A total of 255 players made their Major League Baseball debut during the 2024 season. The rookies were born in various continents and countries, and if they were born in the United States, they were from several different regions.
Some rookies received more opportunities than others. A handful of players played a more pivotal role for their team; some ay never see an MLB field again. It’s a harsh reality of professional baseball, especially at the MLB level.
Five international-born rookies stood out above the rest in 2024. From the day they made their MLB debut to their team’s final game, they were the most statistically productive and appear to have a bright future ahead.
Noel’s game-tying solo blast in the bottom of the ninth of game three of the ALCS against the New York Yankees is one of the most memorable home runs of the 2024 season. Noel made the most of his opportunity with the Guardians last year, smashing 13 home runs in only 67 games.
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The Guardians would likely prefer that Noel shrink his 2024 strikeout percentage (31.8) in 2025, but he has a flair for dramatic and infectious energy. Noel homered in his first MLB plate appearance, a 413-foot blast in a 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on June 26.
In International Play – Noel played nine games with LIDOM’s Estrellas Orientales during the 2023-24 season, contributing three home runs in 35 plate appearances.
Pages was born in La Habana, Cuba, and signed with the Dodgers in 2018 after defecting from Cuba. Due to the massive amount of star power on the Dodgers in 2024, the rookie’s season was vastly overlooked.
Pages accumulated a 1.3 WAR in 116 games with a 102 OPS+. Pages walked 29 times compared to 108 strikeouts, but his strong arm and range in center field make up for what he lacks at the plate. Pages ranked in the 95th percentile in arm strength in 2024, and his defense may get better as he logs more innings in the outfield at the MLB level.
In International Play – Before defecting from Cuba, Pages did not play in the Serie Nacional de Béisbol, Cuba’s top professional league. He played one season in the Dominican Summer League in 2018, hitting .236 with nine home runs for the DSL Dodgers Guerrero.
A World Series champion in his first year in MLB, Yamamoto was an integral part of the Dodgers’ starting rotation in 2024. In Yamamoto’s first MLB season, the 26-year-old rookie went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 90 innings.
The three-time Pacific League MVP in Nippon Professional Baseball rebounded quickly from a disappointing MLB debut on March 21 against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series in South Korea. Yamamoto allowed five earned runs in one inning in the matchup against the Padres. A strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder in June left him on the injured list for a little less than three months, but a brilliant performance in game two of the World Series against the Yankees (6.1 innings, 1 ER, 4 SO) led the Dodgers to a 4-2 win.
In International Play – Yamamoto played seven seasons with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes from 2017-23 and represented Japan in the 2019 WBSC Premier12, 2020 Summer Olympics, and 2023 World Baseball Classic. From 2021-23, he won three straight NPB pitching Triple Crowns and Eiji Sawamura Awards, NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award.
Imanaga was the best-performing rookie pitcher born outside the United States in MLB in 2024. The lefty finished the season 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 28 walks in 173.1 innings. His 3.0 WAR ranked 28th amongst qualified MLB pitchers in 2024, and he finished 27th in strikeouts with 174.
In Imanaga’s MLB debut on April 1 in a 5-0 win against the Colorado Rockies, the 31-year-old threw six shutout innings with nine strikeouts and two hits allowed. In his first nine MLB starts, Imanaga went 5-0 with a minuscule 0.84 ERA.
In International Play – Imanaga was Yamamoto’s teammate during the 2023 WBC and led the Central League in strikeouts in 2023 with 174 while playing for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The 2019 and 2023 NPB All-Star also made six appearances for the Australian Baseball League’s Canberra Cavalry during the 2018-19 season, striking out 57 of the 122 batters he faced.
Chourio burst onto the scene for the Brewers in 2024 with a 3.8 WAR at the young age of 20. The righty finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting with 26 third-place votes. Chourio did not receive a second or first-place vote.
Chourio displayed gap-to-gap power with 29 doubles and 21 home runs and added 22 stolen bases in 29 attempts. From June 1 to the final day of the regular season, he hit .301 as the youngest player in MLB. Chourio has a long career ahead of him as a cornerstone for the contending Brewers, filled with possible All-Star appearances, Gold Glove awards, and perhaps Most Valuable Player Award consideration.
In International Play – Chourio is a three-time Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional participant, playing for the Aguilas del Zulia during the 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 winter seasons. This season, Chourio collected seven hits and three RBI in 22 plate appearances in seven games for the Aguilas. If he chooses to play, Chourio may be a staple for Venezuela in future editions of the World Baseball Classic.
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