Spend enough time around baseball lifers across the league, and you’ll eventually hear the refrain: the hardest part isn’t reaching the big leagues — it’s staying there. While this notion surely undersells the monumental achievement of garnering even one plate appearance or throwing one inning in the major leagues, there is some truth to a concept rooted in how unforgiving the highest level of our beloved game can be. And for young players looking to ensure a long career, these words of wisdom serve as valuable motivation to never get too comfortable.

For pitchers in particular, there’s no shortage of obstacles on the path to establishing yourself in a big-league rotation. There’s the constant battle of cultivating and crafting your arsenal, the increasingly expansive scouting reports preparing opposing hitters for your exact attack plan and the humbling reality that throwing baseballs at high velocities isn’t particularly easy on the body.

Even for those who find success early in their careers, there’s always another challenge around the corner — and the best hitters in the world will happily pounce if you come unprepared. This spring, Yahoo Sports spoke with four young hurlers about the lessons learned from their initial go-around as big-league starters and their biggest focus for improvement in 2024.

Few players broke out more dramatically in 2023 than Ragans did following his midseason trade to Kansas City for Aroldis Chapman. While Ragans wasn’t a complete unknown — he was Texas’ first-round pick out of a Florida high school back in 2016, and he made his MLB debut at the end of 2022 — two Tommy John surgeries during his development in the minors significantly dampened his prospect stock. By the time Ragans reached the big leagues, the Rangers had him ticketed for a bullpen role, stuck on the depth chart behind more accomplished arms.