Strasburg Who? The Real Studs from the 2010 Rookie Class
You can make the argument that baseball's rookie class of 2010 is the best ever.
It boasts arguably the best pitching prospect ever in Stephen Strasburg, who would be a shoe-in for the ROY award if he wasn't on such a strict innings limit. It also gave us the best rookie bat to come along in at least a decade in Jason Heyward, who would be a shoe-in for the award if he could just stay on the field long enough.
Aside from Strasburg and Heyward, it also boasts the pitcher with the 10th best ERA in all of baseball (Jaime Garcia), five pitchers with WHIP numbers under 1.45, eight hitters with more than 10 home runs, and eight guys posting averages above .300.
And this class isn't short on star power either, with names like Mike Stanton, Mike Leake, Brian Matusz, Buster Posey, Pedro Alvarez, Starlin Castro, Austin Jackson, Gaby Sanchez, and Brennan Boesch all gracing the glossy Topps rookie cards this year.
But, there are a ton of rookies who are having fantastic seasons under the radar. You can argue that some of these guys are having better seasons than Heyward or Strasburg, but because they lack the name recognition, they aren't necessarily getting the attention they deserve.
Here they are. Shower them with adoration.
Jon Jay, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
1 of 8The Cardinals jumped back over the Reds into first-place yesterday, and nobody deserves as much credit for that than rookie Jon Jay.
The Cardinals spent the first-half of the season trying to work their way around injuries to players like David Freese and Ryan Ludwick. Since the emergence of Jay, and his .372 average in nearly 150 at-bats, Ludwick has been shipped off to San Diego, and the Cards now have another budding star.
Over the last seven games, in which the Cards went 5-2 including a three-game sweep of the then NL Central leading Reds, Jay is hitting .409 with nine runs, and a team-leading 13 total bases, one ahead of that Pujols fellow.
In terms of rookie competition, Jay has had no equal since he started taking the field full-time. Only Houston's Chris Johnson and San Fran's Buster Posey come within 50 points of his .372 average, and he's shown more than capable plate discipline, which I guess you can easily have with pitchers thinking past you to hitters like Pujols and Matt Holliday.
Most importantly, with Jay in the lineup, the Cardinals are winning. They're back in first place, hopefully to stay.
Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee Brewers
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No, Escobar hasn't exactly set the world on fire for the Brewers. However, it looks like he's finally getting the hang of things. He looks primed for a stretch run this year and a fantastic campaign next season.
The Brewers were expecting a lot of Escobar this season, the high-average slap hitter that he had been in the minors for a couple of years. They were also expecting him to come in a immediately make an impact as one of the best young infielders in the big leagues. While he has been solid on defense, it hasn't been until recently that Escobar has awakened at the plate.
The 23-year-old shortstop struggled to hit above .250 the first three months of the season, but after the All-Star break he really began to come alive. Since the break, he has hit .284, a delight compared to the .244 he posted before the break.
So far in August he's been at his best, hitting .323. He's already on-pace to set monthly marks for runs, RBI, home runs, and average.
If you get rid of non-N.L. Central games, Escobar has played pretty darn well this year. Against Central foes, he has hit .297 with five doubles, five triples, and 23 runs.
Johnny Venters, LHP, Atlanta Braves
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Venters hasn't just been one of the top rookie relievers, but rather one of the top relief pitchers in all of baseball, regardless of age.
His 1.07 ERA entering today is second among qualifying relievers.
He has a perfect 4-0 record.
He's posted 62 strikeouts in 58 innings, striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings.
He has a team-leading 18 holds, in addition to one save.
And, oh yeah, did I mention he has a 1.07 ERA?
Why isn't this guy getting attention as a ROY candidate?
Chris Johnson, 3B, Houston Astros
4 of 8Jon Jay might get all the hype in terms of under-the-radar rookie, but the only rookie hitter who might be having a better year than Jay is Houston's Chris Johnson.
Tabbed as a middling prospect in one of baseball's worst farm systems before the season, Johnson has broken out in a big way. His .361 average leads all non-qualifying N.L. rookie hitters not named Jon Jay. Since the All-Star break, he leads all N.L. rookies with a .432 average, and his five homers since then rank behind only the superior prospects Mike Stanton, Pedro Alvarez, and Tyler Colvin. And his 25 RBI lead all rooks.
