The most encouraging performances of the season for each team

As we near the end of the regular season, it's a good time to reflect on how the year has gone for various teams and players. One of the ways to do that is to consider which players took the biggest steps forward during the season, from prospects who began to make their mark in the Majors to stars who bounced back following a down year.

Here's a look at the most encouraging performances of the season for each team.

American League East

Blue Jays: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
In the spring, we were talking about Vladdy’s 2021 season fading further into the distance after two seasons that were certainly “good” but not up to Guerrero’s standards. Even in the early days of this season, Guerrero was stuck in a rut, but he’s been one of the best players in baseball over the second half and has fully reestablished himself as a superstar in this league. His future beyond 2025 remains uncertain, but as long as Guerrero is in a Blue Jays uniform, there’s a reason to watch this team. With free agency a year away, his timing couldn’t be better. -- Keegan Matheson

Orioles: OF Colton Cowser
In 2023, Cowser’s first taste of the big leagues did not go well, as he hit .115 with a .433 OPS over 26 games. In ‘24, the 24-year-old could become the second consecutive O’s player to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award, as he may follow in teammate Gunnar Henderson’s footsteps. Cowser has 21 doubles, 20 home runs and a .763 OPS through 139 games. He has also provided above-average defense while mostly bouncing between left and center. This is the type of player Baltimore thought it was getting when it selected Cowser with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 Draft, and he should be part of the club’s core for a long time. -- Jake Rill

Rays: Three young starters
The Rays haven’t had a whole lot of things break their way this season, but they have reason to be excited about their future due in part to the performance of young starters Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot and Shane Baz. Although he struggled in August, Bradley showed his incredible potential during a dominant two-month run this summer. Pepiot has missed time due to two freak injuries, but he’s been effective in his first full MLB season. And Baz has made an encouraging return from Tommy John surgery. With ace Shane McClanahan set to return atop the rotation next year, there should be brighter days ahead for Tampa Bay. -- Adam Berry

Red Sox: OF Jarren Duran
Duran was solid in 2023 before a season-ending left big toe injury in August. This season, he has emerged into a force in all facets of the game. He is the first player in AL/NL history to have 10 triples, 20 homers, 30 steals and 40 doubles in a season. The left-handed hitter has been a force at the top of Boston’s lineup, and he was rewarded by becoming an All-Star for the first time. Duran’s defense has also been much improved. Duran’s metrics in the outfield rate him as one of the best defenders in MLB this season. -- Ian Browne

Yankees: C Austin Wells
Wells’ defense was ahead of his hitting last season, but the lefty slugger has come into his own, providing valuable protection as the cleanup hitter behind Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Wells entered Wednesday hitting .296/.380/.507 with seven homers and 29 RBIs in the second half, vaulting into strong consideration to become the first Yankees catcher to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award since Thurman Munson in 1970. Wells’ work behind the dish has also been excellent; entering play on Wednesday, Wells owned a +11 Fielding Run Value -- only the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh (+13) was higher among AL backstops. -- Bryan Hoch

AL Central

Guardians: OF Jhonkensy Noel
Noel spent his fair share of time waiting in Triple-A for his chance to make an impact at the big league level. He had Major League power potential, but his strikeout rate was off the charts. That created apprehension that he wouldn’t be able to find success at a higher level if he struggled to lay off of junk in the Minors. Instead, he’s proven to be quite valuable in his first chance in the Majors. He’s racked up 13 homers in 55 games, while slightly lowering his strikeout rate. This is the type of pop the Guardians have been looking to plug into the middle of their order, and with more experience, the team is confident he’ll continue to get better. -- Mandy Bell

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans
There were tons of questions surrounding the Royals' rotation entering 2024 after the team made significant changes to try to improve the staff, and one was centered on Ragans. After an excellent second half following the trade that made him a Royal last June, how would the 26-year-old lefty fare across a full season as a starter? The answer: Pretty good. Ragans has a 3.32 ERA across 31 starts this year, became just the fifth Royal to record a 200-plus strikeout season and has held up well despite blowing past his career-high in innings. Not only has Ragans blossomed into the team’s young ace in 2024, but he’s established himself as part of the Royals’ core for the next several years. -- Anne Rogers

