There's nothing more exciting in baseball than a home run. Unfortunately, offense was down in Major League Baseball in 2024, with runs per game falling from 7.29 to 7.03 in the National League and 7.09 to 6.66 in the American League. Home runs were also down leaguewide, from 5,868 in 2023 to 5,453 in 2024.

Still, two players eclipsed the 50 home run mark and several others had career highs. Here's a look at the five players who hit the most home runs in 2024.

Aaron Judge (58)

Likely to win his second AL MVP, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge didn't exceed the career high home run total (62) he achieved in 2022, but had a better overall season based on a few metrics. The six-time All-Star led all MLB players with 58 home runs and produced career-best figures in RBIs (144), walks (133), on-base percentage (.458), slugging (.701), on-base plus slugging (1.159), and total bases (392).

Judge had a relatively slow start in regard to home runs, hitting just six in 116 at-bats through March and April, but hit 25 in 185 at-bats in May and June. His longest home run was 477 feet, hit off Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman on August 2 at Yankee Stadium.

Shohei Ohtani (54)

Even though he wasn't able to pitch in 2024, two-time AL MVP Shohei Ohtani proved his worth to the Los Angeles Dodgers after signing a landmark 10-year, $700 million contract in the offseason. Ohtani hit a career-best 54 home runs, first among players in the NL. He also led the NL in plate appearances (731), runs (134), RBI (130), on-base percentage (.390), and total bases (411).

Ohtani also stole a career-best 59 bases in 2024 and became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs and swipe 50 bags.

Anthony Santander (44)

A 29-year-old outfielder from Venezuela, Anthony Santander hit a career-high 44 home runs in his eighth season with the Baltimore Orioles. He had only once hit more than 30 home runs in a season before this year. Santander also recorded career-best marks in RBIs (102) and slugging (.506) and was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career.

Juan Soto (41)

A four-time All-Star and Silver Slugger in the NL, Juan Soto hit a career-best 41 home runs in his first season with the Yankees. He also led the AL in runs (128) and had a .288 batting average, 109 RBI, and .989 OPS.

With the 2024 MLB season nearing its end, several players had standout performances in August, helping their team push for the playoffs and improving their chances at winning major individual awards. Here's a look at the winners of the American League (AL) and National League (NL) Players and Pitchers of the Month for August.

Aaron Judge (AL Player of the Month)

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge all but secured his second AL MVP award in August, hitting 12 home runs while leading all players in batting average (.389), on-base percentage (.530), and slugging (.856). Judge also had 25 walks, including 10 that were intentional, highlighting how much of a threat he is at the plate.

At the end of the month, Judge was on pace to record more RBI, walks, and have a better batting average than he did when he won his first AL MVP in 2022. He hit his 50th home run of the season on August 25 and also became the fastest player in league history to hit 300 home runs. His odds of winning AL MVP went from -900 to -3000 from the beginning to the end of the month.

Bowden Francis (AL Pitcher of the Month)

While Judge's selection was no surprise, few people would have anticipated Bowden Francis to win a Pitcher of the Month award at the start of the season. The Toronto Blue Jays pitcher only made four big league appearances before August, but had an impressive 1.05 earned-run average (ERA), 0.41 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts in 34-and-one-third innings in August. Francis took a no-hitter into the ninth inning in an August 24 game against the Los Angeles Angels.

Corbin Carroll (NL Player of the Month)

After winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2023, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll had a relatively disappointing start to the 2024 season, but the 24-year-old former first-round pick turned it around in August. Carroll ranked second among all NL players with 11 home runs and hit for a .280 batting average with an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of 1.042.

Blake Snell (NL Pitcher of the Month)

Rumored to be dealt at the 2024 MLB trade deadline, San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell found his rhythm in August, earning NL Pitcher of the Month distinction after leading all pitchers with 53 strikeouts and finishing second among qualified pitchers in ERA (1.64) and WHIP (0.83). He began his impressive month with his first career no-hitter, which also included 11 strikeouts, against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from a 5-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, winning their second championship in five seasons. The Dodgers’ rally began in the fifth inning thanks in part to some atrocious defense by the Yankees, including errors by outfielder Aaron Judge and shortstop Anthony Volpe. Freddie Freeman, who had two RBIs in the inning, won World Series MVP.

Here's a closer look at the performance of Freeman in the World Series and the two MVPs in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and National League Championship Series (NLCS).

