5. Gunnar Henderson

The Baltimore Orioles were one of the best teams in the American League in 2024. The team’s key to success  has been their abundance of young superstars, one being Gunnar Henderson. In 2023, he placed 8th in MVP voting in the American League and won Rookie of the Year. This year turned out to be even better for Henderson, notching a career-high with 37 home runs, 92 runs batted in, 177 hits and 21 stolen bases. He also made his first all-star game appearance.

4. Juan Soto

The former Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto completed his first season as a New York Yankee in 2024 and did not disappoint. In 157 games with New York, Soto slashed a career-high with 41 home runs. His on-base percentage has been over .400 in every season of his career. What is even more impressive about Soto is his leadership. In 2018, he was only 20 years old when he led the Nationals to their first World Series in franchise history.

3. Bobby Witt Jr.

Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. broke out in his third MLB season after the first two seasons being disappointing. In 2024, he had a career-high in every single hitting stat, and it wasn’t even close. He had a slash line of 32 home runs, 109 runs batted in and a league-best .332 batting average. In 2024, he won the first gold glove of his young career. With his elite speed, hitting and fielding, he is emerging as the next face of the MLB.

2. Aaron Judge

When Aaron Judge hit 52 home runs in his rookie season with the Yankees in 2017, we knew he was a special talent. In the 2022 season, he hit 62 home runs, which is the most by any player since Barry Bonds hit 71 in 2001. After a down year in 2023, his 2024 season was arguably the best of his career, hitting 58 home runs and a career-high in runs, batted in with 144. He is considered “the captain” of the Yankees and led the team to their first World Series since 2009.

1. Shohei Ohtani

There isn’t a whole lot to say about how ridiculously good Shohei Ohtani is at baseball. When the Japanese phenom first came onto the scene with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, he was quickly being compared to Babe Ruth. This is because of his ability to pitch and hit, which is unheard of in modern-day baseball. He doesn’t just pitch and hit, he is the best in the entire game at both, which is why he is number one. After six years, he received his first World Series ring.