Ranking MLB's Top 25 Rookies on Opening Day Rosters
The 2024 MLB rookie class has some big shoes to fill after last season saw one of the deepest pools of rookie talent in recent memory, led by consensus Rookie of the Year winners Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson.
Each month during the 2023 season, we compiled our rankings of the top 25 rookies across baseball. And with Opening Day rosters announced and the 2024 season set to begin, it's time for our first version of those rankings for the new year.
The in-season version of these rankings will be based on performance, but for now, these players are ranked based on their expected impact in 2024. That means it's not necessarily about who has the highest long-term ceiling, but also who has the clearest path to make a splash in 2024.
Let's start with a few honorable mentions worth keeping an eye on.
Honorable Mentions
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These rookies did not make our Top 25 list, but they did receive initial consideration and are worth watching as candidates to jump into the rankings for the next update:
OF Wilyer Abreu, BOS
IF Blaze Alexander, ARI
RHP Clayton Beeter, NYY
RHP Joe Boyle, OAK
OF Colton Cowser, BAL
IF Tyler Fitzgerald, SF
RHP Emerson Hancock, SEA
IF Darell Hernaiz, OAK
RHP Kyle Hurt, LAD
RHP Jordan Leasure, CWS
C Korey Lee, CWS
IF Nick Loftin, KC
LHP Yuki Matsui, SD
IF Curtis Mead, TB
RHP Nick Nastrini, CWS
IF Graham Pauley, SD
RHP Sixto Sanchez, MIA
RHP Keaton Winn, SF
Nos. 25-21
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25. CF Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals (Age: 23)
With Lars Nootbaar, Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson all starting the year on the injured list, Scott gets a chance at regular playing time in the St. Louis outfield. The speedster led all minor leaguers with 94 steals last season and did it while hitting .303/.369/.425 over 618 plate appearances. He has logged only 66 games at Double-A and none at Triple-A, so he is making a big jump.
24. RF Lawrence Butler, Oakland Athletics (Age: 23)
Butler raised his stock with a strong season in the upper levels of the minors last year, hitting .284/.350/.475 with 19 doubles, 15 home runs, 70 RBI and 21 steals in 89 games between Double-A and Triple-A. He gained valuable experience over the final two months after making his MLB debut on Aug. 11, and he has the upside to join Zack Gelof as a core piece.
23. RHP Gavin Stone, Los Angeles Dodgers (Age: 25)
Stone dominated minor league hitters with a 1.48 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 121.2 innings over three levels in 2022, but he struggled in his first taste of the big leagues last year. He believes tipping his pitches was the cause of his 9.00 ERA and 1.90 WHIP over 31 innings in the big leagues, and he won the No. 5 starter job with a strong spring.
22. RF Dominic Fletcher, Chicago White Sox (Age: 26)
The White Sox acquired Fletcher from the D-backs this offseason, and he immediately became the front-runner for the open right field job. He hit .301/.350/.441 for a 115 OPS+ in 102 plate appearances in the big leagues last season. And while he will likely platoon with Kevin Pillar, he should still see a sizable chunk of playing time.
21. RHP Matt Waldron, San Diego Padres (Age: 27)
Who doesn't love a knuckleballer? Waldron threw the funky pitch 26.7 percent of the time in his debut last year, also mixing in a sinker, four-seam fastball, sweeper and cutter. The key to success will be figuring out the right way to balance that unique repertoire. He had a 4.35 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 41.1 innings last year, and he opens the year in the No. 5 starter role.
Nos. 20-16
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20. RHP Max Meyer, Miami Marlins (Age: 25)
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 draft on the strength of a high-octane fastball and a wipeout slider, Meyer made two MLB starts in 2022 before injuring his elbow and ultimately missing the rest of that year and all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery. A rash of injuries to the Marlins rotation has opened the door for him to break camp as the No. 5 starter.
19. CF Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers (Age: 24)
Center field has been a revolving door for the Tigers since Curtis Granderson and Austin Jackson were staples at the position. They may finally have a long-term answer in Meadows, who has shown a nice mix of power and speed in the minors, and he logged strong defensive metrics (3 DRS, 8.0 UZR/150) in the majors last year after making his MLB debut on Aug. 21.