1. Freddie Freeman (World Series MVP)

Although he's an eight-time All-Star and won the NL MVP in 2020, Freeman was somewhat of an unlikely hero for the Dodgers in the World Series. He had just one RBI in the prior two playoff series and was playing through an ankle injury. The 35-year-old first baseman didn't play in the final game of the NLCS against the New York Mets and said the six days off before the start of the World Series gave his ankle time to heal.

"I did a lot of work in between the NLCS and the World Series," Freeman said. "Thankfully, my ankle got into a good spot where I could work on my swing, and I found a cue that really worked for me. I was able to slow things down. All you’re trying to do is swing at strikes, take balls, and hit the mistakes. Thankfully, I was able to do that for five games."

Freeman had a record-tying 12 RBIs in the World Series and had home runs in each of the first four games, a feat no other player had accomplished in the World Series. He also hit the first-ever game-winning grand slam in the World Series in Game 1.

2. Giancarlo Stanton (ALCS MVP)

Giancarlo Stanton led the Yankees to their first World Series since 2009 and won the 2024 ALCS MVP following an impressive showing against the Cleveland Guardians. In his seventh season with the Yankees, Stanton showcased his power in the series, hitting four home runs and recording seven RBIs.

Stanton's 446-foot home run in the sixth inning of Game 5 was his third in three games and evened the score, setting up teammate Juan Soto to hit the series-clinching home run in the 10th inning. Stanton was the ninth Yankee to win the award and first since pitcher CC Sabathia in 2009.

3. Tommy Edman (NLCS MVP)

While the Dodgers have a loaded payroll, including more than $1 billion committed to Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Shohei Ohtani, it was unheralded 29-year-old Tommy Edman who starred for the team in the NLCS. Edman missed the majority of the 2024 season while recovering from offseason surgery, but was an offensive force in the playoffs, particularly in the NLCS. He had a team-leading 11 RBIs and hits in all six games against the New York Mets.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been among the most competitive teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the last decade, making the playoffs every year and winning the World Series in 2020. However, after consecutive losses in the National League Divisional Series (NLDS), the Dodgers front office dramatically increased its spending in the 2022-23 offseason with hopes of winning another World Series in 2024. 

As of January 8, 2024, Los Angeles has spent more than $1.2 billion on free agents, although much of that money is deferred and won't be paid out until years later. Overall, they had spent about $879,000 in free agency. No other team had spent more than $175,000. 

Below are three of Los Angeles' most significant signings. 

1. Shohei Ohtani 

The Dodgers made prized free agent Shohei Ohtani the richest active player in baseball, signing him to a record $700 million deal. However, to make his contract fit within Los Angeles' current salary structure and to allow the team to sign other free agents, Ohtani agreed to earn an annual salary of $2 million over the course of the 10-year deal. He will earn an additional $68 million in deferred salary every year from 2034 to 2043.  

"I figured if I can defer as much money as I can, and if that is going to help the CBT (competitive balance tax), and that is going to help the Dodgers be able to sign better players and make a better team, I felt like that was worth it," said Ohtani in his introductory press conference. 

A two-time American League (AL) MVP with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Ohtani is a 29-year-old Japanese player who is among the best hitters and pitchers in baseball. He led all AL batters in home runs (44), on-base percentage (.412) and OPS (1.066) last season and went 10-5 as a pitcher, allowing just 85 hits and striking out 167 batters in 132 innings pitched. 

2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto 

Los Angeles also signed Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325-million contract. He'll make more than $27 million per year despite having never played in MLB. It is the largest contract a pitcher has ever signed. The Orix Buffaloes, his former team in Nippon Professional Baseball, also received a $50.6 million posting fee. 

In 23 games last season with Orix, Yamamoto was 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA and had 169 strikeouts in 164 innings pitched.  

3. Teoscar Hernandez 

The Dodgers continued to spend excessively into the New Year, signing veteran slugger Teoscar Hernandez to a one-year, $23.5 million contract. A 31-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic, Hernandez hit 26 home runs and had 93 RBI last season with the Seattle Mariners. He was an All-Star in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Major League Baseball (MLB) teams were able to start negotiating with and signing free agents five days after the 2023 World Series, which the Texas Rangers won on November 1. There are several significant players on the market this offseason, the most notable of whom is Shohei Ohtani, the reigning American League (AL) MVP who is likely to command a record-setting salary. 

While there was little action during the first month of the offseason, several teams did make a splash by either re-signing core players or signing free agents to multi-million-dollar contracts. Here's a look at four of the most notable transactions as of the end of November 2023. 

