The 2023-24 Major League Baseball (MLB) offseason featured plenty of player movement, most notably two-way Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani signing a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers also acquired pitcher Tyler Glasnow and signed him to a five-year, $135 million contract extension, while Aroldis Chapman (Pittsburgh Pirates), Matt Chapman (San Francisco Giants), and Sonny Gray (St. Louis Cardinals) were among the other players to sign with new teams.

In addition, many former MLB All-Stars announced their retirements during the offseason. Below are four of the most notable players to call it a career before Opening Day of the 2024 MLB season.

1. Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera, a future Hall of Famer and arguably one of the greatest hitters of all time, announced his intention to retire last season and played his final game in front of a capacity crowd at Comerica Park on October 1. While the 21-year veteran recorded a sub-800 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in each of his final five seasons, he was one of the most dominant power hitters in baseball from 2004-2016. Cabrera won two American League (AL) MVPs, finished top-five in MVP voting in five other seasons, led the AL in home runs twice, and won four batting titles during this time.

Cabrera began his career with the Miami Marlins in 2003 and was traded to the Tigers in December 2007. In 2012, he led all AL players in home runs (44), RBI (139), and batting average (.338), becoming the first player to win the Triple Crown since 1967. He retired with 511 home runs, 1,881 RBI, and a .306 batting average in 2,797 regular season games. He's among the top-20 players all-time for hits (17th), doubles (13th), RBI (13th), and total bases (14th).

2. Josh Donaldson

Josh Donaldson, another former AL MVP, announced his retirement on March 4 on an episode of Sean Casey's "The Mayor's Office" podcast. The 38-year-old third baseman was a three-time All-Star and played for seven teams in his 13-year career. He most recently played for the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees, but he was at his best as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Donaldson won the AL MVP with Toronto in 2015 after hitting 41 home runs and recording an AL-best 123 RBI. He averaged 33 home runs and a .284 batting average in four seasons from 2013-16.

3. Adam Wainwright

A three-time National League (NL) All-Star pitcher, Adam Wainwright spent his entire 18-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He won a World Series with the team in 2006 and finished his career with a 200-128 record to go along with a 3.53 ERA and 2,202 strikeouts.

Wainwright won his 200th game in his final career start, throwing seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball in a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. He's one of only 122 pitchers with 200 career victories.

The Major League Baseball (MLB) season is a grind with 162 games over the course of seven months, during which time there are many intriguing storylines and several players who establish themselves among the best in the league with career-defining performances. Below are four players who could have breakout seasons in 2024, according to an MLB poll of more than 35 executives.

Royce Lewis (Minnesota Twins)

Three of the 38 executives polled by MLB selected Minnesota Twins third baseman as their potential breakout player in the 2024 season. A 24-year-old native of Aliso Viejo, California selected first overall by the Twins in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, Lewis has been impressive when healthy, but has been plagued by injuries during the last two seasons. He hit .309 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI in just 58 games last year. Extrapolating his career averages through his first 70 games in 2022 and 2023, Lewis would average 35 home runs and 100 RBI in a 150-game season.

Ranked as a top-100 prospect in baseball every year since 2018, Lewis has also hit well in the minor leagues. He has a career .273 batting average to go along with 41 home runs and 178 RBI in 350 games with the Twins' minor league affiliates.

Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles)

Gunnar Henderson, a third baseman and shortstop with the Baltimore Orioles, is another popular breakout candidate in 2024. He led all players in the MLB executives poll with five votes as the breakout player of the year. A second-round pick of the Orioles in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft, Henderson won American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2023 after hitting .255 to go along with 28 home runs and 82 RBI in 150 games. He also finished eighth in AL MVP voting.

Vinnie Pasquantino (Kansas City Royals)

One of three Royals players selected by MLB executives to have a breakout season in 2024, Vinnie Pasquantino finished second behind Henderson with four votes. The 26-year-old first baseman and designated hitter, selected by the Royals in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft, hit .247 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 61 games in 2023.

Anthony Volpe (New York Yankees)

Anthony Volpe, who received a pair of votes in the MLB executives poll, is a 22-year-old shortstop with the New York Yankees. A first-round pick in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft, Volpe finished eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 after hitting .209 to go along with 21 home runs, 60 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. He hit .314 in 18 spring training games before the 2024 season.

The 2024 MLB season was a memorable one. In his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hit an American League (AL) best 58 home runs, becoming only the fourth player to hit at least that many home runs in multiple seasons. The Dodgers and Yankees also met in the World Series, with the Dodgers prevailing in five games in a matchup involving two of the league's biggest markets.

Unsurprisingly, Judge and Ohtani won the AL and National League (NL) MVP, respectively. Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers won the AL Cy Young, given each year to the best pitcher, and Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves won the award for the NL. Two pitchers—Luis Gil and Paul Skenes—also won AL and NL Rookie of the Year, respectively, marking the first time since 1981 that the best first-year players in both leagues were starting pitchers.

