco Lindor contributed in every category for this Met team with 169 hits, 33 home runs, and a .273 batting average, leading to being voted as a top-two candidate for the National League MVP behind winner Shohei Ohtani. First baseman Pete Alonso and third baseman Mark Vientos were also able to consistently produce for the Mets’ lineup, one that will be adding another big bat to the middle of their order in Juan Soto. There were many pitchers who executed their roles to perfection, including David Peterson, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino. Almost all starters in the Met’s rotation had an ERA under four. A fun and memorable moment from this season for New York was Grimace throwing out the first pitch.

Texas Rangers

Over to a disappointing team, the Rangers entered 2024 fresh off their first World Series title in franchise history. In this case, the expectations the following season are usually to, at the bare minimum, make it back to the postseason. The Rangers were not able to, as they had a 78-84 record which led to a third-place finish in the AL West, becoming the first team since the 2020 Nationals to miss the postseason the year after winning the World Series. The main reason that the Rangers weren’t able to hold their reign was due to the injury bug that they caught, specifically players like Corey Seager, Max Scherzer, and Josh Jung. Seager played in 123 games while experiencing wrist and hip issues, Scherzer had nerve and hamstring injuries which led to the 40-year-old only pitching in nine games, and Jung was limited to playing in only 46 games due to a fractured wrist compared to the 122 games he played in his 2023 All-Star season. The Rangers are a good bet to bounce back in 2025 with a healthy core, and due to the talent that this team still has, a return to the postseason is a must.

Toronto Blue Jays

2023 was the Blue Jays’ second straight season with a postseason appearance, and they were consistently good from 2020-2023, but they never reached that form this year, finishing last in the AL East at 74-88. There are some players that were bright spots, including star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who posted a .323 batting average to go along with 199 hits, 30 home runs, and 103 RBIs. Outfielder Daulton Varsho was the only Blue Jay to win a Gold Glove, and their pitching staff was pretty underwhelming as the starter that finished with the lowest ERA was Jose Barrios at 3.60. In the bullpen, closer Chad Green recorded 17 saves, but that also included a 4-6 record and 3.21 ERA. The Blue Jays were still in the playoff mix late in the season but did not have a good ending, as they went 7-17 in the month of September. The AL East is a tough division with the Yankees and Orioles being entrenched at the top, but Toronto has been a team to show fight in recent years and we’ll see if that can come back in 2025.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves entered 2024 atop the NL East for the sixth consecutive season, but they were not able to extend that streak with the Phillies taking the crown, even though Atlanta did make the postseason again with an 89-73 record. A lot of things did not go this team’s way, as they experienced a multitude of injuries that affected them and they had to rely on Game 162 to clinch a postseason berth. The injuries that I mentioned were to outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. who tore his ACL for the second time in four years, starting pitcher Spencer Strider who had season-ending UCL surgery, as well as Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley who also missed time, putting a hole in the Braves’ infield. On the bright side, starting pitcher Chris Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA on the mound, cementing his case as the NL Cy Young Award winner. Other than Sale and a couple of other healthy players like Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson playing well, not a lot of things went in the Braves’ favor, as they had an early postseason exit after losing to the San Diego Padres in their Wild Card Series. With a healthy squad, the Braves are a team I could see returning to their winning ways, but with the rising Mets and the Phillies also competing for the division, it is not going to be easy for Atlanta moving forward.

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