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Sep 12, 2024, 07:05 AM ET

Major League Baseball is packed with electrifying players. Whether you prefer five-star talents, powerful sluggers or pitchers throwing triple-digit heat, there are stars bringing excitement to this 2024 MLB season on a daily basis.

But who is the most exciting player in baseball this year? To find out, we put together a 32-player bracket and asked our MLB experts to vote for a champion.

The process was simple: We chose the most exciting player from each of the 30 teams (by virtue of having the best record in their leagues at the time of our voting, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers each got two entries), seeded them by the standings and let our voters decide each matchup.

The result? One superstar who can proudly wear the crown as MLB’s Mr. Excitement.

Jump to: 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Final Four | Championship

First round

Why Judge is here: Judge is the closest player we’ve seen to Barry Bonds since, well, Barry Bonds. His numbers are staggering. His power is immense. His plate discipline is remarkable. Every at-bat is a must-watch. What’s more exciting than that?

Why Crochet is here: The White Sox might be the worst team in MLB history, but Crochet morphing from full-time reliever to All-Star starter has at least been one exciting development on the South Side in 2024.

Winner: Judge

Why Duran is here: Duran is a triple waiting to happen whenever he comes to the plate. This is especially true given the deep center field and unique angles at Fenway Park. His ability to defend that space, whether in center or the corner, doesn’t hurt, either.

Why Skubal is here: The state of starting pitching being what it is, when a pitcher develops into an old-school ace, you have to tune in. Skubal has become the complete package for the Tigers, the kind of pitcher whose turn in the rotation you circle on the calendar when figuring out which game to attend.

Winner: Skubal

Why Ramirez is here: He has provided nearly a decade of consistent quality. He hits for power, steals bases, never strikes out and plays with a crackling sort of energy that makes him feel like he’s far bigger than 5-foot-9.

Why Seager is here: Seager’s version of excitement stems from his excellence. It’s not flashy. It’s not aggressive. He’s just the guy who hits massive home runs in vital moments and goes out and wins World Series MVP trophies. Plural.

Winner: Ramirez

Why Lewis is here: We’re talking about the real-life Roy Hobbs here. No matter how grueling the injury, or how much time he misses, Lewis keeps magic in his bat, consistently providing elite-level production with an absurd knack for belting grand slams. He does it all with a radiant smile, too.

Why Guerrero is here: Blue Jays manager John Schneider calls Guerrero a line-drive hitter with power, a term that has evolved into a cliché but in this case qualifies as the most accurate description. Few players, if any, hit baseballs harder and more frequently.

Winner: Guerrero

Why Soto is here: There might not be a better showman in all of New York City than Juan Soto. He blasts home runs to all fields. He takes balls out of the strike zone with shuffles. He stares pitchers down. He trash-talks catchers. He’s pure entertainment.

Why Joyce is here: Because he throws baseballs very, very hard. Velocity has skyrocketed over the past decade, and Joyce is pushing the boundary to another level. 106 mph? Ridiculous — and exciting.

Winner: Soto

Why Witt is here: Everything Witt does is explosive, whether it’s on the bases, at the plate or in the field. Perhaps more than any player in the majors right now, you walk away from every game Witt plays knowing you have watched someone with transcendent talent and emergent skill.

Why Kirby is here: The major leagues are filled with pitchers who wow you with raw stuff, but Kirby does it with precision and, in this day and age, that makes him special.

Winner: Witt

Why Henderson is here: Henderson does it all. He combines his raw power (36 HRs) and speed (18 SBs) with deft hands while playing the most important position on the diamond outside of pitcher. He has a Rookie of the Year Award and a Silver Slugger Award, and he was an All-Star this year for a reason.

Why Miller is here: With well more than 400 pitches thrown at or over 100 mph this season, it’s not hard to understand why Miller is on this list. On average, nearly every other pitch out of his hand hits the century mark.

Winner: Henderson

Why Alvarez is here: Put it this way: He might be the guy you most want up there in a big moment, especially in the postseason. And if you’re rooting against the Astros, he’s the guy you don’t want up there in a big moment. With his ability to hit for power and average and avoid strikeouts, sometimes he feels impossible to get out, and he’s capable of hitting the ball 450 feet any time he swings the bat.

Why Caminero is here: This is as much about future potential as present ability, but the game’s top prospect is already flashing the skills that should soon make him one of the game’s top hitters, spraying rocket-propelled line drives all over the field.

Winner: Alvarez

Why Ohtani is here: Ohtani has unmatched raw power and has evolved into a complete hitter. He boasts elite speed and is using it to steal bases more frequently than ever. And next year, he’ll resume reeling off triple-digit fastballs and mind-bending splitters from the pitcher’s mound. What more do you want? A cute dog, perhaps? He’s got that too.

