Ranking the 10 MLB Players Who Have Taken the Biggest Leaps in 2024
Prior to each season, every fanbase dreams of young talents taking a major step forward. A small percentage of those seen as breakout candidates before the season actually end up doing so.
Some players become first-time All-Stars, while others go from All-Stars to MVP-level players.
Here's a look at the 10 players who have taken the biggest leaps in 2024.
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10. Erick Fedde, St. Louis Cardinals
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At 31, Erick Fedde is the oldest player on this list. But his emergence as one of the top trade pickups of the summer is one of the more interesting stories of the season.
A first-round pick in 2014, Fedde posted a 5.41 ERA across parts of six seasons with the Washington Nationals. But after a dominant gap year in the KBO in 2023, Fedde earned a two-year, $15 million deal with the White Sox, and he pitched so well for Chicago that the Cardinals dealt for him in an attempt to bolster their playoff odds before the July 30 trade deadline.
While Fedde isn't a front-line starting pitcher, he's been a solid middle-of-the-rotation option, posting a 3.40 ERA across 137.2 innings pitched between the White Sox and Cardinals.
Whether the Cardinals make the playoffs in 2024 or not, they will have Fedde under contract at a very affordable $7.5 million in 2025.
9. Josh Smith, Texas Rangers
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As a team, the Texas Rangers have certainly battled a World Series hangover in 2024. But Josh Smith has been a revelation for manager Bruce Bochy.
Smith emerged in the absence of third baseman Josh Jung, who missed close to four months after fracturing his right wrist during the first week of the season. Smith got an extended run at third base in Jung's absence, but has also seen time at shortstop, second base and left field in 2024. So the Rangers shouldn't have any issue finding a spot for Smith if he continues to produce offensively.
The 27-year-old has done a bit of everything at the plate in 2024, homering 12 times, driving in 51 runs and getting hit a league-leading 17 times. At 27, he's bloomed a bit later than the Rangers hoped for when they acquired him in the July 2021 trade that sent Joey Gallo to the New York Yankees. But better late than never, as Smith has emerged as a valuable chess piece for the Rangers.
8. Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia Phillies
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Cristopher Sánchez had a strong second half for the Phillies a season ago, posting a 3.65 ERA across 14 starts after the All-Star break, helping to stabilize the back end of manager Rob Thomson's rotation.
Still, no one saw Sánchez putting together the first half he did, as the lanky left-hander posted a 2.98 ERA through 18 starts, earning him the first All-Star nod of his career.
The Phillies rewarded Sánchez with a four-year, $22.5 million extension in June, a deal that could keep him in red pinstripes through the 2030 season if a pair of affordable club options are exercised.
Like many on the Phillies, Sánchez has gotten off to a slow start in the second half of the season, which has caused his ERA to spike to 3.63. However, his 2.77 FIP suggests he's been unlucky, and leads you to believe some positive regression is coming.
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7. Brenton Doyle, Colorado Rockies
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Brenton Doyle was a Gold Glove recipient in his rookie season a year ago, posting a staggering 19 defensive runs saved and 15 outs above average. However, it was hard to get particularly excited about his future when he paired excellent defense with just a .203 batting average and .593 OPS.
In his second season, though, Doyle has improved quite a bit offensively, as he's hitting .266 with 20 home runs, 60 RBI and a .791 OPS. He also has continued to grade out well in the field, with four DRS and 10 OAA for the Rockies this season.
It should be pointed out that Doyle's home/road splits are rather drastic. He has a .958 OPS at Coors Field, which is a hitter's paradise. Away from home, though, he has a .641 OPS.
Still, the overall strides at the plate for Doyle are encouraging considering he's one of the best defenders at any position in the sport. Coors Field wasn't any less hitter-friendly a year ago when he posted a .567 OPS at home.
6. Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox
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The Boston Red Sox staff seemed to be undermanned entering spring training, and it took a major hit when offseason signee Lucas Giolito underwent a season-ending internal brace procedure on his right elbow in mid-March.
However, manager Alex Cora's squad is one of the more surprising playoff contenders in 2024, thanks in large part to the emergence of Tanner Houck as a front-line starter.