To truly appreciate Johnson, however, check out where he ranks in terms on non-rookies since the All-Star break. His average is still tops in the National League, and he ranks only behind some guy named Joe Mauer in all of baseball. His home run numbers pale in comparison to Jose Bautista's 11, or Dan Uggla's 10, but his RBI total ranks fourth overall in both leagues combined.
Johnson has undoubtedly had an impact on the Astros, now a team severely lacking not only in star power, with the trades of Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman, but power power. Aside from Carlos Lee, who is hitting .248 with 14 home runs, Johnson represents the best bet not only to drive the ball out of the park, but also to drive in some runs.
Now, I know extrapolating numbers from a small sample size over a 162-game season isn't exactly the best way to identify a player's talent, but if you do that with Johnson, you end up with a line that looks like this:
.361 average, 41 doubles, seven triples, 17 homers, 111 RBI and 77 runs.
That's rookie-of-the-year worthy for sure.
Danny Valencia, 3B, Minnesota Twins
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Valencia is another guy who's having a fantastic year so far under the radar you have to really scrounge to find some decent info on him.
I can tell you this. Valencia was a 19th-round pick back in 2006, and despite his relative anonymity, he does have some decent prospect stock to call his own. Baseball America projected him as the Twins starting third-baseman for 2013 after last-season.
Valencia progressed quite nicely through the Twins farm system, hitting for average and power during his minor league days.
He was off to another impressive start for Triple-A Rochester, when he was summoned to Minnesota. Since then, Valencia has been one of the Twins hottest hitters.
His average since the break is .329, which ranks fourth on a very resurgent Twins squad, and he's also been playing fantastic defense at third. He only has one error in 94 total chances this season, good for a fielding percentage of .989, a true testament to his status as a Minnesota Twin big leaguer.
Valencia is setting himself up for the starting job in 2011 and well into the future.
Sergio Santos, RHP, Chicago White Sox
6 of 8Santos has one of the most interesting story-lines of any rookie.
He was drafted back in 2002 by the Diamondbacks as a shortstop prospect, and yet here he is eight years later as one of the best rookie relievers, and arguably the best bullpen guy on the White Sox.
His 1.45 ERA over 41 appearances is just insane, as is his 38 strikeouts in 37 innings. That's impressive enough for a pitcher who's been honing his craft for a decade, but for a guy who's still learning the intricacies of throwing a slider, that's downright unfair.
Santos has been incredibly stingy this season, giving up only 30 base hits, and allowing only six earned runs, not to mention he hasn't surrendered a home run this season.
Santos is one of the primary reasons the White Sox bullpen has been so good this season.
Jose Tabata, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
7 of 8You know when you're a part of the Pittsburgh Pirate's organization, you'll probably get a chance to prove what you can do at the Major League level.
And for Jose Tabata, the Pirates top outfield prospect coming into this season, that's been a great thing.
Since getting the call to the bigs, Tabata has been outstanding, for a really bad team. His .378 average so far in August leads the Pirates, as do his seven runs and 14 base hits. And he had arguably the best July of any Pirates hitter, notching a .333 average with seven doubles, 11 RBI, 19 runs and five stolen bases.
On the year, he is hitting .309 with two homers, 16 RBI, 34 runs scored, 12 stolen bases and a decent 17:29 walk-to-strikeout ratio.
Aside from the stats, he's done something more important, like locking down an outfield spot for the considerable future on a team that can only get better.
Neil Walker, 2B/3B, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Neil Walker is a true homegrown Pirate, born and raised in Pittsburgh. He has traveled a long road to get to the big leagues, so it's quite fitting for Walker, and for his hometown fans, that he's been as good as he has been.
Walker looked like he might not be able to hack it a few seasons back. His average and power numbers were in the tank, and he didn't have a true position to call home. Since then, he has had a career resurgence, culminating in his 61-game call-up to the Pirates.
Walker hasn't spent his time enjoying the scenery. He's been working, to the tune of a .303 average with five homers and 33 RBI. He's been rapping doubles like nobody else, and has played solid defense at second and third-base.
Since the All-Star break, Walker has been on fire, hitting .343 with two homers, 21 RBI, and 12 runs scored.
Walker has a future in Pittsburgh, but the Pirates need to find out where that's going to be, and it's most likely not at the hot corner, where he and Pedro Alvarez have been sharing time.
