These 10 players are All-MLB sleeper picks in ’24
With the All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards announced Saturday night during the inaugural All-MLB Weekend in Las Vegas, we turn our attention to 2024 and ask: Which players could be sleeper picks to be named to their first All-MLB squad next year?
From rising young stars who could have multiple All-MLB honors on their résumés before it’s all said and done, to one exciting player who has been so dominant that he could make the team as a rookie next season, here’s a look at 10 candidates:
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Royals
The hype was off the charts when Witt made his MLB debut in 2022, a season for which he finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting. But he took his performance to another level in ’23.
The 23-year-old shortstop became the first player in Royals history to hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 30 bases in a single season, and only the second in AL/NL history with 30 homers and 49 steals at age 23 or younger (also Mike Trout in 2012). He finished seventh in AL MVP Award voting.
Witt actually got off to a slow start at the plate last season — at the All-Star break, he was hitting .257/.300/.442, though he did have 14 homers. In the second half, he caught fire, posting a .301/.343/.563 slash line with 16 homers the rest of the way.
As he ascends in the ranks of baseball’s best, it’s not hard to envision Witt being named to the All-MLB squad in 2024.
Royce Lewis, 3B, Twins
Lewis’ arrival on the Major League stage was marred by injury, but when he’s been in Minnesota’s lineup, he’s been sensational.
The first overall selection of the 2017 Draft made his MLB debut in May 2022, but he played in only 12 games before tearing his right ACL for the second time in two years and missing the rest of the season. He returned in May 2023, and though his ’23 campaign was limited to 58 games by oblique and hamstring injuries, he made history.
Lewis posted a .921 OPS with 15 home runs, four of which were grand slams, a Twins single-season record. The four slams came in an 18-game stretch, an AL/NL record. He then launched homers in his first two postseason at-bats, going on to total four home runs in his first taste of playoff baseball.
After electrifying the baseball world in September and October this past season, Lewis could very well find himself on the All-MLB Team if he plays a full season in 2024.
Jung Hoo Lee, CF, Giants
How Lee will perform in MLB is yet to be seen, and even though the Giants signed him to a six-year, $113 million contract, the Korean baseball star has shown some tendencies at the plate that may be cause for concern.
There’s the ground ball rate of nearly 60 percent, and also a relative power outage in an injury-shortened 2023 campaign with Seoul’s Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization — his slugging percentage fell 120 points year-over-year from ’22 to ’23.
Still, there’s a lot to like about Lee’s profile as a hitter. He has a very high contact rate and great speed — plus a baseball pedigree that earned him the nickname “Grandson of the Wind.” He sprays the ball to all fields, which can be particularly advantageous in the cavernous Oracle Park outfield. He’s also just 25 years old and has a track record of great defense in center field.
While it’s hard to project what kind of production Lee will give San Francisco, it’s not hard to imagine him living up to what he said in his introductory press conference on Friday: “From Opening Day on, fans will be impressed with the skill set.”
Spencer Steer, INF/OF, Reds
Steer is at the center of a young and exciting core of prospects who blossomed for the Reds in 2023, along with Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Will Benson.
Steer is a versatile defender, seeing time at first base, second base and third base, as well as the corner outfield spots. In his first full MLB season, he was impressive at the plate in 2023, posting an .820 OPS with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs for Cincinnati. He also has above-average speed, as evidenced by his 15 steals.
Entering his age-26 season, Steer could be on the verge of an even bigger performance in 2024. If that materializes, he could find himself on the All-MLB roster at this time next year.
