The 2015 All-MLB Rookie Team at the Quarter Mark
Plenty of much-hyped rookies have debuted and/or excelled so far this season, from Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs to Blake Swihart of the Boston Red Sox to Noah Syndergaard of the New York Mets. But which first-year players have had the best year to date?
At this point in mid-May, most teams are approaching 40 games into the season, which more or less represents the quarter mark of the 162-game schedule. So why not take stock of the youngsters by naming the All-Rookie Team right now?
While the focus is mostly on production over the first six-plus weeks, other aspects—like pedigree, prospect status and future projection—came into play and served as a tiebreaker, when necessary.
To qualify, players must have come into the 2015 season as rookie-eligible, meaning no more than 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched on their MLB resume.
In other words, there's no Mookie Betts, Gregory Polanco, Jake Marisnick or Marcus Semien among position players or pitchers like Chase Anderson or Jimmy Nelson. Not because they wouldn't be worthy candidates, but because they were rookies in 2014.
Chances are you'll know 2015's top rookies of the quarter mark as we run through all of the positions. But don't worry: There are a few surprises in the mix, too.
Catcher
1 of 8
J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
All of a sudden, the catcher position is loaded with highly regarded rookies. To wit, the list of backstops next in line below doesn't even include Blake Swihart, who arguably is the top catching prospect in the sport but also has struggled mightily while being rushed into duty for the Boston Red Sox because of injuries.
Ditto Andrew Susac, who has made it into just eight games because he's behind Buster Posey. The same goes for Christian Bethancourt, who has done well behind the plate but is being exploited at it. Meanwhile, Carlos Perez and Austin Hedges have notched barely two dozen plate appearances so far.
In short, we need to see a lot more from all of the above to make a better judgment. For now, though, the pick is Realmuto, if only for the fact that he has garnered the most action and showed enough, despite a .233/.261/.326 line, that the Marlins up and decided to cut veteran Jarrod Saltalamacchia—and eat the remainder of his $21 million contract—to keep the 24-year-old in the starting lineup.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Plawecki, New York Mets; James McCann, Detroit Tigers
First Base
2 of 8
Mark Canha, Oakland Athletics
If we didn't cheat a little bit on this one, this All-Rookie team would not have a first baseman.
Canha, 26, has 17 starts in left field compared to just five at first, but for the purposes of this piece—and because there's a shortage of options at this position compared to the outfield—Canha counts here.
The righty-swinging Canha, who was a Rule 5 selection this past offseason, more or less has fit right into the platoon program the A's deploy so frequently. While his plate discipline could use some work, Canha does have a respectable .254/.308/.429 line to go with 16 runs, five home runs and 15 RBI. He's even stolen three bags.
Apologies to the Milwaukee Brewers' Jason Rogers, but 31 at-bats aren't enough to merit mention of any real honor.
Second Base
3 of 8
Devon Travis, Toronto Blue Jays
Although he has cooled off in May, Devon Travis rode a blistering April to this All-Rookie team, beating out the much more highly rated Addison Russell, who came up at the end of the first month and switched from his natural shortstop in the process.
"The kid's good," Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons said recently of Travis, per MLB.com. "What are you going to say, he's been doing it all year. It's not like he's on a little hot streak. He's been doing it all year. I think he's a pretty special find for us."
Despite not being a big guy (5'9", 190 lbs), the 24-year-old second-sacker is tied for the rookie lead in runs scored and doubles while also placing second in home runs (seven) and taking the top spot with 25 RBI.
That's more than enough to beat out other first-year second basemen. In fact, as of this writing, Travis is the front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year, but there's a long way to go.
Honorable Mentions: Addison Russell, Chicago Cubs; Jace Peterson, Atlanta Braves; Cory Spangenberg, San Diego Padres
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Third Base
4 of 8
Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
As if anyone else would be here.
Kris Bryant didn't make his big league debut until mid-April, at which point the Cubs were assured he would not be able to reach free agency until after the 2021 season. On top of that, it took the 23-year-old slugger, who smacked a spring training-best nine home runs, 20 games to hit his first one out.
Well, Bryant has hit two more since, and he's been productive from the get-go, posting an on-base percentage north of .400. He has looked capable defensively at third base and even got a game in at center fielder, too. Expect bigger, better things to come.
Honorable Mentions: Jake Lamb, Arizona Diamondbacks; Matt Duffy, San Francisco Giants; Yasmany Tomas, Arizona Diamondbacks
Shortstop
5 of 8
Jung-Ho Kang, Pittsburgh Pirates
The first-ever position player to come from the Korean Baseball Organization is holding his own. At the same time, Jung-Ho Kang is the choice here pretty much by default.
The 27-year-old has been getting much more playing time in May—Kang has been in the lineup at third base while still seeing some action at short—and it's no coincidence that his offensive production has picked up.
"When he squares up a fastball, it’s fun to see," general manager Neal Huntington said, according to Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Offensively, he can be a force every time he steps into the box."
Although his 65 total plate appearance aren't much, Kang is triple-slashing a rather robust .298/.369/.474. Even if he weren't, though, there's practically no one else to consider at this position. And no, Nick Ahmed of the Arizona Diamondbacks isn't enough to warrant an "honorable mention" section on his own.
Outfield
6 of 8
Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers
You could complain about how much the 23-year-old Pederson whiffs (31.6 percent), but then you'd be missing out on all the fun stuff, like his 20.6 percent walk rate that is tops among all players—rookie or otherwise—or his 24 runs and 10 homers in 34 games to date.
