WJZ’s top 10 Maryland sports stories of 2024

BALTIMORE — From new ownership to offseason acquisitions to a league MVP, Baltimore once again had a thrilling year in sports.

Oh, and both the Orioles and Ravens made the playoffs.

WJZ compiled a list of top sports moments in 2024 in Charm City.

1. New ownership group

Baltimore native David Rubenstein and his investment group purchased the Orioles for $1.725 billion from the Angelos family. The group started with 70% control, but became full owners last August.

Rubenstein was introduced as the team’s new owner before the Orioles took the field for the season opener on March 28.

The new ownership group also includes Mike Arougheti, Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, and former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke, who attended Baltimore’s City College High School with Rubenstein. 

Rubenstein, 75, has a net worth of $4.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He made his fortune in private equity. 

“This is a new day, a new chapter,” Rubenstein said. 

He told CBS News his plans to dedicate more time to Baltimore, develop the area around Camden Yards, and foster more community support.

“I want to show that small-city teams can win, but it takes the support of everybody in the community,” Rubenstein said. “I hope we can get attendance to continue to rise, keep our best players with us, and have a great front office team and managers stay with us for quite some time.”

2. Lamar Jackson: MVP, again

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won his second NFL Most Valuable Player award following the 2023 season. The accolade was announced on Feb. 8, 2024, at the NFL Honors Show.

Jackson became the 11th player in NFL history to win multiple MVP honors. He also won MVP after the 2019 season.

“I want to thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Without him, nothing is possible,” Jackson said. “I want to thank my organization, Baltimore Ravens, for finally getting a deal done. Shoutout to (GM) Eric (DeCosta), shoutout to (owner) Steve (Bisciotti), coach Harbaugh, the whole unit. My offense, my offensive line, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done. It’s a team thing for these awards.”

Jackson passed for 3,678 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for a team-high 821 yards to go along with four more touchdowns.

The Ravens made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

3. Seize the Grey

Seize the Grey, owned by 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas, went wire-to-wire to claim the 149th Preakness Stakes at historic Pimlico Race Course, ending Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown bid.

It was Lukas’s seven Preakness victory.

Seize the Grey went off at 9-1, one of the longest shots on the board.  

The 1 3/16-mile race is the middle jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown, which starts with the Kentucky Derby and ends with the Belmont Stakes.   

4. Pimlico takeover

The state of Maryland took control of Baltimore’s historic Pimlico Race Course as it plans to redevelop the venue and parts of the Park Heights neighborhood.

The 150th running of the Preakness Stakes will be held at Pimlico Race Course on May 17, 2025. The race will move to Laurel in 2026. The goal is to make Pimlico a year-round site for thoroughbred racing.

The plan includes renovating the track surface and grandstand, adding additional stalls and a new training track, as well as redevelop the surrounding community.

Under the new law, Maryland can use $400 million in state bonds to rebuild the home of the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

5. Ravens were one step away

The Baltimore Ravens needed just one win to reach the Super Bowl last season. Instead, they lost to eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, 17-10, in the AFC Championship Game in Baltimore on January 28, 2024.

The Ravens were plagued by a late fumble and taunting penalty by wide receiver Zay Flowers.

Baltimore (14-5) hadn’t made it that far since winning the Super Bowl 11 years ago. It was also the first time the city hosted the AFC championship game since 1971.

“Body is sore, heart sore,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “But we move on.”

6. Baltimore’s King Henry

The Ravens, needing a physical and dominant running game, signed one of the best running backs in the NFL — Derrick Henry.

Henry was signed to a two-year deal in March 2024, to team with electric quarterback Lamar Jackson.  

Coming into the season, Henry rushed for 1,000 yards in five of his previous six seasons, including in 2023 when he was second in the league with 1,167 rushing yards to go along with 12 touchdowns.

Henry led the NFL with 2,027 rushing yards and was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year in 2020.

Henry didn’t disappoint this season, leading Baltimore back to the playoffs. He has 1,783 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

“It was really a no-brainer for me,” Henry said. “This is where I knew I wanted to be. I love the style and physicality that they play with. I feel like it fits my style of play.”

7. Burnes in Baltimore

The Baltimore Orioles traded for an ace pitcher last offseason, acquiring former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Burnes was named to the All-MLB First-Team and was the All-Star Game starter for the American League.

Baltimore sent pitcher D.L. Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz to Milwaukee.

Burnes posted a 2.92 ERA with a 15-9 record and 181 strikeouts in 32 starts. He recently agreed to a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

8. Ledecky’s legacy

Maryland native Katie Ledecky became the most decorated U.S. female Olympian.

During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Ledecky won her eighth individual gold medal, which is an all-time record for women at the Olympics, which stood for 56 years. She also has four silver medals.

It was Ledecky’s fourth Summer Olympics. She was raised in Bethesda, Maryland.

9. Playoff birds

The Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens qualified for the playoffs in 2024.

The O’s clinched a playoff berth win a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees on Sept. 25, 2024, but sputtered over the final three months. They went 35-40 from July 3 until the end of the season.

“We came into this year with higher expectations,” Orioles General Manager Mike Elias said. “We made a lot of moves that kind of pushed some chips in for this year and then we just didn’t have the fortune that we would have hoped for. I think today is a sense of relief.”  

The Orioles (91-71) were swept in two games by the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card Series.

The Ravens (11-5) clinched a playoff spot with a 34-17 win over rival Pittsburgh Steelers on December 21. They can clinch the AFC North division with a win over Cleveland on January 5, 2025.

In January 2024, the Ravens beat the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round, but lost to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game.

10. New Terps’ competition

Although Maryland’s football team failed to qualify for a bowl game, the Terps had a signature win against a Big Ten newcomer — University of Southern California.

The Big Ten expanded in 2024 by adding Oregon, USC, Washington and UCLA.

Maryland held on for a 29-28 win over USC on October 19 in College Park, Maryland. Billy Edwards Jr. passed for 353 yards with two touchdowns.

Two weeks later, the Terps lost to No. 1 Oregon, 39-18.