Here's a closer look at the impressive seasons of Gil and Skenes in 2024.

Luis Gil (AL Rookie of the Year)

Gil, a starting pitcher with the Yankees, won AL Rookie of the Year ahead of runners-up Austin Wells (Yankees) and Colton Cowser (Baltimore Orioles). The 26-year-old native of the Dominican Republic played seven games in the big leagues in 2021 and 2022, but had a breakthrough first full season in 2024, posting a win-loss record of 15-7 to go along with a 3.50 earned-run average (ERA) and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings pitched.

Gil also allowed just 104 hits, but walked an AL-worst 77 batters. He was particularly effective in May, going 6-0 with a 0.70 ERA and 44 strikeouts. He is the 10th Yankee to win AL Rookie of the Year and won the closest race since 2003, beating Cowser by just five points. 

Paul Skenes (NL Rookie of the Year)

Voting for the NL Rookie of the Year wasn't as close. Skenes, a 22-year-old from Fullerton, California, received 23 of 30 first-place votes and finished 32 points ahead of runner-up Jackson Merrill (San Diego Padres). He also finished third in NL Cy Young voting.

Skenes was the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft and proved he was worthy of that distinction in 2024, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in just 133 innings pitched across 23 starts. He was also the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Hideo Nomo in 1995 and the second to win at least 10 games, record 150 strikeouts, and a sub-2.50 ERA in the last 35 seasons.

As part of its efforts to protect players and increase the pace of play, Major League Baseball (MLB) introduced several rule changes in 2023. The league made bases bigger to reduce risk of player collisions, particularly at first base, and introduced a pitch timer, giving pitchers 15 seconds to begin their pitching motion with no runners on base and 20 seconds with bases occupied. These changes had the desired effect, with nine-inning games lasting an average of 2 hours and 39 minutes, the lowest since 1985.

Prior to the start of the 2024 season, MLB made a couple of other minor rule changes, detailed below.

Reducing the Pitch Timer with Runners on Base

Pitchers in 2024 have two fewer seconds to start throwing the ball toward home plate than they did in 2023. The league decreased the pitch time with no runners on base from 20 to 18 seconds in response to pitchers figuring out ways to work around the timer in 2023. Partly because of this, games lasted an average of seven minutes longer in the final month of the 2023 season than they did in the first month.

The league decided the decrease wouldn't negatively affect pitchers either, since, on average, they began their deliveries with 7.3 seconds left on the pitch clock. Pitchers also still can reset the clock two times per at bat by either stepping off the mound or attempting a pickoff.

Other Pace of Play Adjustments

The league is also trying to speed things up between innings. It is implementing a new rule to reset the inning break clock to 2 minutes rather than the previous 2 minutes, 15 seconds, when a new pitcher comes from the bullpen onto the warning track. Last season, ending breaks with a pitching change lasted an average of 2 minutes, 35 seconds.

There's also no longer a requirement for pitchers to be on the mound for the pitch clock to start following a dead ball. Pacing around the mound area was one of the ways in which pitchers circumvented the pitch timer in 2023. Also in 2024, teams can only make four mound visits, down from five the year prior.

Widening the Runner's Lane to First Base

MLB also widened the runner's lane to first base to include all dirt on both the left and right side of the foul line. This will particularly benefit right-handed batters who, under the previous rule, had to run at least halfway to first base between the foul line and an adjacent line three feet to the right. This slight reduction in distance to first base for right-handed hitters could result in more players beating out infield ground balls.

The first two months of the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) season have provided some incredible moments, intriguing storylines, and surprises. The strength of the American League (AL) Central, in particular, the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians, and the disappointing start for the Houston Astros were among the biggest surprises through the first quarter of the season.

Many players have also had standout seasons. Here's a look at four of the hottest hitters and pitchers in May.

1. Aaron Judge (AL Player of the Month)

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was the best hitter in the AL in May. The 6-foot-7, 282-pound outfielder won AL Player of the Month for the seventh time in his career after recording 14 home runs, 27 RBI, and a .361 batting average in 28 games. He was the first player in team history to hit at least 14 home runs and 12 doubles in a month. Judge also won the award in May 2023 and won three times in 2022.

Judge is a five-time All-Star and won AL MVP in 2022.

2. Bryce Harper (NL Player of the Month)

Bryce Harper was the top hitter in the National League (NL) in May, hitting .313 to go along with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 26 games. The Philadelphia Phillies outfielder and two-time NL MVP led all NL players in May in OPS (.990) and RBIs (24) and was tied for first in home runs. Harper last won NL Player of the Month in April 2016 with the Washington Nationals. He also won in May 2015.

3. Luis Gil (AL Pitcher of the Month)

Luis Gil, a right-handed pitcher with the Yankees, won his first career AL Pitcher of the Month award in May. The 26-year-old also won AL Rookie of the Month. Gil started six games for New York in May and was a perfect 6-0 with a 0.70 earned run average (ERA) and 44 strikeouts.

