Grading the 2024 season for every MLB team

Arizona was in the running for the Wild Card until the end, but the obstacles they overcame were far greater than 2023. The team saw significant injuries and struggles from their starting rotation, including Zac Gallen, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Merrill Kelly, while superstar Corbin Carroll struggled for much of the year. Yet, the team’s offense continued to flourish, and the bullpen came together even as Paul Sewald struggled. It’s hard to see how the team could have had a better regular season given the circumstances.

The historic offense we saw from the Braves in 2023 took a nosedive, and injuries ultimately did in a highly talented team. The team lost stars Ronald Acuna Jr., Michael Harris, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy, and Spencer Strider for significant portions of the season, while Matt Olson didn’t come close to matching his career year from 2023. Yet, Chris Sale emerged as the clear NL Cy Young winner after a no-brainer trade, and the team was in the playoff race all year. The Braves also saw Spencer Schwellenbach emerge in the starting rotation, though the lack of overall organizational depth made the task too difficult.

The Orioles clearly took another step forward, yet they go into the playoffs with meat left on the bone. Injuries to pitchers Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, and John Means created huge setbacks, but the front office also failed to improve the team enough at the trade deadline. Baltimore is playing the long term with their current core, though they had a real shot at a World Series in front of them.

Given Boston’s roster and the loss of Lucas Giolito before Opening Day, remaining in the playoff race until mid-September should be considered a win. However, the Red Sox have a reason for much higher expectations, given their market and fanbase, which is an indictment of ownership’s recent thriftiness. Still, the team saw huge progress from a bevy of young players including Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, and Wilyer Abreu, while the pitching staff was terrific under new coach Andrew Bailey. With an elite farm system ready to sprout, there’s reason to believe bigger things are in store for 2025.

The expectations were sky high in Chicago with the hiring of Craig Counsell and the significant addition of Shota Imanaga along with re-signing Cody Bellinger. Unfortunately, the Cubs couldn’t dig out of an early hole struggling to score runs and close out games. Cubs fans did see a lot to like from young players like Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong, with more solid youngsters set to help next season, but failing to make the playoffs in a very winnable division must be considered a disappointment.

The White Sox set the record for most losses in modern MLB. Obviously, it’s tough to see how the year could have been much worse for the team as key players Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jimenez, and Yoan Moncada missed time to injury, while others like Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets were disappointing. The one bright spot was Garrett Crochet, who returned from injury to be the team’s clear ace. Chicago does have some intriguing prospects on the way, particularly on the pitching side, but it could be a while until they’re anywhere close to contention.

After finishing above .500 in 2023 with the help of exciting young players, the Reds hoped for a playoff run this season. It never came to fruition in large part due to the absences of Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Noelvi Marte, but it’s still fair to say Cincinnati underachieved despite those losses. While Hunter Greene delivered as an ace and Elly De La Cruz was as exciting as advertised, the athletic outfield was stagnant and the bullpen struggled to find reliable innings. The late-season arrival of starter Rhett Lowder and return of the team’s injured youngsters gives them hope for next season, but manager David Bell was deserving of his firing in the final week of the season.

It’s hard to see how the Guardians could have been more successful in 2024, with new manager Stephen Vogt filling the shoes of Terry Francona to easily win the AL Central for the second time in three years. The lineup took a big step forward with Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan complementing Jose Ramirez, but the starting rotation was patchwork following Shane Bieber’s early-season injury. Vogt made it work with Tanner Bibee and a combination of vets and youngsters, supported by one of the best bullpens we’ve seen in modern baseball.

The disaster that was the 2024 Rockies wasn’t unexpected given the status of their pitching staff, but that doesn’t make it any less painful. The franchise has now 100 games in back-to-back years, as high-priced players like Kris Bryant, Kyle Freeland, and German Marquez continue to flounder. The team also saw a major step back from 2023 breakout star Nolan Jones, but Brenton Doyle, Ezequiel Tovar, and Michael Toglia had strong years to make up for him.

The Tigers had an odd but exhilarating year. The lineup was a major disappointment early in the season, leading to the team selling at the trade deadline at five games below .500. Somehow, Detroit turned their season around over the last two months despite a lack of starting pitching beyond likely AL Cy Young Tarik Skubal, with the help of Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Parker Meadows returning from injury. The team’s future looks even brighter with a strong farm system.