Why Doyle is here: Hit the ball practically anywhere in center field, and Doyle will catch it. Try to take an extra base, and there’s a pretty good chance Doyle will throw you out. If you want outfield defense, it doesn’t get any better. Oh, and he can hit too.

Winner: Ohtani

Why Lindor is here: Lindor is a dynamic leadoff hitter, elite shortstop, first-rate base stealer and consummate leader with a magnetic personality. Want to see exciting? Head on over to Citi Field, watch him impact games in every way, and listen to those MVP chants showering Lindor every night.

Why Crow-Armstrong is here: We all knew Crow-Armstrong had the tools to play an excellent center field and wreak havoc on the bases. The question was whether he could hit at the major league level. He’s proving he can, and that has been a big deal on the North Side.

Winner: Lindor

Why Chourio is here: Because he is doing the sorts of things in his rookie season done by only the very best players in MLB. The last 20-year-old as good as Chourio? Fernando Tatis Jr.

Why Skenes is here: In a game that has deemphasized starting pitching to the point that the ace is an endangered species, Skenes is a hulking, sneering strikeout machine with an unmatched ability to create an undeniable buzz around his starts.

Winner: Skenes

Why Merrill is here: Merrill waltzed into a clubhouse filled with exciting players and snatched the bid with a propensity for the dramatic. He’s still only 21, but he is already the guy you want up in clutch moments.

Why De La Cruz is here: He hits tape-measure home runs. He leads MLB in stolen bases. He throws 100 mph across the diamond. His entire tool set is a starter kit for excitement.

Winner: De La Cruz

Why Betts is here: Betts can do just about anything. He can bowl. He can ball. He can podcast. More specific to this exercise, though: He can throw you out from right field or rob you of a hit at shortstop. He can work a count and spray a base hit the other way or he can take you deep on the first pitch. And whatever he does, he’ll look so cool doing it, it seems unfair.

Why Edwards is here: Edwards was called back up by the Marlins in early July and hasn’t stopped hitting. He has elements of Luis Arraez‘s bat-to-ball skills but with significantly more speed. And he has been playing a pretty decent shortstop, too.

Winner: Betts

Why Sale is here: Ronald Acuna Jr. might have won this bracket a year ago, but he’s injured, so we turn to Sale and his funky sidearm delivery that earned him the nickname “The Condor” as Atlanta’s rep. He’s also back to being one of the best starters in the majors, with a chance to win the NL pitching Triple Crown (leading in wins, ERA and strikeouts).

Why Winn is here: With potential future Hall of Famers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado both on the downslide, Winn feels like the guy to represent the Cardinals. Hey, everybody loves rookies, and Winn’s flashy defense and rocket arm at shortstop make him a regular on highlight reels.

Winner: Sale

Why Harper is here: As beloved as any player is by his hometown fans, Harper’s at-bats remain must-watch TV, and when he hits one out in Philly, there are few moments in the sport as electrifying. Go watch his series-clinching home run against the Padres in the 2022 NLCS.

Why Wood is here: In his short time in the majors, Wood has established himself as an intimidating presence at the plate with top-end exit velocity numbers. At 6-7, 234 pounds, he hasn’t even filled out yet. Dream on that power potential, Nationals fans.

Winner: Harper

Why Carroll is here: The reigning Rookie of the Year has shown he can do everything: He had 25 home runs, hit a league-leading 10 triples and stole 54 bases in his first season, and he is in double digits in all three categories again this year.

Why Snell is here: Snell was having a ho-hum season after winning the 2023 NL Cy Young Award, but after coming off the injured list in July, he showed up in a big way. A no-hitter last month wowed the baseball world, as he has a 1.30 ERA since healing up from a groin ailment. His second-most-thrown pitch — his curveball — has produced a .100 batting average against and is one big reason he’s on this list.

Winner: Carroll

Second round

Aaron Judge vs. Tarik Skubal

Skubal’s dominance on the mound pushed him past Duran in our closest opening-round matchup, but the AL Cy Young favorite was no match for the AL MVP favorite.

Winner: Judge

Jose Ramirez vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Five-tool player vs. power-packed slugger is a question our voters had to answer often in our voting. Ramirez’s all-around talent kept this one close, but the Blue Jays’ biggest bat survived.

Winner: Guerrero

Juan Soto vs. Bobby Witt Jr.

The bracket gave us one of the most intriguing early AL showdowns. Soto’s brilliance at the plate couldn’t sway our voters against Kansas City’s five-tool superstar.

Winner: Witt

Gunnar Henderson vs. Yordan Alvarez

Alvarez is the current-day Big Papi, and that was just enough to get him past Baltimore’s do-everything shortstop in our closest matchup of the second round.