4. Chris Sale (NL Pitcher of the Month)

Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale, acquired last offseason from the Boston Red Sox, is off to a great start in his first season in the NL. He earned NL Pitcher of the Month honors in May after going 5-0 with a 0.56 ERA and 45 strikeouts in five starts. Sale, who pitched the first 14 seasons of his career in the AL, had the lowest ERA for an NL Pitcher of the Month winner since Pablo Lopez (0.39 ERA) in April 2022.

Sale won AL Pitcher of the Month in July 2018, June 2018, June 2015, and May 2012.

Held every year in mid-July, the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft provides teams with opportunities to improve their organizational depth charts by selecting from a pool of the top college and high school players in the United States and Canada. Formerly a 40-round draft, MLB shortened it to 20 rounds as of 2021 and, in 2023, introduced a lottery system to determine rights for the first overall pick.

Here's a look at the four most recent first overall selections and how they've fared thus far in their respective careers.

1. Paul Skenes (2023)

Considered one of the greatest college pitchers of all-time, Paul Skenes has already ascended to the big leagues after being selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2023 MLB Draft. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound right-handed pitcher led the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers to a National Championship in 2023 with a 1.69 earned-run average (ERA) and 209 strikeouts in 122-and-two-third innings. He had a 0.99 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 27-and-one-third innings with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in 2024 before earning the promotion to Pittsburgh.

Skenes showcased his impressive arm in his first big league start, becoming just the third pitcher in MLB history to average at least 100 mph on more than 30 fastballs in a single game.

2. Jackson Holliday (2022)

Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, shortstop Jackson Holliday is the son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday. The 20-year-old left-handed batter hit for a .323 average to go along with 12 home runs and 75 RBI in 125 games across four minor league levels in 2023 and made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2024. He struggled in his first Big League stint, however, with just two hits in 34 at bats before being demoted to Triple-A.

3. Henry Davis (2021)

The Pirates, drafting first overall for the fifth time in franchise history, surprised many when they selected catcher Henry Davis first overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. A right-handed hitter who displayed power at the plate and a strong arm in the field at the University of Louisville, Davis, now playing in the outfield, has hit well in the minors but struggled to get acclimated at a Big League level. He hit .213 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 62 games in his rookie season with the Pirates in 2023.

4. Spencer Torkelson (2020)

A 24-year-old first baseman from Petaluma, California, Spencer Torkelson has been a fixture in the Detroit Tigers lineup since being selected first overall in 2020. While he hasn't hit for average, he has shown the power that made him such an attractive commodity at Arizona State University, where he broke Barry Bonds' freshman record for most home runs in a season. Torkelson had 31 home runs and 94 RBI in 2023, his second full season in the big leagues.

The Major League Baseball (MLB) trade deadline represents the last opportunity for teams to improve their rosters—or trade expiring contracts for young prospects—during the season. While some of the major stars rumored to be dealt stayed put, the 2024 MLB trade deadline featured a flurry of activity with the Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners, among other teams, bolstering their rosters ahead of the playoffs.

Here's a look at three of the most impactful moves prior to the July 30 deadline.

Mariners Acquire Randy Arozarena

Seattle was among the league leaders in pitching prior to the deadline, but were in desperate need of an offensive boost. They addressed that by acquiring veteran All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Aidan Smith and right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins, ranked 12th and 22nd, respectively, among Mariners prospects. The Mariners had a 10-game lead in the American League (AL) West standings as of June 18, but were one game behind the Houston Astros by the trade deadline, in large part due to their offensive struggles.

A former AL Rookie of the Year and ALCS MVP, Arozarena was hitting just .211 but had 15 home runs and 37 RBI in 100 games with the Rays this season. He hit .254 with 23 home runs and 83 RBI in 2023. Seattle also acquired Justin Turner from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Dodgers Bolster Pitching Staff

The Dodgers, meanwhile, added depth and stability to an overworked and oft-injured starting rotation by acquiring Jack Flaherty, arguably the top pitcher available, from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for shortstop Trey Sweeney and catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo. A 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-handed pitcher from Burbank, California, Flaherty had his best season in 2019 with the Cardinals, finishing fourth in National League (NL) Cy Young voting after going 11-8 with a 2.75 ERA and leading the league with a 0.968 WHIP. He was 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA and 0.956 WHIP this season with the Tigers.

Struggling Blue Jays Trade Veteran Players

The Blue Jays were among the league's most disappointing teams in 2024, but made the most out of the trade deadline, trading away several veterans for promising prospects. Listing them as one of the winners of the trade deadline, USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted they "may have been perhaps baseball's most underachieving team on the field, but they have overachieved off the field."

Toronto received three of Houston's top-10 prospects—outfielder Joey Loperfido, infielder Will Wagner, and pitcher Jake Bloss—for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. They also added several other prospects in separate deals for veterans Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Kevin Kiermaier, Turner, Danny Jansen, Trevor Richards, Nate Pearson, and Yimi Garcia.

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.