18. IF Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers (Age: 25)
The general consensus seems to be that the Brewers finally pulled the trigger on trading Corbin Burnes because they were so high on Ortiz as the headliner in their trade with the Orioles. He is already a Gold Glove-caliber infielder, and after hitting .321/.378/.507 with 43 extra-base hits in 88 games at Triple-A last year, it's clear he also has a high offensive ceiling.
17. 1B Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs (Age: 26)
Busch hit .323/.431/.618 with 26 doubles, 27 home runs and 90 RBI in 98 games at Triple-A last season, and while he struggled in limited MLB action, he was never really given a chance at regular playing time. The Cubs are expected to use him at first base and designated hitter, which should give him a solid chance to prove himself.
16. RHP Jared Jones, Pittsburgh Pirates (Age: 22)
With a big fastball and plus athleticism that helped make him a two-way standout in high school, Jones has been one of the most intriguing arms in the Pittsburgh system since he was taken in the second round of the 2020 draft. After posting a 3.85 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 126.1 innings in the upper minors last year, he was the talk of spring training en route to winning a rotation spot.
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Nos. 15-11
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15. LHP Jordan Wicks, Chicago Cubs (Age: 24)
Wicks made seven starts down the stretch for a Cubs team chasing a playoff spot last year, going 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 24 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. The No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 draft, he leaned heavily on a terrific changeup that limited opposing hitters to a .171 average with a 30.0 percent whiff rate in his debut.
14. C Austin Wells, New York Yankees (Age: 24)
Wells gave Yankees fans a glimpse of what's to come when he tallied six doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI in 75 plate appearances as a September call-up. With plus raw power and good plate discipline, he should make an immediate impact offensively, but he still needs to prove himself behind the plate.
13. SS Brayan Rocchio, Cleveland Guardians (Age: 23)
After seeing the success that guys like Jeremy Peña, Ezequiel Tovar and Anthony Volpe had while breaking camp with the starting shortstop job as rookies, the Guardians will give Rocchio a shot right out of the gates to prove he can be the guy. He hit .280/.367/.421 with 46 extra-base hits and 25 steals at Triple-A last season, and he had a terrific run in the Venezuelan Winter League.
12. CF/2B Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox (Age: 23)
Rafaela hit .270/.319/.508 with six doubles, three home runs and five steals this spring to force his way onto the Opening Day roster. And while he is viewed as a potential Gold Glove center fielder, he could also see some time at second base until Vaughn Grissom returns to action. He hit .302/.349/.520 with 31 doubles, 20 home runs, 79 RBI and 36 steals in 108 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
11. CF Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres (Age: 20)
Merrill had started 196 of his 222 professional games at shortstop entering the 2024 season, but the Padres moved him to center field during spring training to fill a void and he broke camp as the starter there for the team's two games in South Korea. Aside from learning a new position, he is also making the jump to the majors after just 46 games at Double-A and none at Triple-A. He went 2-for-8 with a double in the Seoul Series.
Nos. 10-6
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10. SS Masyn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals (Age: 22)
A quick-twitch athlete with a true 80-grade throwing arm, Winn has an extremely high floor going into his rookie season because of the value he is expected to provide defensively. He batted just .172 with a 29 OPS+ over 137 plate appearances in the majors last year, but he hit .288/.359/.474 with 40 extra-base hits and 17 steals in 105 games at Triple-A, so he is capable of making an impact with the bat.
9. 1B Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels (Age: 22)
The Angels selected Schanuel with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2023 draft, and less than two months later after only 22 games in the minors, he made his MLB debut on Aug. 18. Given that whirlwind climb through the system, he more than held his own, hitting .275/.402/.330 with more walks (20) than strikeouts (19). If his 1.483 OPS and 19 home runs last spring at Florida Atlantic are any indication, he is just scratching the surface of his power potential.
8. LHP Kyle Harrison, San Francisco Giants (Age: 22)
With a 70-grade fastball that has good late life and a quality slider and changeup to back it up, there is no question Harrison has the stuff to be a frontline starter. He has struck out 452 hitters in 279.1 innings in the minors, but he has also struggled with his command at times. After posting a 4.15 ERA and a 35-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 34.2 innings in his debut last year, he will join Logan Webb and Blake Snell atop the 2024 rotation.
