The MLB postseason has been thrilling thus far, as we’ll get two do-or-die Game 5 matchups to decide who will take on the Yankees in the AL and the Mets in the NL. Offense typically goes down in October, and while recency bias is tempting, we won’t be factoring in any postseason performance into this list. After ranking the top pitchers of the 2024 season, we’re doing the same with the 10 best hitters of the 2024 campaign, taking into account both their offensive and defensive contributions. With a bevy of talented position players to pick from, it became incredibly difficult to limit this pool to just 10 players.
10. Ketel Marte
For most of the year, Ketel Marte was firmly in the National League MVP conversation. Unfortunately, injuries would limit him to just 136 games, and that does hurt his placement on this list. With that being said, his 151 wRC+ paired with elite defense at second base has made him one of the top players in the sport, posting a 6 WAR campaign. While he couldn’t get the Diamondbacks into the postseason, Marte was pivotal in their second-half surge as he clubbed 36 home runs and proved that he is one of the best power threats in MLB.
9. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Toronto Blue Jays took a massive step back in 2024, finishing below .500 for the first time since the 2019 season after eyeing a first-place finish in the AL East during the winter. Among the few positives for this team was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who posted a 165 wRC+ and smashed 30 home runs across 159 games, re-establishing himself as one of the best right-handed hitters in baseball. His combination of power and contact is one-of-one, and we finally saw a season comparable to his 2021 breakout year, and he looks like arguably the best first baseman in MLB.
8. Jose Ramirez
The best third baseman in MLB, Jose Ramirez once again had a dominant year, posting his best fWAR since 2018 and his highest wRC+ since the 2020 season. After a slow start, Ramirez turned things completely around, improving on his solid but not dominant 2023 campaign where he posted a 122 wRC+ and hit just 24 home runs. Ramirez came just one homer shy of a 40-40 campaign and remains the clear-cut best third baseman that MLB has to offer right now.
7. Jarren Duran
Jarren Duran was a machine for the Boston Red Sox this year, helping them finish above .500 for the first time since 2021 when they made the playoffs and went all the way to the ALCS. His 129 wRC+, 48 doubles, and 21 home runs were all career-best marks as he did more damage on contact than he had previously and cut down on the strikeouts as well. His blazing speed allowed him to swipe 34 bases and pick up 14 triples this year, and his remarkable defense in the outfield only complements the offensive skillset. Just don’t let him play tennis.
6. Gunnar Henderson
The Baltimore Orioles once again bowed out in the postseason without recording a single win, but Gunnar Henderson enjoyed a remarkable 2024 season. A solid defender at a premium position like shortstop, he slugged 37 home runs and posted a 155 wRC+, finishing the year with an 8.0 fWAR. He’s become a true superstar, and should be in MVP conversations moving forward as he’s a 23-year-old who can be the best hitter and player on a World Series contender. His postseason woes are overstated as well; he struggled against KC but has a 153 wRC+ in his playoff career.
5. Franciso Lindor
Remember when people considered Francisco Lindor to be an overpay? The star shortstop posted the highest wRC+ of his career (137) and would have set a career-best in fWAR had it not been for a late-season back injury. It didn’t stop Lindor from coming back and immediately becoming a hero, hitting a huge home run in Atlanta to send the Mets to the postseason and slugging a series-winning grand slam in Game 4 of the NLDS over the Phillies. Lindor provides an elite glove at a premium position, stole 29 bases in just 33 attempts, and socked 33 home runs as the Mets’ leadoff hitter; he’s a Hall of Famer in the making.
4. Juan Soto
After being traded from the San Diego Padres to the New York Yankees, Juan Soto would enjoy a career-best year that would have contended for the MVP in any other year. He posted a career-best 8.1 fWAR and 180 wRC+, clearing the 40-HR threshold for the first time in his career and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the 25-year-old superstar. Soto is set to become a free agent after the 2024 season, and while the Yankees hope they can retain him, he could end up signing the largest deal in MLB history.
3. Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani, who has a career 3.01 ERA and 31.2% strikeout rate as a pitcher, just put up the greatest season ever by a designated hitter. After signing a $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani smashed a career-high 54 home runs and stole a career-high 59 bases, becoming the first player in MLB history to go 50-50 in a regular season. He’s a unicorn, the kind of player who you see just once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. He’s simply one of the greatest athletes in the history of humanity, and he just put up the best offensive season of his career while rehabbing from elbow surgery.
2. Bobby Witt Jr.
Bobby Wit Jr. would have won MVP in virtually any other season, as the third-year big leaguer posted a 168 wRC+ and 10.4 fWAR across 161 games. He posted a 30-30 season, played an elite shortstop defensively, and provided the unique profile of a high-average hitter with great power. There’s nothing that Witt is truly bad at, as while he’s an aggressive hitter it’s not to the point where he makes bad swing decisions. He has 70-grade Raw Power, elite contact rates, insane athleticism, and a remarkable glove, and this year has cemented him as the best shortstop in MLB.
1. Aaron Judge
The best player in baseball this season was undoubtedly Aaron Judge, who posted an 11.2 fWAR and 218 wRC+ across 158 games for the Yankees. He had the greatest season by a right-handed hitter in MLB history, and his insane power output is hard to even put into words. Judge slugged .701 with 58 home runs, and New York hopes to see him wake up in October as if he gets back online the American League is in a world of trouble. He’s the best hitter on the planet, and we’re witnessing a historic prime from a hitter who has sat atop any MLB leaderboard over the last three years.