Joseph Rowdis ’25
Staff Writer
One minute, I woke up to see the results of the Los Angeles Dodgers versus San Diego Padres series held in Seoul, South Korea at the end of March. Flash forward and it’s the end of September, and the postseason bracket is now complete. That’s how quickly the 2024 MLB regular season flew by. Another fantastic regular season is in the books for the MLB, a season full of many memorable moments and history-making accomplishments. Let’s take a dive into some of the highlights that MLB fans may remember from these past six months.
Opening Day in and of itself was an unforgettable day, especially for big-name stars who debuted for their new teams. Corbin Burnes was stellar in his first start as a Baltimore Oriole. Shohei Ohtani, despite the scandal involving his former interpreter, embraced the love from the Dodger faithful. Juan Soto proved why he belongs in pinstripes by throwing out the tying run at the plate in the 9th inning over the Houston Astros to seal the deal for the New York Yankees.
Over the course of the season, there was also the emergence of rookies who had their shining moments. One could say that the “Jackson Three” rookies (Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres, Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Jackson Holliday of the Orioles) showcased the bright spots for the future of their respective franchises. Merrill’s continual success in the clutch helped give the Padres a spark to eventually punch a ticket into the playoffs. Chourio became the youngest player to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases (denoted as 20-20) in a season in MLB history. Holliday, aside from notably being the son of former major leaguer Matt Holliday, worked his way back to the Orioles after being demoted to Triple-A less than a month into the season.
But then there was the arrival of Paul Skenes, the first overall pick of the 2023 MLB draft, who made his MLB debut ten months later. The Pittsburgh Pirates phenom took the league by storm with a 6-0 start to his career, ultimately contributing to 15 wins in 23 starts as the team’s starting pitcher, and he finished the season with a 1.96 earned run average (ERA). As such, it is presumed that Skenes will receive the NL Rookie of the Year award, which would be incredible considering how he did not make his first start until May 11.
On June 20, the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals faced off in Birmingham, AL, at Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in the United States and home of the former Birmingham Black Barons. The game’s purpose was to pay tribute to the Negro Leagues, and it was only appropriate that the great Willie Mays, who passed away on June 18, 2024, was honored as a former Black Baron who went on to play for the 1951 New York Giants. All in all, the MLB took another step in the right direction on this special occasion.
The MLB history books got even more filled with broken records and new feats taking place. First, as crazy as this sounds, Danny Jansen became the first person to play for two teams in the same game after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Boston Red Sox. The former Blue Jays catcher was up at-bat on June 26 while the game at Fenway Park got suspended due to heavy rain. Fast forward exactly two months later, and the game resumes with Jansen replacing Reese McGuire as the catcher for the Red Sox while Daulton Varsho pinch-hits in Jansen’s spot.
Next, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals broke out big time after signing an insane 14-year deal (11 years guaranteed) worth $288.7 million in the offseason. He was selected to his first career all-star game (and finished second in the home run derby), became the only shortstop to have two 30-30 seasons, and on top of all that, Witt Jr. won the 2024 American League batting title while getting the Royals back into the postseason for the first time since their 2015 World Series season. It seems like this Kansas City revitalization might last longer than the 2024 season.
And of course, what is the MLB season without the two MVP favorites in Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Shohei Ohtani adding more history to their already star-studded careers? Judge, known as the home run king, got off to a slow start in March and April, but after getting ejected for the first time in his career on May 4, he locked in and did not look back. Judge hit his 300th home run 132 games faster than any other player in MLB history. Season-wise, Judge put up a good effort in trying to match his 62 home run total of 2022 by finishing with 58 for the season.
As for Ohtani, despite not pitching during the regular season, he was as dominant as you could imagine him to be. Ohtani just established the 50-50 club on September 19 by hitting his 50th home run and stealing his 50th base in a blowout win over the Miami Marlins. Ohtani’s performance (6 for 6 with 4 runs, 10 runs batted in (RBIs), 3 home runs (HRs), and 2 stolen bases (SBs) might translate to the best game of his career thus far. It is truly impressive how Ohtani finds a way to change the game of baseball through breaking records, and there is much anticipation to see what he will do in his first career postseason appearance.
Now, the MLB shifts its focus to the race for the World Series with 12 teams remaining. The postseason is truly a test of which players can carry their late-season momentum beyond the regular season. Especially over the past few years, any team that makes the playoffs, whether as low as the 6 seed or as high as the 1 seed, has a legitimate chance to make some noise for baseball’s ultimate prize. Some teams, like the Philadelphia Phillies, the Yankees, and the Dodgers may have higher expectations and more pressure, and others, such as the Detroit Tigers, did not foresee any plans to play baseball in October. It is going to be an exciting bunch of games and series to watch these next few weeks. Lock in, it’s time to get October Ready.
Featured image courtesy of NPR
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