Tigers: 2B Colt Keith
Detroit thought enough of Keith’s potential to sign him to a six-year contract before he played in a Major League game. He hit .197 with a .479 OPS through his first 39 games, but once he figured out how to adjust to how opponents were pitching to him, he became a steady contributor at the plate, eventually settling into the middle of the batting order. The Tigers believe there’s more power in the bat, which should emerge as his approach continues to evolve. -- Jason Beck

Twins: RHP Bailey Ober
The days of Ober being pulled early with worries about his workload are gone -- and this version of the right-hander has found top-end upside to pair with his relentless career-long consistency. Once a soft-tossing, oft-injured control artist, Ober has thrown quality starts in 13 of his last 14 outings, allowing one or two hits in six of those. He’s stepped up to be a true No. 2 starter in a rotation that desperately needed one. -- Do-Hyoung Park

White Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet
The 2024 season wasn’t a step forward for the big left-handed hurler, as much as it was a career-changing elite performance. The 25-year-old amassed 73 career innings over three previous seasons as a reliever before moving to the top of the White Sox rotation and becoming not only the team’s Opening Day starter but also an AL All-Star. Crochet was one of the most dominant starters in the game during the first half but has been on an innings watch since the All-Star break. He still has a career-high 191 strikeouts over a career-high 134 innings, positioning himself as the ace of someone’s staff in ‘25 and beyond -- potentially in Chicago. -- Scott Merkin

AL West

Angels: SS Zach Neto
In his first full season as the club’s starting shortstop, Neto has had a breakout year and is emerging as one of the best young shortstops in the league. He set the club record for homers by a shortstop with his 21st blast of the year on Tuesday and is one stolen base away from reaching 30. Neto, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2022 Draft, has proved his unorthodox leg kick can work in the Majors and he’s developing into a plus defender under the tutelage of manager Ron Washington. The 23-year-old is looking like a franchise cornerstone at a key position, joining other youngsters such as catcher Logan O’Hoppe, first baseman Nolan Schanuel, right-hander José Soriano and closer Ben Joyce. -- Rhett Bollinger

Astros: RHP Hunter Brown
Brown began the season 0-4 with a 9.78 ERA, 2.22 WHIP and .366 batting average allowed in his first six starts. He turned his season around when he started throwing a sinker, giving him something to use inside to right-handers. Prior to Wednesday's loss to the A's, he went 11-3 with a 2.28 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and .214 batting average against in 22 games (21 starts) since May 5, with 16 quality starts. Brown’s hard-hit rate had dropped 14.5 percentage points over last year, the largest decrease for any qualifying pitcher. His 29.9% hard-hit rate ranked in the 98th percentile, one year after he placed in the 13th percentile with a 44.4% hard-hit rate. -- Brian McTaggart

Athletics: Lawrence Butler
Butler has emerged as a star in the making by performing as one of the best hitters in baseball for over two months now. He joined Ralph Kiner and Mookie Betts as only the third player age-24 or younger with two three-homer games in a season, and his career-best 19-game hitting streak is the longest active streak in the Majors, a stretch in which he is batting .380 with eight home runs. Over his last 59 games, Butler is batting .323 (72-for-223) with 19 homers and 46 RBIs. -- Martín Gallegos

Mariners: The young tandem of Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo
These two will probably always be linked together within the organization, as both were called up around the same time in 2023 and represent the next wave of pitching talent in Seattle. But how they're finishing '24 might be the most encouraging sign for a team that hasn't had much go right in the second half. Miller and Woo not only are pitching at their best down the stretch -- they've also seen a notable uptick in stuff, suggesting that they're only getting stronger. -- Daniel Kramer

Rangers: RHP Jack Leiter
It hasn’t been perfect. That much is clear by the 10.41 ERA. But in his second stint with the big league club, Leiter has been a serviceable talent. He’s gone five-plus innings in each of his last two starts against the Yankees and Angels and has limited his walks more than ever while pumping an upper-90s fastball. The 2021 No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft, Leiter has maybe not quite lived up to the hype, but the last month has shown than he can be a quality big league starter if given the leash to figure it out. That’s what the Rangers are hoping for most in September. -- Kennedi Landry

