The Los Angeles Dodgers have seven star players who have been named as nominees for 2024 All-MLB Team honors. Friday, Oct. 11 was the final day for fans to vote for their choices to take home the award. Now, the Dodgers’ contenders could all realistically look forward to seeing themselves win out at their respective positions once honorees are announced on Dec. 16.
Los Angeles has the second-most nominees after the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies, who both have nine. DH Shohei Ohtani, 1B Freddie Freeman, OF Mookie Betts, OF Teoscar Hernandez, SP Jack Flaherty, C Will Smith, and RP Alex Vesia are the seven Dodgers performers who could add the prestigious accolade to their career resume later this fall.
Shohei Ohtani is a clear-cut favorite for All-MLB First Team honors
Ohtani is a virtual lock to win First Team honors given that he is also first in line to come away with the 2024 National League MVP award. The Japanese sensation became the first player in history to join the 50-50 club with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases on the campaign and was the biggest reason why the Dodgers (98-64) finished with the best record in the Majors.
Freddie Freeman could represent the Dodgers at 1B on the All-MLB roster
Freeman –the former 2020 NL MVP — finished No. 4 in runs (81), No. 3 in hits (153), No. 2 in RBIs (89) and also No. 3 in batting average (.282) among all NL first basemen in the regular season. Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper appears to be the frontrunner to take home First Team honors as he outpaces Freeman in every aforementioned category save RBIs, but Freeman will be right there with San Diego Padres batting champion Luis Arraez in contention for placement on the Second Team.
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts could take home All-MLB honors despite injury-shortened season
Betts missed 46 games in 2024 due to, but he still managed to slash .289/.372/.491 on the year. Betts was on pace for 104 runs and RBIs a pop had he played a full 162-game slate, and though he manned two other positions from shortstop to second base, the right fielder will have a fighting chance to be named among a field of stout competition.
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Teoscar Hernandez had a season worthy of All-MLB First Team recognition
Hernandez is primed to earn his first All-MLB recognition come December. The two-time All-Star was unblemished in 60 appearances in right field, and finished with a .989 fielding percentage in the outfield on the campaign while leading all qualifying left fielders with 33 home runs, 99 RBIs and a strong .840 OPS. His individual excellence, amplified by the Dodgers’ unparalleled winning ways in 2024 will most surely have him take home First Team honors, or Second Team placement at worst.
Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty will have an outside shot to claim a pitching spot on All-MLB Team
Flaherty’s cumulative 3.17 ERA on the year between the Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers of the American League ranked No. 5 among all NL pitchers. He also retired 194 batters which complemented his impeccable 1.068 WHIP, both of which ranked No. 7 and No. 4 overall at his position. He may not have the wins (13) that Atlanta Braves superstar Chris Sale (18) or Phillies talent Zack Wheeler (16) have, but Flaherty’s full body of work and exemplary play in filling in as L.A.’s ace after Tyler Glasnow went down for the year strengthens his case for his name to be put down on the Second Team.
Will Smith was one of the best catchers in the National League in 2024
Smith was only outpaced by Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras in runs and home runs, having put up 77 R and 20 HR for the Dodgers in 2024. He also tied for the league lead at the position with two triples and came in third with 24 doubles. Smith registered the most assists (58) at catcher in the entire MLB and caught the most base runners trying to rack up stolen bases (32). His play at the plate and behind it make him a strong candidate to jockey with Contreras for the top spot on the All-MLB Team at catcher and fall to the Second Team battle if anything.
Alex Vesia aims to beat out the field at reliever
Rounding out the Dodgers’ nominees is Vesia. The standout reliever went 5-4 with a sharp 1.76 ERA and over one strikeout per inning pitched, having sent 87 batters back to the dugout in 66.1 innings of work. He’ll look to see his name announced for the first time as well come December.