The 2024 free-agent class is full of intriguing and impactful players. But make no mistake, this winter will revolve around one name: Shohei Ohtani.
The two-way star took several recruiting visits when he first arrived from Japan ahead of the 2018 season, and will undoubtedly take his time making his decision this time around. Tracking the movement of other available stars as we await Ohtani’s next move will provide plenty of intrigue in the meantime. As difficult as it might be, coming up with Sports Illustrated’s annual ranking of the top free agents requires zooming out from just Ohtani and taking stock of all available players. We’ve taken into account age, health, past performance and other factors in making the list of this year’s top 50 free agents. And, because we couldn’t help ourselves, we predicted the landing spot for all 50, forecasts that are sure to make us look like geniuses once all the ink dries up.
Each player’s listed age reflects how old he will be during the 2024 season. This page will be updated throughout the offseason as players sign with teams.
