The 10 MLB Players That Need to Rebound in 2024

The 2023 MLB season saw some breakout stars — but there were also quite a few players that saw major drops in production. Some young players didn’t do well and will look to bounce back come 2024. So, which players heading into the 2024 MLB season need a rebound the most? Here’s a look at 10 that ran into trouble last year and will look for better things come 2024.

Tim Anderson

It’s hard to make a list of the MLB players that need a rebound year in 2024 without mentioning Tim Anderson. Traditionally one of the game’s best contact hitters, injury problems and struggles at the plate saw Anderson post a -2.0 bWAR, but the lowest batting average (.245) of his career and the lowest OPS (.582) in the league.

The White Sox opted not to retain the 30-year-old for 2024 and as of January 2024, Anderson is still a free agent. He’s an ultra-aggressive hitter but one with good vision and the ability to take the ball to all fields when he’s on. But, the question heading into 2024 is which team will take a chance on him.

Brett Baty

Brett Baty got his first taste of the Majors in 2022 but didn’t crack the Mets’ 2023 Opening Day roster. Baty did get promoted in mid-April after a torrid start but his momentum got derailed once back in New York. The Mets infielder posted just a .598 OPS over 108 games last season and a.497 OPS from July 1 onward. That latter figure was the fourth-worst (min. 150 PA) in the league, behind only Gavin Sheets, Paul DeJong, and Joey Wendle.

At 24 years of age, Baty is still very much a young player that can turn into something special. Dating back to his days in the lower Minors in 2024, Baty’s shown the ability to work counts and hit with authority. He will, however, have to battle with Mark Vientos at Spring Training, and Baty will need to show he can better handle breaking balls and offspeed pitches.

Carlos Correa

Fellow Twin Byron Buxton could be on this list as well but Carlos Correa‘s 2023 campaign netted him the unfortunate honor to be here. Correa re-signed with the Twins last winter after failed physicals with the Giants and Mets. However, the 29-year-old’s second run in Minnesota did not go well. Correa posted a .711 OPS (.230/.312/.399 slash line) over 135 games, the lowest of his career.

Correa dealt with pain from plantar fasciitis for much of 2023, which is a plausible explanation for his issues at the plate. The Twins will hope for better returns from Correa in his third season with Minnesota.

Jake Cronenworth

It’s been less than a year since Jake Cronenworth signed a seven-year, $80MM extension with San Diego. Over his first three seasons, Cronenworth provided valuable defensive versatility and a potent bat. The two-time All-Star posted a very respectable .770 OPS over his first three years as a Padre.

But in 2023, Cronenworth hit just .229/.312/.378 with 10 home runs and 41 extra-base hits over 127 games. With Juan Soto no longer in San Diego, the Padres will need Cronenworth’s left-handed bat to rebound in 2024.

Ty France

Ty France was sensational over the first half (.846 OPS, 11 HR and 29 XBH over 79 G) of 2022, which helped him net his first All-Star nomination. Since then, things have not gone well. France posted just a .677 OPS over the second half of 2022 and didn’t do much better (.703 OPS, 12 HR, and 44 XBH) over 158 games in 2023.

France has always been good at getting on base. Part of that is thanks to the hit by pitch, as France has led the Majors in that category twice in the last three years. Nonetheless, one can’t deny that France had his least productive year as a Mariner in 2023.

Lance Lynn

Lance Lynn struggled in the first half of 2022 but rebounded to put up excellent numbers (2.52 ERA, 89 K, .631 opp. OPS over 85.2 IP) in the second half. 2023, though, was none too kind to Lynn. The 36-year-old picked up strikeouts with his fastball but often saw it pounded by opposing hitters, as well. Between Chicago (AL) and Los Angeles, Lynn gave up a league-high 44 home runs.

Lynn will look to rebound with the Cardinals in 2024, a team he’s very familiar with.

Carlos Rodon

The Yankees signed left-hander Carlos Rodon with the hope that the 31-year-old would put their rotation over the top in 2023. That, however, proved to be far from what happened. A forearm strain shut him down for the first three months of the year and once he did make it back to the mound, he was far from what we’ve seen from Rodon in recent years.

Rodon gave up 15 home runs and 49 earned runs over 64.1 IP in 2023. His 6.85 ERA was second-worst in the Majors from July 7 to the end of the year. Now, juxtapose that with 2022 when Rodon gave up 12 home runs and 57 earned runs over 178 frames with the Giants.

Joe Ryan

It looked like for much of the first three months that Joe Ryan would be an AL All-Star. Over the first three months of the year, Ryan struck 105 over 96.2 IP and opposing batters posted a .616 OPS against the righty. But from July onward, Ryan gave up 19 home runs over 65 innings and batters did far better (.914 OPS) against the 27-year-old.

A groin injury sustained in June hampered Ryan. The righty was exceptional at racking up strikeouts and proved he can be an elite arm. Still, the second half dampened what could have been an incredible year. Heading into 2024, the Twins will need Ryan to hold up — especially since Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda are no longer in Minnesota.

Luis Severino

Luis Severino dealt with a lat strain in 2022 and it came back to haunt him again in 2023. But when Severino returned in May, things came crashing down for the 29-year-old. Severino gave up 23 home runs and 66 earned runs over 89.1 IP (6.65 ERA) in what could be considered the worst season of his MLB career.

As we documented earlier in the winter, Severino lost some carry on his four-seamer and began to use his two-seamer more later in the year. Between health and struggles on the mound, the righty hasn’t had much go right over the years. Severino will get a shot back in New York for 2024 but as a Met.

Trevor Story

Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story missed most of 2023 thanks to recovery from right elbow surgery. The 31-year-old didn’t make his season debut until August 8 but once he did, Story struggled to manufacture offense. Story batted just .203/.250/.316 with three home runs and his .566 OPS was 11th-worst (min. 150 PA) over the final three months of the year.

The 2023 season marked the second straight season that Story failed to reach the 100 games played plateau, as health has been a problem for the veteran infielder. He does have 19 home runs and 50 extra-base hits over his 137 games as a Red Sox. On the other hand, a .685 career OPS with the Sox is not what Boston likely had in mind when he signed a six-year, $144MM deal.