National League East

Braves: LHP Chris Sale
The Braves acquired Sale from the Red Sox and then gave him a two-year extension because they knew there was a chance they will lose both Max Fried and Charlie Morton from their rotation after this season. They didn’t realize they were getting a pitcher who is again arguably the game’s best starting pitcher. The 35-year-old Sale will likely win the NL Cy Young Award this year and he’ll again join Reynaldo López in a rotation that will welcome Spencer Strider back at some point next year. The Braves are in much better position than they could have ever imagined when they began prepping for the possibility of losing both Fried and Morton. -- Mark Bowman

Marlins: 3B Connor Norby
As the first prospect from Miami's Trade Deadline haul to reach the Majors, the 24-year-old Norby has shown he will be a key piece moving forward. His 13 extra-base hits through his first 18 games as a Marlin were the second-most behind Charles Johnson (15 in 2001). Manager Skip Schumaker recently admitted to having a man crush on Norby, whose club feeds off his energy and edge. --Christina De Nicola

Mets: 3B Mark Vientos
How was your summer? Probably not as good as that of Vientos, who missed out on making the Opening Day roster, was called up for an audition around Memorial Day and hasn’t looked back since. Vientos has been the ultimate post-hype prospect sleeper, establishing himself as one of the Mets’ best hitters as well as one of the league’s top slugging third basemen. Not to mention the 24-year-old is under team control for five more seasons. About the only question still surrounding Vientos is whether he’ll remain the club’s everyday third baseman in 2025, shift to designated hitter or -- if Pete Alonso lands elsewhere in free agency -- land at first base. -- Anthony DiComo

Nationals: 2B Luis García
Last August, García was optioned from the Nationals to Triple-A Rochester for a reset. He learned about himself this past offseason playing in the Dominican Winter League, and he reported to Spring Training poised for a turnaround performance in his age-24 season. Entering Wednesday, García was one of only five players batting over .280 with at least 35 extra-base hits and 20 stolen bases. Since July 3, he ranked fourth in the NL and seventh among all players in batting average (.324). García also set a career high in home runs (15). -- Jessica Camerato

Phillies: LHP Cristopher Sánchez
Sánchez had such a strong finish to the 2023 regular season that he entered this spring a lock to make the rotation. Not only did he make the rotation, but the Phillies rewarded him with a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension in June, when he was named NL Pitcher of the Month. Sánchez opened the week with 2.6 WAR, according to Baseball Reference, which ranked 10th on the Phillies. They will be leaning on Sánchez throughout the postseason to get them where they want to go. -- Todd Zolecki

NL Central

Brewers: OF Jackson Chourio
The Brewers went out on a long limb when they signed Chourio to an eight-year, $82 million contract in December, setting a record for a player yet to step foot in the Major Leagues. Chourio turned 20 in March, was the youngest player on any Opening Day roster, and for the first two months of the season, appeared sometimes overmatched. But he abruptly turned his season around at the start of June and has been a five-tool threat since then, giving Chourio a chance to join Vada Pinson and Mike Trout as the only players ever to top 20 homers and 20 steals in an age-20 season. -- Adam McCalvy

Cardinals: SS Masyn Winn
When Winn hit just .172 in his 37-game big-league cameo in 2023, there were questions as to whether the 22-year-old shortstop could hit enough to justify him being the everyday shortstop so early in his career. The Cardinals even provided themselves insurance by signing veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford. Fast-forward to the final stretch of this season and Winn might be the MVP of the 2024 Cardinals and unquestionably a face of the franchise moving forward. He is trying to become the first rookie to lead the Cards in hits since Albert Pujols did that in 2001 (he is currently trailing Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan by one). Defensively, he's put himself squarely in the Gold Glove Award conversation -- he entered Wednesday leading all shortstops with 13 defensive runs saved. -- John Denton