1. Sonny Gray (St. Louis Cardinals) 

Several teams bolstered their starting pitching depth in the first month of free agency, but no team improved its staff more than the St. Louis Cardinals. Most notably, the National League (NL) Central team signed right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray to a three-year, $75 million contract. A three-time All-Star selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft, Gray has played for five teams and spent the last two seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He posted an 8-8 record to go along with a 2.79 earned run average (ERA) in 32 starts in 2023. 

St. Louis also signed right-handed pitchers Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn to one-year deals worth $12 million and $11 million, respectively. 

2. Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies) 

The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract. A first-round pick of the Phillies in the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft, Nola has spent nine seasons with the team and has a career 90-71 record with a 3.72 ERA and 1,582 strikeouts in 1,422 innings pitched. He went 12-9 with a 4.46 ERA last season, while striking out 202 batters in 193.2 innings pitched. 

3. Reynaldo Lopez (Atlanta Braves) 

The Atlanta Braves, who finished first in the NL East with a 104-58 record in 2023, signed 29-year-old relief pitcher Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year, $30 million contract with a team option for the 2027 season. An eight-year veteran, Lopez split last season between the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Cleveland Indians. He finished the season with a 3-7 record and 3.27 ERA in 68 relief appearances.  

4. Kenta Maeda (Detroit Tigers) 

The Detroit Tigers were one of the few AL teams to sign players in November. Detroit signed 35-year-old right-handed pitcher Kenta Maeda to a two-year, $24 million contract. Maeda posted a 6-8 record with a 4.23 ERA in 21 games for the Minnesota Twins last season after missing the 2022 season due to injury. 

The Texas Rangers celebrated winning their first World Series after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in Game 5 of the 2023 World Series on November 1. Rangers' slugger Marcus Simien hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to put the game out of reach. Corey Seager, who hit three home runs in the best-of-seven series, was named World Series MVP. 

The long ball played a big part in the Rangers' five-game series victory, which isn't surprising since Texas tied for third among all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams in home runs with 233. Overall, there were 5,868 home runs in the 2023 MLB regular season. This number was up more than 600 from last year but down from the 2019 record of 6,776. 

Below are the four players who led the league in home runs in 2023. 

1. Matt Olson (54) 

A two-time Gold Glove first baseman, Matt Olson had the best season of his eight-year career in 2023. Playing in his second season with the Atlanta Braves, the former Oakland Athletics slugger hit a league-leading and career-best 54 home runs, 15 more than his previous high of 39 in 2021. He also hit for a career-high .283 batting average, which was 18th leaguewide, and led all players with 139 RBI. Olson has 230 career home runs through 899 regular season games. 

2. Kyle Schwarber (47) 

A 30-year-old left-handed hitter from Middletown, Ohio, Kyle Schwarber hit a career-best 47 home runs in 2023. He led the league with 46 home runs in 2022, his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies. Schwarber also led the league in strikeouts in both 2022 (200) and 2023 (215). The nine-year veteran has 246 career home runs in 979 regular season games. 

3. Pete Alonso (46) 

A former National League (NL) Rookie of the Year, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets finished third in season home runs with 46. He has hit at least 37 home runs in each of his first four full seasons in the league, not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Alonso led the league in home runs with 53 in 2019 and led all players in RBI (131) in 2022. He was an All-Star for the third time in his career in 2023. 

4. Shohei Ohtani (44) 

Considered one of the greatest baseball players of all-time by many of his peers, Shohei Ohtani has a rare combination of skills. The two-way player is both one of the best hitters and pitchers in MLB. The former American League (AL) MVP led all AL players in home runs (44), on-base percentage (.412), and slugging percentage (.654). He recorded a 10-5 record with a 3.14 earned-run average (ERA) as a pitcher, striking out 167 batters in 132 innings.  

Football is a physically demanding sport, and while the National Football League (NFL) has made efforts to improve player safety in recent years, the game's physical nature can take its toll on players. According to Investing Fuse, the average NFL career is just 3.3 years, significantly shorter than the average career for players in the NBA, MLB, and NHL. Most players don't get to retire on their own terms and are forced out of the league due to injuries. 

It's unsurprising that the four players with the longest NFL careers are either kickers or punters, who generally don't have to deal with body contact on a game-by-game basis. Tom Brady, a quarterback considered one of the greatest players in league history, played 335 games across 22 seasons, ranking sixth all-time in games played.  

