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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. 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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Manfred to rule on Rose ban after Trump meeting

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55 mins ago

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April 28, 2025

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Manfred to rule on Rose ban after Trump meeting

  • Associated Press

Apr 28, 2025, 04:52 PM ET

NEW YORK — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said he discussed Pete Rose with President Donald Trump at a meeting two weeks ago and he plans to rule on a request to end the sport’s permanent ban of the career hits leader, who died in September.

Speaking Monday at a meeting of the Associated Press Sports Editors, Manfred said he and Trump discussed several issues, including concerns over how immigration policies could impact players from Cuba, Venezuela and other foreign countries.

Manfred is considering a petition to have Rose posthumously removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list. The petition was filed in January by Jeffrey Lenkov, a Southern California lawyer who represented Rose prior to the 17-time All-Star’s death at age 83.

“I met with President Trump two weeks ago … and one of the topics was Pete Rose, but I’m not going beyond that,” Manfred said. “He’s said what he said publicly. I’m not going beyond that in terms of what the back and forth was.”

Trump posted on social media Feb. 28 that he plans to issue “a complete PARDON of Pete Rose.” Trump posted on Truth Social that Rose “shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING.”

It’s unclear what a presidential pardon might include. Trump did not specifically mention a tax case in which Rose pleaded guilty in 1990 to two counts of filing false tax returns and served a five-month prison sentence.

The president said he would sign a pardon for Rose “over the next few weeks” but has not addressed the matter since.

Rose had 4,256 hits and also holds records for games (3,562) and plate appearances (15,890). He was the 1973 National League MVP and played on three World Series winners.

An investigation for MLB by lawyer John M. Dowd found Rose placed numerous bets on the Cincinnati Reds to win from 1985-87 while playing for and managing the team. Rose agreed with MLB on a permanent ban in 1989.

Lenkov is seeking Rose’s reinstatement so that he can be considered for the Hall of Fame. Under a rule adopted by the Hall’s board of directors in 1991, anyone on the permanently ineligible list can’t be considered for election to the Hall. Rose applied for reinstatement in 1997 and met with Commissioner Bud Selig in November 2002, but Selig never ruled on Rose’s request. Manfred in 2015 denied Rose’s application for reinstatement.

Manfred said reinstating Rose now was “a little more complicated than it might appear on the outside” and did not commit to a timeline except that “I want to get it done promptly as soon as we get the work done.”

“I’m not going to give this the pocket veto,” Manfred said. “I will in fact issue a ruling.”

Rose’s reinstatement doesn’t mean he would automatically appear on a Hall of Fame ballot. He would first have to be nominated by the Hall’s Historical Overview Committee, which is picked by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and approved by the Hall’s board.

Manfred said he has been in regular contact with chairman Jane Forbes Clark.

“I mean, believe me, a lot of Hall of Fame dialogue on this one,” Manfred said.

If reinstated, Rose potentially would be eligible for consideration to be placed on a ballot to be considered by the 16-member Classic Baseball Era committee in December 2027.

Manfred said he doesn’t think baseball’s current ties to legal sports betting should color views on Rose’s case.

“There is and always has been a clear demarcation between what Rob Manfred, ordinary citizen, can do on the one hand, and what someone who has the privilege to play or work in Major League Baseball can do on the other in respect to gambling,” Manfred said. “The fact that the law changed, and we sell data and/or sponsorships, which is essentially all we do, to sports betting enterprises, I don’t think changes that.

“It’s a privilege to play Major League Baseball. As with every privilege, there comes responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is that they not bet on the game.”

Manfred did not go into details on his discussion with Trump over foreign-born players other than to say he expressed worry.

“Given the number of foreign-born players we have, we’re always concerned about ingress and egress,” Manfred said. “We have had dialogue with the administration about this topic. And, you know, they’re very interested in sports. They understand the unique need to be able to go back and forth, and I’m going to leave it at that.”

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Braves activate RHP Anderson, sign OF Rosario

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4 hours ago

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April 28, 2025

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Braves activate RHP Anderson, sign OF Rosario

  • Field Level Media

Apr 28, 2025, 01:52 PM ET

It was old faces in familiar places for the Atlanta Braves on Monday after they activated right-hander Ian Anderson to the active roster and signed outfielder Eddie Rosario to a major league contract.

In corresponding moves, outfielder Jarred Kelenic was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, while right-hander Davis Daniel was optioned to Triple-A after Sunday’s game.

Both Anderson and Rosario emerged as 2021 postseason heroes in Atlanta as the Braves went on to win the World Series.

Anderson, who was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, went 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight postseason starts for the Braves over the 2020 and 2021 postseasons.

In the 2021 World Series, Anderson famously pitched five no-hit innings in Game 3 to lead Atlanta to a 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros. The Braves defeated the Astros in six games.

Anderson, who turns 27 Friday, was traded by the Braves to the Angels on March 23 for left-hander Jose Suarez. He struggled badly with his new club, going 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in seven relief appearances. He allowed 17 hits and seven walks in just 9⅓ innings.

Rosario, 33, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in February and played in two games with the club, going 1-for-4. He was designated for assignment and became a free agent when Shohei Ohtani returned from the paternity list just over a week ago.

Rosario was the 2021 National League Championship Series MVP, when he powered the Braves past the Dodgers with three home runs, nine RBIs and a 1.647 OPS in six games.

Over parts of 11 seasons, Rosario is a career .261 hitter with 169 home runs and 583 RBIs in 1,123 games with five different clubs, including five seasons with the Minnesota Twins (2015-20) and four with the Braves (2021-24).

Kelenic, 25, was batting .167 with two home runs in 23 games and is a career .211 hitter with 49 home runs and 156 RBIs in 406 games with the Seattle Mariners (2021-23) and Braves.

Daniel, 27, made his only appearance for the Braves on Sunday with a scoreless inning and has appeared in 10 games (six starts) over the past three seasons with a 4.95 ERA.

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Two-time Cup winner Sullivan out as Pens coach

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7 hours ago

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April 28, 2025

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Two-time Cup winner Sullivan out as Pens coach

Mike Sullivan, who led the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, is out as the team’s head coach, it was announced Monday.

Sullivan was the longest-tenured coach in Penguins history after just completing his 10th season. The 57-year-old, who also coached Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, was under contract in Pittsburgh through 2026-27.

In a statement, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said the decision was “the best course forward for all involved” as Pittsburgh navigates a transitional period.

“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” Dubas said. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”

The Penguins have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons as Dubas works to retool the team into a contender while Crosby is still competing at a high level. Crosby just completed his 20th straight season in which he posted a point-per-game scoring pace, and he was voted by his peers in the NHLPA as the league’s most complete player. The captain is under contract through next season on a two-year extension he signed prior to the 2024-25 season.

Sullivan was elevated to Penguins head coach in 2015 after leading the organization’s AHL team in Wilkes-Barre. With 409 wins in Pittsburgh, he leaves as the Penguins’ all-time wins leader.

With Sullivan’s departure, there are now seven head-coaching vacancies in the NHL. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken and New York Rangers are also searching for new coaches right now. According to sources, Sullivan has been atop the Rangers’ wish list.

Sources also said Sullivan is keen on coaching again next season and will be a top candidate for several of the vacancies. Sullivan worked as an assistant coach with the Rangers and as both an assistant and head coach with the Bruins earlier in his career.

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