Winner: Alvarez

Shohei Ohtani vs. Francisco Lindor

Who has the edge in a meeting of the two NL MVP favorites? When it comes to excitement, Ohtani’s 50/50 quest proved to be the difference.

Winner: Ohtani

Paul Skenes vs. Elly De La Cruz

Expect to see these two compete in our bracket for years to come, but even the game’s most exciting young starting pitcher couldn’t stop De La Cruz here.

Winner: De La Cruz

Mookie Betts vs. Chris Sale

Sale had some supporters in a battle of former Red Sox teammates. Betts had more.

Winner: Betts

Bryce Harper vs. Corbin Carroll

Carroll’s all-around ability garnered him multiple votes, but not enough to take down the face of the Phillies.

Winner: Harper

Third round

Aaron Judge vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The battle of AL East sluggers belonged to Judge, in unanimous fashion.

Winner: Judge

Bobby Witt Jr. vs. Yordan Alvarez

Two AL semifinal matchups, two unanimous outcomes. Many of our voters circled Witt vs. Judge when our bracket was released — and both players have cruised through to make that AL final a reality.

Winner: Witt

Shohei Ohtani vs. Elly De La Cruz

The excitement De La Cruz brings at shortstop was just enough to get him past the Dodgers’ DH (for 2024) — but this result could look a lot different when Ohtani returns to the mound next season.

Winner: De La Cruz

Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper

Betts’ ability to do a little bit of everything, including handle multiple positions, swayed our voters in a meeting of former MVPs.

Winner: Betts

Final Four

Aaron Judge vs. Bobby Witt Jr.

An AL championship matchup so close we had to turn to our emergency tiebreaking panel, which opted for Witt’s dynamic skill set over Judge’s unmatched power.

Winner: Witt

Mookie Betts vs. Elly De La Cruz

The NL final pitted two players who can wow at the plate, on the basepaths and in the field — but only one does it while standing 6-5 at shortstop.

Winner: De La Cruz

Championship

Bobby Witt Jr. vs. Elly De La Cruz

De La Cruz can do everything. Witt can do everything. But Witt’s ability to do it all while hitting .333 put our 2024 MLB Mr. Excitement over the top, according to our voters.

Winner: Witt

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Poll: Mendoza top vote-getter as NFL draft’s QB1

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2 hours ago

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November 8, 2025

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Poll: Mendoza top vote-getter as NFL draft's QB1

The volatility and unpredictability of the 2025 college football season has rippled through the group of draft-eligible quarterbacks.

ESPN repolled 25 NFL scouts and executives about who will be the first quarterback taken in the 2026 NFL draft, with the results drastically different from six weeks ago.

In the latest poll, Indiana‘s Fernando Mendoza was the top vote-getter with 13 votes, putting him ahead of Oregon‘s Dante Moore (6) and Alabama‘s Ty Simpson (3). Notably, none of those quarterbacks received a vote in the first poll, and all have eligibility remaining.

The other three quarterbacks receiving votes were Oklahoma‘s John Mateer (1), Cincinnati‘s Brendan Sorsby (1) and South Carolina‘s LaNorris Sellers (1). Only Sellers and Mateer had votes in the first poll.

“It’s not a stellar class,” one scout told ESPN. “If you add the maybes [who have eligibility and could leave school], now it gets interesting. The top is better than last year’s class, for sure.”

The top of this year’s crop has flipped from Sept. 20, when seven different quarterbacks received votes, with Sellers (8) edging out LSU‘s Garrett Nussmeier (7). Both players and their teams have struggled this season. Others receiving votes in the first QB1 poll were Miami‘s Carson Beck (3), Mateer (3), Penn State‘s Drew Allar (2), Arizona State‘s Sam Leavitt (1) and Texas‘ Arch Manning (1).

The sentiment regarding the class has soured a bit since the initial polling. Along with the dip in play from Sellers and Nussmeier, Allar suffered a season-ending injury and Manning hasn’t resembled anything close to what his family and recruiting pedigrees projected.

While Mendoza is the top vote-getter, he has yet to establish himself as a no-brainer No. 1 overall pick. He is trending that way, but there is not yet conviction behind those projections.

Mendoza transferred from Cal and has taken a leap under coach Curt Cignetti and the tutelage of offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer. His completion percentage is 72.3%, up from 68.7%, and he has thrown 25 touchdowns, nine more than last season at Cal. He has also rushed for four touchdowns and is averaging 9.5 yards per attempt, up from 7.8.

What do scouts like? They start with the basics of him being 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds. He idolizes Tom Brady, which is viewed as a strong North Star for a prospect.