7. RF Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers (Age: 20)
Chourio exploded onto the top prospect scene in 2022 and backed it up last year by hitting .283/.338/.467 with 26 doubles, 22 home runs, 91 RBI and 44 steals in 128 games between Double-A and Triple-A as a 19-year-old. The Brewers signed him to a record-setting eight-year, $82 million extension in December, paving the way for him to make the Opening Day roster.
6. 2B Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers (Age: 22)
Speaking of guys who signed offseason extensions before making their MLB debuts, Keith inked a six-year, $28.6 million deal in January after hitting .306/.380/.552 with 38 doubles, 27 home runs and 101 RBI in 126 games in the upper minors. He could quickly join Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene as the present and future offensive core in Detroit.
5. CF Jung Hoo Lee, San Francisco Giants
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Age: 25
An ankle injury limited Jung Hoo Lee to 86 games last season, but he took home KBO MVP honors during the 2022 season when he hit .349/.421/.575 with 36 doubles, 10 triples, 23 home runs, 113 RBI and 85 runs scored.
Over seven seasons in the KBO, he hit .340/.407/.491 with more walks (383) than strikeouts (304), and now he will look to follow in the footsteps of Ha-Seong Kim in making a successful jump to Major League Baseball.
It remains to be seen how much of his power production will translate, but his on-base ability and defense in center field give him a strong foundation to be an immediate contributor.
The San Francisco Giants are banking on him making an impact after signing him to a six-year, $113 million contract.
4. LHP Shōta Imanaga, Chicago Cubs
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Age: 30
World Baseball Classic fans will remember Shōta Imanaga as the starting pitcher for Team Japan in the championship game against Team USA last spring, and he brings a wealth of professional experience to the Chicago Cubs rotation.
The left-hander posted a 2.66 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 188 strikeouts in 159 innings last season for the Yokohama Bay Stars, and he logged a 2.96 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 1,183 strikeouts in 1,129.2 innings over eight seasons in the Japanese League.
There are some questions how his 5'10", 175-pound frame will hold up over the grind of a 162-game MLB season, but his polished overall game and elite command should help him make a smooth transition stateside.
3. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Age: 25
Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the Eiji Sawamura Award—the Japanese League equivalent of the Cy Young—three years in a row prior to being posted this offseason and signing a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that also included a $50.6 million posting fee.
His numbers the last three years for the Orix Buffaloes are difficult to ignore:
- 2021: 18-5, 1.39 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 206 K, 193.2 IP
- 2022: 15-5, 1.68 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 205 K, 193.0 IP
- 2023: 17-6, 1.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 176 K, 171.0 IP
He allowed four hits and five earned runs over one inning in his MLB debut against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series, and he does have some work to do refining his command, but the stuff is there for him to be a staple atop the Dodgers rotation for the next decade.
2. DH Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers
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Age: 22
For all the hype surrounding LSU pair Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews atop the 2023 draft class, Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford might wind up being the best player drafted last spring.
After hitting .373/.498/.784 with 28 doubles, 21 home runs and 57 RBI in 64 games during his junior season with the Gators, the Texas Rangers took him with the No. 4 overall pick. He continued to rake over 44 games during his pro debut, hitting .360/.480/.677 with 17 doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBI in 200 plate appearances.
With an opening at designated hitter, he played his way onto the Opening Day roster by hitting .365/.423/.714 with six home runs and 20 RBI this spring. And he has a chance to give the No. 1 player on this list a serious run for his money in the AL Rookie of the Year race.
1. LF Evan Carter, Texas Rangers
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Age: 21
Coming off a World Series title and with the top two rookies in these rankings on the Opening Day roster, the present and future outlook for the Texas Rangers lineup is blindingly bright.
Evan Carter hit .306/.413/.645 with 10 extra-base hits in 75 plate appearances as a September call-up last year, and he then batted .300/.417/.500 with 18 hits, 10 walks and nine doubles in 17 games in the postseason.
With a 15.8 percent walk rate in the minors, his advanced approach at the plate makes it easy to buy him replicating his small sample size success from a year ago.
Similar to Randy Arozarena a few years ago, Carter could take home AL Rookie of the Year honors after becoming a household name the previous postseason.
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