Just a year after posting a 5.01 ERA across 21 starts for the Red Sox, Houck has a 3.02 ERA over 23 outings for Boston this season. His 0.5 HR/9 is the best mark among all pitchers in the AL.
Considering Houck was a first-time All-Star this year and will likely receive some down-ballot AL Cy Young support, the 28-year-old feels like an obvious extension candidate in the offseason.
5. Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
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Alec Bohm is 6'5", 218 pounds, and when he hits home runs, they go a long way. There's long been a feeling from those around the Phillies that he could develop into someone who hits 30 homers a season.
That hasn't happened this year, as Bohm has a modest 13 home runs in 2024. However, he currently leads baseball with 43 doubles, a mark that helped him to start at third base for the NL in his first All-Star Game appearance.
Bohm also is among top five run producers in the NL, with 84 RBI this season. What's more, Bohm had 4.0 WAR across parts of four MLB seasons entering 2024. In this season alone, FanGraphs says he's been worth 3.7 WAR.
Perhaps most impressive is that Bohm has become a passable third baseman, with minus-two defensive runs saved and one out above average this season. Between 2021 and 2023, Bohm had -40 DRS and -11 OAA, so he's shown remarkable growth at the hot corner.
4. Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
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Steven Kwan won Gold Glove Awards in each of his first two MLB seasons, doing so while hitting .282 with 11 home runs and a .739 OPS. There's certainly quite a bit of value in that type of player, particularly if he's setting the table at the top of the order for big bats.
But what's crazy is that Kwan has become one of Cleveland's big bats in 2024, which is one of the reasons its offense has been so much better than anticipated. In addition to continuing to double at a high clip, Kwan has a career-high 13 home runs to go with a .325 batting average and .863 OPS.
Kwan is putting together another fine campaign in left field, where he has seven defensive runs saved and four outs above average, which should mean he's a candidate to win his third consecutive Gold Glove.
3. Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
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Jarren Duran recently served a suspension for using an anti-gay slur when addressing a fan, which obviously is inexcusable. His inclusion on this list in no way is meant to overlook that.
As a baseball player, Duran has turned in a fabulous season, joining Houck as a major reason why the Red Sox find themselves in the thick of a playoff race.
Duran played very well across 102 games for the Red Sox a year ago, but the 27-year-old has emerged as a legitimate franchise cornerstone this season. In addition to winning All-Star Game MVP, Duran leads baseball with 13 triples and has the top mark in the AL with 36 doubles.
Further assuring that Duran will appear on some MVP ballots are his 16 defensive runs saved between center and left field, which is that much more impressive when you consider how quirky that area of Fenway Park is.
2. Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox
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Given that Garrett Crochet has already logged 120.2 innings a year after throwing just 12.2 frames at the MLB level, the White Sox are likely to shut the Tommy John surgery veteran down for the season in the not-so-distant-future.
But it's been an incredible campaign for Crochet, in an otherwise disastrous one in Chicago. He leads baseball with 12.5 strikeouts-per-nine, while posting a 3.65 ERA and a 3.5 WAR that FanGraphs says is fourth among AL starters.
Concerns about his innings and his desire for contractual security to pitch in the postseason curtailed his trade candidacy this summer. However, there will be more certainty in the offseason surrounding Crochet, even if he's unlikely to ever be someone who logs 200 innings a year. Following his breakout campaign and with two more years remaining of team control, Crochet is a good bet to be traded in the winter.
1. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
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Considering Bobby Witt Jr. finished seventh in AL MVP Award voting a year ago, it may come as a surprise for some to see him on this list. But he's taken a significant leap even from the level he played at last year, and deserves to be recognized as such.
2023: .276/.319/.495, 28 doubles, 11 triples, 30 home runs, 96 RBI, .813 OPS, 5.8 WAR
2024: .347/.395/.607, 33 doubles, 11 triples, 23 home runs, 88 RBI, 1.001 OPS, 8.2 WAR
Mind you, it's mid-August. Witt has six weeks to add to these numbers. He led all of baseball with 11 triples a year ago, a mark he's already matched this year. What will his total be by the end of the season?
Witt may be destined to finish runner-up to Aaron Judge in AL MVP voting, but make no mistake: He's putting together a season that has made him one of the unquestioned five best position players in the sport.
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