The following kickers and punters are the only players in league history to surpass 350 career regular season games. 

1. Morten Anderson (382) 

Football is considered "America's game," so it's interesting that the all-time leader in games played is from Copenhagen, Denmark. Morten Anderson, selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft, played 382 regular season games with five teams during his 25-year career. 

A seven-time Pro Bowl kicker, Anderson led the league in field goal percentage (86.7) in 1986 and recorded the longest made field goal in the 1991, 1995, and 1997 seasons. He retired following the 2007 season with a career 79.7 percent field goal success rate (565 of 709). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. 

2. Adam Vinatieri (365) 

An undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State, Adam Vinatieri signed with the New England Patriots in 1996, beginning a distinguished career that lasted 365 regular season games over 24 seasons. A four-time Super Bowl champion, Vinatieri was a three-time Pro Bowl kicker and led all kickers in field goal percentage in 2002, 2004, and 2014. He retired in 2019 following his 14th season with the Indianapolis Colts. 

3. Gary Anderson (353) 

Another non-American, Gary Anderson was born in Parys, South Africa, and attended Syracuse University before the Buffalo Bills selected him in the seventh round of the 1982 NFL Draft. Anderson never played with the Bills, but he played 353 career games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers. He retired in 2004 with a career 80.1 percent field goal success rate (538 of 672). 

4. Jeff Feagles (352) 

Punter Jeff Feagles played 352 career regular-season games through 22 seasons with the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Eagles, and Patriots. He averaged 41.6 yards per punt and kicked 32.3 percent of his 1,713 career punts inside the opposition's 20-yard line. 

National Football League (NFL) games usually don't need intrigue or storylines to drive ratings—regular season games averaged 16.7 million viewers in the 2022 season—but there's often additional fan interest and excitement when two rivals play each other. A 2016 Christmas Day game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, AFC North division rivals, broke a record for viewership on the NFL Network. The two teams even attracted 11.4 million viewers for a Wednesday afternoon game in 2020. 

Rivalries in the NFL are usually created out of multiple fierce and competitive contests between two teams or the simple fact that they play within the same state or division. Below are three of the most intense rivalries in NFL history. 

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears 

The rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers is among the oldest in the league, but it has been one-sided during the last three decades. The NFC North teams' rivalry is largely based on geography, with Green Bay being about a 200-mile drive from Chicago, but they are also among the most successful teams in NFL history. The two teams have played one another more than 200 times since 1921. 

Chicago won the first two games in the Bears-Packers rivalry and held a considerable edge into the 1980s with the likes of Walter Payton and William Perry playing integral roles in the Bears' success. Following the 2022 season, however, Green Bay had won 48 of 67 matches dating back to the 1990 season, thanks in large part to the play of quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.  

Green Bay and Chicago have only played twice in the playoffs. The Bears defeated the Packers 33-14 in a tiebreaker playoff game in 1941, while the Packers beat the Bears 21-14 in the 2010 NFC Championship Game. 

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles 

The rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles is the most heated in an NFC East division rife with rivalries. They have played each other 128 times, with the Cowboys holding a 73-55 edge, and have combined to win eight of the last 10 division titles.  

While they're separated by more than 1,400 miles, the two teams are natural rivals based on style of play and culture. Philadelphia is a working man's city, and the Eagles play a blue-collar, gritty style of football. The Cowboys, known as "America's Team," are known for glitz and glamor along with their world-renowned cheerleaders—they're also the most valuable sports franchise in the world.  

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals 

The rivalry between the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals has led to some vicious and scary plays on the field in recent years. In a 2016 game, Bengals player Vontaze Burfict hit Steelers receiver Antonio Brown so hard that Brown was out cold prior to falling to the ground. Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster sought revenge on Burfict with an illegal block in a game the following year and, the next season, Burfict was fined $112,000 for separate unnecessary roughness penalties on Brown and running back James Conner. 

The Major League Baseball (MLB) trade deadline is the cutoff date for teams to make in-season transactions. Typically, teams in the playoff hunt deal minor league players and prospects for veteran depth, while teams outside of the playoff picture look to acquire younger players to build up their farm systems.  

Teams completed dozens of trades in the days leading up to the 2023 MLB trade deadline on August 1 at 6 p.m. ET. Below is a look at three of the most notable transactions. 