Cubs: CF Pete Crow-Armstrong
The Cubs knew Crow-Armstrong was ready to offer elite defense in The Show, and he has not disappointed this year (11 Outs Above Average and 10 defensive runs saved through 815 1/3 innings entering Wednesday). The fleet-footed center fielder made a slew of highlight-reel plays on Tuesday, ending the night in L.A. with a home run robbery against Max Muncy. What has been encouraging is his second-half surge in the batter’s box. Crow-Armstrong had a .180/.230/.292 slash line through 66 games, but Chicago gave him an extended runway to develop in the Majors. In the 40 games since that point (entering Wednesday), the rookie has hit .326/.367/.533 with five homers, three triples, seven doubles, 26 RBIs, 26 runs, 44 hits and eight steals. That bodes well for PCA’s future as an all-around impact piece to the Cubs’ new core. -- Jordan Bastian

Pirates: Young starting pitchers
Paul Skenes has been as advertised in his rookie season and could be the NL Rookie of the Year. Jared Jones took a huge step forward and has positioned himself to be at the heart of this rotation for years to come, too. Luis Ortiz established himself as a starter, as did Bailey Falter. The Pirates’ path to contention runs through their starting pitching, and they have plenty of young, talented arms to pair with staff leader Mitch Keller. -- Alex Stumpf

Reds: RHP Rhett Lowder
It looks like the Reds have a rotation piece for 2025. In three big league starts, Lowder has allowed one run in 15 1/3 innings (0.59 ERA) with 12 strikeouts. Considered the second-best prospect in the Reds organization according to MLB Pipeline, Lowder was the seventh overall pick in the 2023 Draft, but he didn’t pitch his first professional game until this year. Cincinnati felt he pitched enough innings (120 1/3) for Wake Forest in ‘23. But Lowder made up for lost time and moved up through the ranks quickly before making his Major League debut on Aug. 30 against the Brewers. -- Bill Ladson

NL West

D-backs: 2B Ketel Marte
Yes, Marte had an excellent 2023 season, but he took it to another level in the postseason to help spur the D-backs' surprising run to the World Series and capture the NL Championship Series MVP Award. The attention he received for that performance has seemingly motivated Marte throughout this season. He showed up to Spring Training and began driving balls all over the diamond and he has not stopped. He was the NL’s starter at second base in the All-Star Game and he was a serious MVP candidate before an ankle injury forced him to miss several weeks. GM Mike Hazen has always said that as Marte goes, so goes the Arizona offense, and to see him continue to build on last October’s success is a great sign for him and the D-backs. -- Steve Gilbert

Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yamamoto made his return to the mound on Tuesday after missing nearly three months with a right shoulder injury, and it was well worth the wait. The Dodgers admitted they didn’t know exactly what to expect out of Yamamoto in his return, but the Japanese right-hander dominated the Cubs, striking out eight over four innings of work. The Dodgers have a lot of questions to answer in the starting rotation, but Yamamoto’s latest outing was a big sigh of relief for the entire organization. -- Juan Toribio

Giants: OF Heliot Ramos
Ramos came into the season buried on the Giants’ outfield depth chart, but he showed he could be a building block for the future after injuries created an opportunity for him to finally play every day. Since being promoted from Triple-A Sacramento on May 8, Ramos has produced a team-leading 20 homers and an .804 OPS, which ranks second on the team behind Matt Chapman (entering Wednesday). At 25, Ramos still has room to get even better and continue to build on his first career All-Star campaign for the Giants. -- Maria Guardado

Padres: RHP Michael King
In January, King claimed the Padres won the Juan Soto trade. Then he went and backed it up. And while the Yankees are just fine with the production they’ve gotten from Soto, the Padres needed pitching in a big way, and King has developed into a star at the front-end of the San Diego rotation -- with another year of team control, too. He owns a 3.06 ERA with 191 strikeouts over 161 2/3 innings. That’s more innings than King -- who spent most of his Yankees tenure as a reliever -- has ever thrown. But he doesn’t seem to be tiring. -- AJ Cassavell

Rockies: CF Brenton Doyle
Doyle won the NL Gold Glove Award as a rookie last year and solidified himself as a key part of the defense. The offense was a question, as he finished last season with a .203 batting average and 10 home runs. But Doyle showed late-season progress and continued it in the offseason. Doyle has improved his offense and on-base skills and is reaching his power potential. The result is a total-package offensive year: a .786 OPS, 22 home runs and 27 stolen bases. The defense has remained at a game-changing level. -- Thomas Harding