Oh, and the center fielder also is No. 1 in WAR (2.1) among all rookies, according to FanGraphs. Most expected Kris Bryant would win NL Rookie of the Year, but Pederson is in the lead to this point and looks capable of challenging over the long haul.
Alex Guerrero, Los Angeles Dodgers
Finally getting a chance in L.A., the 28-year-old Guerrero is making the most of it, thanks to a ridiculous .370/.407/.815 line and six home runs in just 59 trips to the dish.
Guerrero has played some third base, but he's been getting acquainted with the outfield—and playing next to Pederson in left on occasion—which is why we have him listed here.
Jorge Soler, Chicago Cubs
Speaking of high strikeout rates, this 23-year-old's is a ghastly 34 percent. And yet Soler is doing enough with the bat when he does make contact that he's still hitting .271/.327/.406 with 11 extra-base hits, including three homers, and he has the most knocks of any rookie (35).
If the righty slugger can clean up his approach some, Soler can be a different kind of dangerous.
Honorable Mentions: Steven Souza, Tampa Bay Rays; Michael Taylor, Washington Nationals; Delino DeShields Jr., Texas Rangers
Rotation
7 of 8
Chris Heston, RHP, San Francisco Giants
A fringy prospect when 2015 began, Heston suddenly looks like the Giants' next quality starter. He lacks the stuff or upside of a Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain, but the 27-year-old sinker-baller has done a nice job in the early going, with a 2.91 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over a rookie-best 46.1 innings.
Five of Heston's first seven starts have been quality, and his most recent outing—a complete-game two-hit, one-run effort with 10 strikeouts—was a downright gem.
As Andrew Baggarly of Giants Extra wrote of that performance: "Chris Heston became the first Giants rookie to record 10 strikeouts since Lincecum in 2007, dominating with a whipsaw two-seamer, hard curve and changeup while throwing a two-hitter for his first career complete game."
Anthony DeSclafani, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Acquired by the Reds this past offseason, DeSclafani has pitched a whole lot better than Mat Latos (4.72 ERA, 1.49 WHIP), the man for whom he was traded.
But after finishing April with an ERA of 1.04, the 25-year-old righty has started to show a few cracks, particularly in his control, as he has walked more (12) than he has whiffed (11) over 16 innings this month. That knocked him out of the top spot here.
Nathan Karns, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Like the first two on this list, Karns has flown under the radar as an older prospect, but the 27-year-old has found his stride in the majors for the first time after making appearances in both 2013 and 2014.
Across his last four turns encompassing 21.2 frames, Karns has surrendered just five runs on 16 hits with an impressive ratio of 24 strikeouts to seven walks. He's not the most efficient pitcher (4.2 BB/9), but he still has managed to hang around long enough to pick up three wins, tying him with Heston and two others for the rookie lead.
Archie Bradley, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Bradley likely would rank higher—perhaps even No. 1—if not for having lost the past two weeks recovering from a scary incident in which a comebacker hit him square in the face.
Prior to that, the 22-year-old former first-round pick had gone 3-for-3 in quality starts, even outpitching the reigning NL MVP/Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw his first time out and last year's World Series MVP, Madison Bumgarner, his second.
Carlos Rodon, Chicago White Sox
Here's a case where a rookie's prospect status gives him the edge over a handful of other not-too-bad candidates. Called up in late April, Rodon has made only one start so far, but his first three appearances came out of the bullpen.
The left-hander, who was the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, has had some shaky moments in allowing 21 baserunners in 12.1 innings. But Rodon also has allowed only four runs while striking out a batter per inning with his upper-90s fastball and put-away slider. If he sticks in the rotation—and he should—he could take off.
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Butler, RHP, Colorado Rockies; Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Atlanta Braves; Raisel Iglesias, RHP, Cincinnati Reds; Michael Lorenzen, RHP, Cincinnati Reds; Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets
Bullpen
8 of 8
Yimi Garcia, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
This 24-year-old came out of nowhere to help cover the final outs for the Dodgers, while regular closer Kenley Jansen remains sidelined and recovering from surgery on his foot.
In his 15 innings so far, Garcia has allowed just three runs on seven hits while striking out 24 against only six walks. Funny, but those numbers look very Jansen-like.
Pedro Baez, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Health obviously is a factor in making the All-Rookie team, and Baez, 27, just hit the disabled list Thursday with a right pectoral injury. But prior to that, the hard-throwing setup man had been shutting down hitters in the late innings, along with his bullpen mate Garcia.
Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times writes, "Baez, who was hitting 99 mph on the radar gun Wednesday, has been one of the bright spots on the Dodgers' unexpectedly strong bullpen. Baez has appeared in 15 games (15 1/3 innings), striking out 22, walking three and holding opponents to a .207 batting average. He has a 1.76 ERA and 0.98 WHIP."
Carson Smith, RHP, Seattle Mariners
On the whole the Mariners bullpen, which had the lowest ERA in the majors a year ago at 2.60, has been bad in 2015. To wit, the unit's ERA has jumped up more than a run to 3.77, which ranks just outside the bottom 10.
Smith, though, has been something of a saving grace. Imagine where Seattle would be without the 25-year-old's 1.08 ERA and 0.66 WHIP as well as a strikeout-to-walk rate that is north of 5.0 over 15.2 frames.
Honorable Mentions: Roberto Osuna, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays; Keone Kela, RHP, Texas Rangers; Aaron Thompson, LHP, Minnesota Twins; Arquimedes Caminero, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates; Angel Nesbitt, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Statistics are accurate through Thursday, May 14, and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter:@JayCat11.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
