Now that the baseball season has finally begun, it's time to start looking at the top 2024 MLB candidates.
We're talking about young players who are poised to become superstars in the coming years and could one day be considered among the greatest players in MLB history. Obviously it's too early to jump to these kinds of conclusions, but it's not too early to start talking about some of the best young players in the game.
Seven MLB players who will be hitting the road in 2024
Who will be this year's breakout MLB players? Well, most of the players we consider have already made their debut in the major leagues but have not reached their full potential.
In fact, some will inevitably be among the MLB's most improved players this season. While there's no shortage of candidates, we've limited our list to our seven favorite 2024 MLB candidates.
CJ Abrams
It's important to remember that CJ Abrams was once the sixth overall pick in the draft and a key part of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Padres. When the citizens made this trade, they had high hopes for him. A year and a half later, Abrams has begun to deliver on his promise.
The shortstop began turning heads during spring training with how much he had improved and followed up that chatter with a strong start early in the 2024 season. Keep in mind that he is still only 23 years old and has nearly 1,000 home runs in the major leagues under his belt. It also did not take any action in 2020 due to the epidemic, so there is still a lot of growth and development, which means the sky is the limit.
Hunter Green
Speed has never been an issue for Hunter Greene, it's more about developing his secondary and putting all the pieces together. It seems like it's only a matter of time until he starts doing that.
Still only 24 years old, he begins the 2024 season with 46 MLS points to his name. His overall record and ERA over his first two seasons were fairly mediocre. However, Green's strikeout numbers have always been good. Once he starts controlling his stuff, he'll become elite. His third season in the major leagues could prove to be a charm for Green.
Spencer Torkelson
The Tigers are finally hoping years of high draft picks will start to pay off. Spencer Torkelson was one of those picks, as Detroit selected him first overall in 2020.
The first baseman hit 66 extra-base hits last year, including 31 home runs in his first full season in the majors. He should be able to build on that in 2024 and have a breakout season. Even if achieving a high average remains difficult, Torkelson has the ability to hit 40-plus homers. Despite a slow start to his 2024 campaign, he is still a solid young player to keep a close eye on.
Grayson Rodriguez
By acquiring Corbin Burns, the Orioles took some pressure off Grayson Rodriguez so that he wouldn't have to be the team's star this season. But that doesn't mean Rodriguez can't perform like an ace.
Through the second half of the 2023 season, he was 5-2 with a 2.58 ERA, and that was after a disastrous 7.35 ERA over his first 10 starts. Rodriguez grew up before our eyes during the end of the 2023 season.
The early returns during the early part of the 2024 season have also been good for Rodriguez. It looks like he will compete with Burns for the title of Baltimore's star and could end up being one of the best starters in baseball this season.
Francisco Alvarez
It's hard to be a starter in the major leagues, but Alvarez did it all last season at the age of 21. It's almost difficult to understand how difficult it is to ask a young player to do that and how impressively Alvarez has handled himself.
Sure, his .209 average wasn't overly impressive, but his 25 homers were certainly a silver lining. Alvarez hit the ground running at the start of the 2024 season despite everyone on the Mets struggling to find success early in the year. Alvarez has also made tremendous strides defensively during his short tenure in the major leagues. He is starting to put all the pieces together and is not far from being an All-Star caliber catcher even though he is only 22 years old.
Hunter Brown
After starting the season with several starters on the IL, the Astros need Hunter Brown to play a significant role in their rotation this season. He's had some big moments in the postseason over the past two years.
Brown also won 11 games as a starter during the 2023 regular season, albeit with 13 losses and a 5.09 ERA. However, he has shown the kind of things that could make him a front-line player, and he has had a healthy batting average since he reached the major leagues. As he gains more experience and becomes a more polished pitcher, Brown could become one of the leaders of Houston's rotation in 2024.
Luis Camposano
Similar to Alvarez, Luis Camposano is another rising star among catchers. He's a bit older at 25 and made his MLB debut in 2020. Injuries have also played a role in holding back Campusano.
He was limited to just 49 games last season. But when he played, he produced, hitting .319 with an OPS of .847. Campusano started the 2024 season on fire offensively while serving as San Diego's starting forward. If he is able to stay healthy this season, he is sure to have a breakout season and establish himself as one of the best players in the major leagues.