Astros fans were put through a range of emotions, as the team was 10-19 by the end of April. Patience paid off, especially in a weak AL West, as the Astros eventually righted the ship and easily won the division. Their eighth consecutive playoff appearance came despite Kyle Tucker missing about half the year due to a mysterious leg injury and Justin Verlander struggling. The team has reason to be thankful for another great season from Yordan Alvarez and the emergence of starter Ronel Blanco.

Coming off one of their worst seasons in franchise history with 106 losses, Royals ownership spent money in the offseason and saw those dollars lead to a playoff berth. The free agent additions of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha were key, while Cole Ragans continued to prove he’s a legitimate ace. The lineup had its fair share of holes and concerns moving forward, but Bobby Witt Jr. isn’t one of them after putting together an MVP-level season.

The race to the bottom continues for the Angels, who suffered the most losses in franchise history and missed the playoffs for the 10th straight year. Highly paid contracts like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon failed to stay on the field again, while the young pitching led by Reid Detmers took a huge step back. Recent first-round picks Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel were two of the few bright spots for an organization that desperately needs to be sold and rehauled.

Expectations in LA were astronomical following the additions of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Teoscar Hernandez, among others. Injuries prevented the Dodgers from reaching expectations during the regular season, but they still managed to win the NL West for the 11th time in 12 years. Focusing on his offense while rehabbing his elbow, Ohtani had a historic 50/50 season, and the team had no trouble selling tickets. Still, injuries to the pitching staff put serious pressure on manager Dave Roberts.

The regression from a playoff team in 2023 wasn’t a surprise for the Marlins, with serious injuries to starters Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez. Still, the fall was steeper than expected, with the fourth 100-loss season in franchise history. New president of baseball operations Peter Bendix did a nice job restocking the farm system, but that doesn’t give much solace to fans who are seeing the all too familiar recycling of the roster after the team unloaded Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm, Josh Bell, Bryan De La Cruz, Tanner Scott, and Trevor Rogers.

With the loss of manager Craig Counsell and ace Corbin Burnes, most expected the Brewers to finish at the bottom of the NL Central. The young team failed to listen, with a deep roster led by catcher William Contreras and ace Freddy Peralta. Promoted manager Pat Murphy did a great job allowing his young players to emerge on their own time, led by star rookie Jackson Chourio, and the pitching staff saw Tobias Myers, Jared Koenig, and Bryan Hudson emerge from obscurity. More impression was the fact that the Brewers dominated the division in spite of star Christian Yelich playing only 73 games due to a chronic back injury.

The outright implosion of the Twins late in the season soured what looked like a promising season and roster. The lineup was extremely deep, with the help of young players Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, and Jose Miranda emerging, along with good years from veterans like Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa, and Carlos Santana, Unfortunately, the Twins suffered significant injuries at inopportune times, running out of viable starting pitching late in the year after Joe Ryan and Chris Paddack went down. The story of 2024 is one of failed potential, but the overall health of the organization is great with a deep roster and farm system back in 2025.

The Mets have been obsessed with big contracts and star power since owner Steve Cohen purchased the team, but it was the incremental moves of new baseball head David Stearns that led the team back to relevancy. Of course, big years from stars Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Diaz were key, but the Stearns’ moves couldn’t have turned out much better with Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, J.D. Martinez, and Jesse Winker perfectly complementing the roster. The emergence of Mark Vientos puts the team on a strong trajectory, even with some major decisions to make in the offseason.

The unacceptable fourth-place finish from the Yankees in 2023 put the pressure on Brian Cashman and company to rebound, and they did just that with another AL East division title. The addition of Juan Soto couldn’t have gone much better, creating a scary lineup tandem with Aaron Judge. While Gerrit Cole had uncharacteristic health struggles, the starting rotation proved more than deep enough with a rebound season from Carlos Rodon and breakout starter Luis Gil. Still, the team appeared flawed heading into the playoffs, with a shaky bullpen after Clay Holmes was removed from the closer role.

