9 baseball stories that captivated us in 2024

The 2024 MLB season was a wild ride. With plenty of records, classic moments, and even scandals, it'll undoubtedly be remembered for a long time. Let's look back at nine stories that captivated the baseball world this year.

Ippei's arrest

Ippei Mizuhara became an unlikely star in his own right as Shohei Ohtani's interpreter and right-hand man - until it all fell apart. Shortly after the Los Angeles Dodgers' season opener in Seoul, the baseball world got rocked by reports alleging Mizuhara had stolen nearly $17 million from the superstar to place bets with a bookmaker who was the target of a federal investigation. Mizuhara's story changed frequently, as Ohtani insisted that his former interpreter lied repeatedly. Mizuhara later pled guilty to charges of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return, and now faces up to 33 years in prison. He's scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 24.

Ohtani, for his part, was investigated and subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing by MLB. Still, the Mizuhara scandal came on the heels of his signing a then-record $700-million contract with the Dodgers, so this saga dominated sports news for much of the year, and it'll no doubt continue to be a story during Ohtani's career.

Skenes arrives with a bang

Less than a year after being drafted first overall, Paul Skenes arrived in Pittsburgh and laid waste to National League hitters. The 22-year-old turned in an all-time great inaugural campaign, going 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 170 strikeouts in 23 starts with the Pirates. Skenes didn't qualify for the title, but his ERA was the lowest in the majors after his May 11 debut. He only allowed more than three runs once and had five no-run, eight-K outings. Skenes was so dominant that he was chosen as the NL's All-Star starter after just 11 major-league appearances. Not only did he run away with NL Rookie of the Year honors, but he finished third in Cy Young voting. It was a fitting entrance for the sport's next great ace.

White Sox make worst kind of history

Nobody expected the 2024 Chicago White Sox to win the World Series. But who saw this coming? That the White Sox lost a modern-era record 121 contests - only the 1899 Cleveland Spiders lost more - doesn't even begin to tell the story. This club finished 80 games below .500, posted the lowest winning percentage in a 162-match season, and became the first team in 125 years to have three separate 12-game losing streaks - including an AL record-tying 21-contest skid. Three AL Central teams made the playoffs because they got more chances to beat up on this team, and a fourth (the Minnesota Twins) only missed because of a brutal, unrelated collapse. The 2024 White Sox were a flaming car wreck, and nobody could look away.

Farewell to Oakland

After decades of false starts and relocation threats, 2024 marked the Athletics' final campaign in Oakland. The announcement was a long time coming, but it still marked a sad end to baseball - and major pro sports - in the East Bay. Owner John Fisher's decision to move the team to Sacramento's Triple-A ballpark for at least three seasons while awaiting the new facility in Las Vegas raised even more eyebrows. Oakland fans let MLB know what it's losing by turning the Coliseum into a sold-out party during its final game in September.

Ohtani reaches new heights

Ohtani used the 2024 campaign to prove he was worth every penny of that $700 million deal. Playing strictly as a designated hitter while rehabbing as a pitcher, he inaugurated baseball's 50-50 club with 54 homers and 59 steals. The 30-year-old led the NL in homers and RBIs (130), OBP (.390), slugging (.646), OPS (1.036), and runs scored (134), was the first player to record 400 total bases since 2001, and finished four points shy of a triple crown. He reached 50-50 in an iconic three-homer, six-hit, 10-RBI outing - arguably the greatest single-game performance in history. Oh, and he helped the Dodgers win a World Series despite hurting his shoulder in Game 2. The easy choice for NL MVP, Ohtani is now one of two players, alongside Frank Robinson, to win the award in both leagues.

Tigers and 'pitching chaos'

On July 30, the Detroit Tigers waved the white flag and dealt pending free agent Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers. On Aug. 10, they fell to 55-63 and 10 games back of a playoff spot. Then, out of nowhere, Detroit started to win. Despite a patchwork rotation made up of AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and what manager A.J. Hinch called "pitching chaos," the young team went 31-13 down the stretch to improbably clinch its first playoff berth in a decade. Detroit subsequently upset the heavily favored Houston Astros in the wild-card round and, although their season ended in the ALDS, the plucky Tigers won plenty of fans during their magical run.

OMG! Mets craft new miracle

Over in the Senior Circuit, the New York Mets were busy pulling off their own Cinderella run. Carlos Mendoza's club went 0-5 out of the gate and sat at 22-33 on May 29 before surging to contention over the final four months. This quirky group brought Grimace, that purple thing from McDonald's, into baseball lore, and used the hit song "OMG!" by their utility infielder Jose Iglesias (as Candelita) as a rallying cry. On the field, Francisco Lindor pushed the club into the playoffs with a dramatic go-ahead homer on the campaign's final day, then hit the NLDS-winning grand slam as the Mets upset the Philadelphia Phillies. Their wild run to the NLCS electrified baseball and set the stage for a franchise-altering offseason.

Dodgers finally finish the job

The Dodgers have been baseball's model franchise for over a decade, but their critics had plenty of fuel. They only won one championship - in the shortened 2020 season - and were stunningly swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLDS after their 100-win campaign. This time, however, L.A. would not be denied: The team weathered another slew of pitching injuries and Mookie Betts' broken hand en route to posting the best record in baseball. Facing another early exit against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers righted the ship and eliminated their rivals in a tense NLDS, then fought off the Mets to win the pennant. Freddie Freeman's epic walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series set the tone, and Los Angeles dispatched the New York Yankees in five for its second title in five years, and first in a 162-game season since 1988.

Soto crosses town

The cloud of Juan Soto's pending free agency hung above the Yankees all summer long. Once he hit the open market, the baseball world was fixated on the 26-year-old's every move. At times, it felt like the entire offseason was on pause, waiting for his decision. Ultimately, Soto found his money in New York - but not in the Bronx. Mets owner Steve Cohen lured Soto across town with a record 15-year, $765-million contract on the first day of the winter meetings. Stealing a superstar from their civic rivals marked a milestone moment for the Mets. For the league, his signing upped the price tag for just about everyone else and opened the floodgates in what's been a wild winter. MLB will feel the effects of the deal for years to come.