“He has ‘wow’ throws and playmaking passer ability,” one scout told ESPN. “He can anticipate post-snap.”

Added another: “He’s decisive, and he sees everything well. He’s got accuracy down the field and is very tough in the pocket.”

There was a play against Iowa where Mendoza hung in the pocket and got decked by a Hawkeyes linebacker while delivering a perfect ball to a receiver in tight coverage.

Moore’s emergence has been sudden. He has started 13 games, including five at UCLA in 2023 before backing up Dillon Gabriel at Oregon last season. A redshirt sophomore who entered college as ESPN’s No. 2 overall player, Moore is 6-3 and 206 pounds. He attempted just eight passes last season but has maximized his starting role in 2025, with 19 touchdowns, a 71.4% completion percentage and 1,772 passing yards.

Simpson didn’t start a game until this season, which has led to speculation in NFL circles that he will return to college. (Quarterbacks with under 25 starts don’t have a consistent track record of NFL success.) Simpson has soared onto radars with 20 touchdowns and just one interception. He has completed 67.8% of his passes and thrown for 2,184 yards.

Sorsby might be the biggest surprise. While he struggled in high-wattage spots against Nebraska and Utah, he has clearly progressed.

One scout summed him up this way: “He’s big, tough, athletic and smart. He’s a leader and can make off-schedule plays and change arm angles. He’s got the ‘It.’ I think he’s very gifted.”

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Sabres’ Dahlin leaves team to support fiancée

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2 hours ago

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November 8, 2025

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Sabres' Dahlin leaves team to support fiancée

  • Kristen ShiltonNov 7, 2025, 02:31 PM ET

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      Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin is taking a leave of absence from the team to join his fiancée in Sweden, where she continues to recover from a heart transplant.

There is no timetable for when Dahlin will return to the Sabres. Coach Lindy Ruff was able to share that Dahlin’s fiancée, Carolina Matovac, hadn’t suffered any setbacks.

“[Dahlin] said everything is OK,” Ruff told reporters Friday. “I think it’s been incredibly hard. I fully understand what this young man is going through. I don’t think you can describe it. I’m very passionate about the fact that no one would want to walk in his shoes and to have dealt with what he has dealt with. He has the support of everybody on this. This is larger than hockey.”

Matovac began feeling sick last summer while she and Dahlin were vacationing in France. She experienced sudden heart failure and received life-saving care en route to the hospital. Matovac has remained in Sweden to recover while Dahlin started the new season with Buffalo.

The 25-year-old blueliner is two years into his tenure as Sabres captain and has anchored the club’s defense practically since Buffalo drafted him first overall in 2018. Given Matovac’s health issues, it has been a distracting season for Dahlin, but he has managed nine points in 14 games and carries a heavy workload at over 24 minutes per night.

But Dahlin expressed some frustration about his performance this season following Buffalo’s 3-0 loss to St. Louis on Thursday.

“I got more to give. I’m not satisfied,” Dahlin told reporters. “I want to create more. I want to do more out there. I’m not satisfied, but I’m on the way.”

Some things are bigger than a stat sheet or standings, though, and that’s where Ruff wants to see Dahlin’s focus going for now.

“Family and personal come before hockey,” Ruff said. “Hockey’s our job, hockey’s our lifeline, but family and personal trump anything else.”

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USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

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15 hours ago

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November 8, 2025

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USC QB pulls off fake punt wearing No. 80 jersey

  • ESPN News Services

Nov 7, 2025, 10:47 PM ET

LOS ANGELES — No. 20 USC pulled off a remarkable fake punt against Northwestern in Friday night’s 38-17 win by sending out third-string quarterback Sam Huard in the same uniform number as the Trojans’ punter.

Wearing a No. 80 jersey, Huard came on the field with the punt team in the second quarter and completed a 10-yard pass to Tanook Hines. The first down extended the Trojans’ second drive, which ended with a TD run by Jayden Maiava.

This bit of trickery was quite legal, apparently: Huard wore No. 7 earlier this season for the Trojans, but he is listed as No. 80 on the USC roster for this week after Lincoln Riley’s team quietly made the change.

USC punter Sam Johnson also wears No. 80. College football teams frequently feature two players wearing the same number.

Huard, who is a couple of inches shorter than the 6-foot-3 Johnson, grinned widely as he high-fived teammates on the way off the field. He is a former five-star recruit who began his college career at Washington.

Bowling Green pulled off a similar stunt in last season’s 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Third-string Falcons quarterback Baron May switched his uniform number before the game from 8 to 18 — very similar to punter John Henderson‘s No. 19 jersey.

Late in the first quarter, May came on the field instead of Henderson and threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Johnson Jr. — although Arkansas State overcame it for a 38-31 victory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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