It’s Thanksgiving, so I wanted to give thanks for the 2023 MLB season — one of the more exciting, fast-moving, and athletic seasons we’ve seen in a long time — which culminated in the Texas Rangers winning their first ever World Series championship. Here’s to the people, teams, changes, moments and milestones that have made it a special year. These are 23 reasons I’m thankful for MLB this year, and please share your own in the comments section. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!
1. The pitch clock, which led to games being shortened by approximately 20 minutes in both the regular and postseason without losing any of the excitement and drama of the sport.
2. The other transformative MLB rule changes, including bigger bases, limiting pitchers’ disengagements with men on base, and restricting the infield shift. The new rules led to more stolen bases (nearly 1,300 more!), more exciting base running, and a much more level playing field for left-handed pull hitters.
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3. The expanded playoff format, which gives wild-card teams a fair shot to make the World Series, while still rewarding division winners with a first-round bye. Over the past two postseasons, three of the four teams to make the World Series were wild cards, and this year we had an all-wild-card World Series matchup between the Rangers and Diamondbacks.
Shohei Ohtani: He can do it all. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
4. The incomparable Shohei Ohtani, who put together perhaps the single best season of any player in MLB history. He won his second unanimous MVP Award in three years: As a hitter, he slashed .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, 20 stolen bases and a 184 OPS+. As a pitcher, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. We may never see a player match his accomplishments ever again. So where will he sign this offseason, and then what will he do for an encore?
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5. Ronald Acuña Jr., who became the first player to hit at least 40 home runs and steal at least 70 bases in a single season. He won his first MVP Award. And, as always, he did it in style.
6. Gerrit Cole, who won his first Cy Young Award after five top-five finishes in the voting. The Yankees’ ace continued to live up to the nine-year, $324 million contract he signed before the 2020 season. He went 15-4 this year with a 2.63 ERA, 222 strikeouts and 0.981 WHIP.
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7. The city of Oakland. I know you’re hurting. It’s a devastating time for A’s fans after MLB owners approved the relocation of the team to Las Vegas. However, let’s thank the city for all of the years it’s given the game, with so many superstars playing there — from Reggie Jackson to Rickey Henderson to Catfish Hunter to Rollie Fingers to Dennis Eckersley to Vida Blue to Dave Stewart to Mark McGwire, not to mention Charlie Finley and so many others from the A’s franchise. Thanks for the memories. We’ll cherish them forever.
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8. The triumphant return of future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy. After spending three years in a recliner, fishing, and playing with his grandchildren, Bochy returned to the dugout to help lead the Rangers to their first World Series title and the fourth of his career.
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9. Dusty Baker, who retired at age 74 after his 26th year as a big-league manager. He can now sit back and wait for the call to Cooperstown. He led five clubs to division titles as a manager and won a World Series a year ago. Dusty, thanks for your wisdom, experience and motivational skills. Thanks for caring for your players. And thanks for your swagger.
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Elly De La Cruz and the Reds took a big step this year. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
10. The Cincinnati Reds, who stole a league-leading 190 bases, won 20 more games than the year before and became relevant again thanks to a roster filled with the most talented rookie class in the sport. It certainly looks like the beginning of a fun run in the Queen City.
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11. The life of Peter Seidler, the late Padres owner, who died this month at the age of 63. He was a kind, generous man who grew up in a baseball family as the grandson of Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley. Within the game, he proved that a small-market team could compete for the top free agents, as he wasn’t afraid to outbid the competition for stars such as Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts. Away from the game, Seidler was a compassionate man who helped the less fortunate. “His impact on the city of San Diego and the baseball world will be felt for generations,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement at the time of Seidler’s death.
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12. The Tampa Bay Rays’ plans for a new stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. In September, the Rays finally announced a deal for a $1.3 billion ballpark that will replace Tropicana Field. This development and the A’s move to Las Vegas open the door for possible MLB expansion to 32 teams in the next five to seven years, with Nashville expected to be one of the new franchises.
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13. The bashing Braves, who became the first team in MLB history to have a slugging percentage above .500.
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14. Blake Snell, who just kept dealing this past season. He not only won his second Cy Young Award, but also became the first pitcher to lead his league in both ERA and walks in the same season. Congratulations — I think. He’s about to get paid in free agency, too.
15. The teams that won games when they needed to and proved you can’t buy a World Series championship, as the clubs with the top three payrolls — the Yankees, Mets and Padres — all missed the postseason.
Craig Counsell, the $40 million manager. (Matt Dirksen / Chicago Cubs / Getty Images)
16. Craig Counsell, who landed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Cubs, a surprise move that made him the highest-paid manager in the sport and will help his colleagues. MLB managers have been underpaid for far too long compared to their counterparts in the NFL, NBA and even the NCAA, where some collegiate managers and coaches make more than them.
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17. Justin Verlander, who became just the 21st pitcher in major-league history to record a win against all 30 teams.
18. Julio Rodríguez, who became the first player to hit at least 25 home runs and steal at least 25 bases in his first two years in the majors.
19. Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson, who both unanimously won Rookie of the Year honors in their respective leagues. They were the two brightest young stars, among many, who burst onto the scene this year.
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20. Freddie Freeman, who became the first first baseman in MLB history to hit 50 doubles and steal 20 bases in a season.
Take a bow, Waino. (Jeff Curry / USA Today)
21. A tip of the cap to Adam Wainwright, who retired after 18 seasons, all in St. Louis. He finished off a long and successful career by recording his 200th career win, becoming just the third Cardinals pitcher to reach that milestone.
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22. Happy trails to Miguel Cabrera, who announced his retirement after 21 years. Congratulations on a Hall of Fame career. Cabrera finished with a career slash line of .306/.382/.518, with 511 home runs and 1,881 RBIs.
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23. And last but not least, I’m thankful for the fans of baseball, the very best in the whole wide world!
(Top photo of Miguel Cabrera after the final game of his career: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