The A’s organization showed progress in horrible circumstances, with owner John Fisher and MLB forcing an unfair move of the franchise following the season. The offense was a major surprise with big steps forward from Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, and JJ Bleday, while the bullpen was also strong as Mason Miller was nearly automatic at the end of games. With minimal resources, the front office continues to do a strong job mixing in talented young players with the hope that the A’s will be ready for another playoff run by the time they move to Las Vegas in a few years.

The Phillies had overall good injury luck, and an NL East title was the result for the star-studded group. We got what we expected from a high-priced group that includes Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola, while there were also a few surprises like Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez. The front office has successfully transitioned the bullpen from mediocre to elite in two years, but the team was met with few real challenges while they cruised into the playoffs.

The Pirates finished in a familiar area at the bottom of the NL Central, but the overall feeling of optimism is much greater than usual. That’s due in large part to the arrival of likely NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, who was precisely as advertised, plus a strong year from fellow rookie Jared Jones. Pittsburgh is still lacking in their lineup beyond Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, but a long line of solid pitching prospects on the cusp could make the Pirates formidable soon.

The 2023 Padres were one of the most disappointing teams in recent memory, so it was a relief to see the franchise bounce back after offseason changes. The ever-aggressive A.J. Preller added Dylan Cease at the start of the season, and didn’t stop there with other key additions like Luis Arraez, Tanner Scott, and Jason Adam. San Diego also saw their return in the Juan Soto trade deliver, led by Michael King, and thrifty offseason additions Jurickson Profar and Jeremiah Estrada were key contributors.

The Giants procrastinated in the offseason, a result that looked strong when the team was able to add Blake Snell, Jorge Soler, and Matt Chapman at discount prices. Unfortunately, the late signings showed on the field, and the team had their third consecutive mediocre year. They head into the offseason with even more uncertainty, but still have a talented enough core with Logan Webb, Heliot Ramos, and Chapman to make a quick turnaround if the stars align next season.

Seattle’s efforts to change their offense in 2024 were for naught, as the lineup plunged to its worst result in recent memory as the team missed the playoffs. The anemic offense was particularly frustrating considering the incredible results of the starting rotation, with a dominant starting five of interchangeable aces. The Mariners will need to do more in the offseason than just hope Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, and J.P. Crawford can rebound.

The Cardinals are set for big and overdue changes, as fan sentiment has finally caught up with the lack of results on the field missing the playoffs in consecutive years. The team saw promising development from Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson, but the same can’t be said for Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman while most of the team’s veterans had down years. The last time the franchise was at such a breaking point was the mid-1990’s, when the Cardinals made drastic changes led by the hiring of Tony La Russa.

The small-budget Rays saw their streak of six straight winning seasons end, though the results weren’t unexpected in a mini-rebuild as the team waited for Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen, and Shane McClanahan to heal from injury. Most concerning is the downfall of their offense, with almost the entire team having down years. Tampa Bay should have plenty of arms to jump back into contention next season, but they will need Josh Lowe, Christopher Morel, and Junior Caminero to make parallel strides.

No one should be surprised that a veteran-laden team like the Rangers would regress following a World Series run, as stars like Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Max Scherzer had down years. Injuries also took a toll, particularly with Josh Jung and Evan Carter. At least on paper, Texas looks like one of the most likely bounceback teams in 2025 with the injured players returning, including Jacob deGrom, plus the ascent of more young players like Wyatt Langford, Kumar Rocker, and Jack Leiter.

Perhaps no team had a more disappointing 2024 season than Toronto, with their worst full season since 2019. The roster appeared stacked, but the pitching staff was a nightmare behind Jose Berrios and the lineup wasn’t much better. There are big questions about Bo Bichette heading into his walk year, and George Springer is starting to see a huge age decline. The rebound to stardom for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. does give the team and fans some hope.

The results continued to be poor for Washington in their fifth straight losing season, but the fruits of the farm system are ripening. The lineup had very promising years from Luis Garcia Jr. and James Wood, with Dylan Crews getting promoted down the stretch. The outlook for the pitching staff also looks better after the contributions of DJ Herz, Jake Irvin, MacKenzie Gore, and Mitchell Parker. One big question heading into the offseason is the status of C.J. Abrams, after he was demoted to Triple-A in the last week for off-field issues.