Justin Verlander Returns to Houston 

The Houston Astros acquired three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander from the New York Mets in exchange for minor league outfielders Ryan Clifford and Drew Gilbert, Houston's top two prospects in the MLB Pipeline rankings. An 18-year veteran, Verlander won the Cy Young with the Astros last season, leading all American League (AL) pitchers with 18 wins and a 1.75 earned-run average (ERA), but opted to sign with the Mets in the off-season. He had a 6-5 record to go along with a 3.15 ERA through 16 starts before the trade. 

The Astros paid a considerable price to get Verlander, and it was a risky gamble at the time considering the team was just a half-game back of the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West and several of its starting pitchers were injured. 

Texas Rangers Acquire Max Scherzer 

Hoping to keep ahead of the Astros, the Rangers also acquired a former Cy Young winner in Max Scherzer. Texas sent minor league player Luisangel Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., to the Mets in exchange for Scherzer, who won three Cy Youngs from 2013 to 2017. Although not as dominant as he once was, Scherzer had a 9-4 record, 4.01 ERA, and 121 strikeouts through 107.2 innings pitched prior to the trade. 

Acuña, meanwhile, is a player with decent potential. The 21-year-old infielder was hitting .315 with seven home runs and 51 RBI through 84 games with Texas' Double-A affiliate prior to the trade. He was MLB's 71st-best prospect before the start of the 2023 season. 

Cleveland Guardians Deal Aaron Civale 

In another major deal involving a starting pitcher, the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Aaron Civale from the Cleveland Guardians for minor league first baseman Kyle Manzardo. Cleveland was just a half-game out of first place in the AL Central at the time of the trade, but most of its other starting pitchers, including Triston McKenzie and Shane Bieber, had been sidelined with injury. 

Civale, who is still under contract for another two seasons, has dealt with his own injury troubles in the past. He missed two months this season with an oblique injury and has yet to pitch more than 130 innings in a season. 

On January 17, 2023, the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 49-person Selection Committee selected eight former National Football League (NFL) players and one coach—Don Coryell—to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023. Below is a closer look at the eight players who received at least 80 percent of the required votes for induction. 

1. Rondé Barber 

Rondé Barber, a three-time HOF finalist in his sixth year of eligibility, finally earned his rightful place in football history with his induction. The cornerback and safety played 16 seasons, all with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, from 1997 to 2012, during which time he recorded 47 interceptions for 923 return yards and eight touchdowns, all of which are Buccaneers franchise records. He is also the NFL's all-time leader for sacks among cornerbacks with 28. 

2. Chuck Howley 

It took 45 years, but linebacker Chuck Howley was finally inducted into the HOF in 2023. A first-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1958 NFL Draft, Howley played 180 games through 15 seasons with the Bears and Dallas Cowboys. The six-time Pro Bowl linebacker was the MVP of Super Bowl V and was the first non-quarterback to win the award. 

3. Joe Klecko 

A 6-foot-3 defensive end and nose tackle drafted in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, Joe Klecko played 12 seasons with the Jets and Indianapolis Colts and was Defensive Player of the Year in 1981. He was the second player in league history to earn a Pro Bowl selection at three different positions and is one of five Jets players to have their jersey number retired. 

4. Darrelle Revis 

A first-year HOF eligible cornerback out of the University of Pittsburgh, Darrelle Revis was drafted by the Jets 14th overall in 2007 and played 11 seasons with New York, Tampa Bay, New England, and Kansas City. He was the Jets MVP in 2009 and 2011 and earned first-team All-Pro distinction in four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012. Revis was also selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2010s. 

5. Ken Riley 

Ken Riley, a cornerback who played 15 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1969-83, recorded 65 interceptions throughout his career and led the league in that category in 1976, 1982, and 1983.  

6. Joe Thomas 

A first-year HOF eligible offensive tackle, Joe Thomas spent his entire 11-year career with the Cleveland Browns, during which time played an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps and allowed only 30 sacks. He was named to the Pro Bowl every year during his first 10 seasons in the NFL. 

7. Zach Thomas 

A linebacker known for his impressive career with the Miami Dolphins, Zach Thomas led the team in tackles 10 times and concluded his career with 17 interceptions and 20.5 sacks. The seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker was the first Dolphins player to win the Leadership Award three times.  

8. DeMarcus Ware 

Linebacker and defensive end DeMarcus Ware earned the HOF induction in his second year of eligibility. The 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft was the Cowboys' leader in sacks for eight years from 2005 to 2012 and led the NFL in the category in 2008 and 2010. He is the Cowboys' all-time leader with 117 career sacks.