B/R's 2016 All-MLB Rookie Team at the Midseason Mark
Let's hold off on scheduling an MLB rookie-sophomore game during All-Star weekend.
Promising youngsters have arrived in 2016, but these neophytes wouldn't fare well against the likes of Kris Bryant, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa with a hopefully healthy Noah Syndergaard on the mound.
In that hypothetical situation, either Lindor or Correa would need to handle another position for a day. This problem occurs yet again in a 2016 rookie class headlined by three National League shortstops.
Is it cheating to move them from their true position? Probably, but when the alternative is starting Cheslor Cuthbert, it's time to play loose with the rules. Besides, it will make good practice for when they need to learn a new craft in real life.
With some lineup manipulation and red-hot hands joining the fray, this rookie lineup—which is based on numbers from the season's first half—has the makings of a solid squad.
C: Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs
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He just got here, but Willson Contreras has made a big enough impact in two weeks to receive the nod.
In 12 games with the Chicago Cubs, the 24-year-old is hitting .333/.429/.639 with three homers. Not guaranteed a regular role upon his arrival, he forced manager Joe Maddon to make room for him.
After giving Anthony Rizzo a breather at first base, the bat-first newcomer has spent four of the last five games in left field. As long as he keeps raking, he'll continue following Kyle Schwarber's 2015 path to regular plate appearances.
Ben Zobrist, one of five Cubs leading the National League All-Star voting at his position, praised the team's latest addition, per ESPN.com's Jesse Rogers.
“I know around here it’s kind of something everyone expects—how well these young guys play—but what he’s done his first week has been nothing short of amazing,” Zobrist said. “He’s been incredible.”
A decent starter with a lengthier portfolio would get recognition over a sizzling two weeks, but look at the full crop of first-year catchers. Contreras has put up a 186 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), with only one other rookie backstop over 100. Might as well take the guy crushing now over a light-hitting reserve.
Honorable Mention: Trevor Brown, San Francisco Giants
1B: Dae-Ho Lee, Seattle Mariners
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Choices are also limited at first base, where Byung Ho Park leads all rookies in plate appearances (244) and home runs (12) but is also batting below the Mendoza Line (.191).
Although he hasn't played regularly, Dae-Ho Lee is making the most of his opportunities with the Seattle Mariners.
After a 15-year career in Korea and Japan, the 34-year-old has transferred his power to the United States. He has gone deep 10 times in 158 plate appearances, giving him a homer every 15.8 trips to the batter's box. Edwin Encarnacion, who leads all first basemen with 21 dingers, has hit one out every 16.5 plate appearances.
The Mariners have finally cleared a spot for the slugger, though, moving Adam Lind to designated hitter against right-handed pitchers. This all-rookie team will make good use of an experienced professional with a .500 slugging percentage.
Honorable Mention: Tommy Joseph, Philadelphia Phillies
2B: Aledmys Diaz, St. Louis Cardinals
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Aledmys Diaz has played two innings at second base this season. How much more experience does he need to hold his own in a pretend game?
Most onlookers expected the St. Louis Cardinals to move Diaz off shortstop once Jhonny Peralta returned from the disabled list. Instead, the veteran has shifted to third with Matt Carpenter moving to second base. Maneuvering everyone but Diaz seemed odd given his MLB-worst 14 errors at shortstop.
However, Diaz needed to stay in the starting lineup, and St. Louis stuck with him at the position. He's hitting .316/.374/.523 with 10 homers, 21 doubles and a 138 wRC+, trailing only Manny Machado and Corey Seager among shortstops.
The 25-year-old started his career in remarkable fashion, batting .423/.453/.732 in April. He has since remained an above-average hitter and has drawn 12 walks in June, two more free passes than he earned through April and May combined.
Like St. Louis, our team needed to juggle its cards to keep Diaz's bat in the picture. It's easier to ask a veteran to handle an unfamiliar assignment, but he'll need to learn a new trade with that option unavailable.
Honorable Mention: Greg Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals
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3B: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Hey, Corey Seager played six games at third base last year. Besides, it's the likely long-term landing spot for the 6'4" slugger.
But the transition is no longer inevitable, as he has held his own as a shortstop. Yet he has also proved his bat is here to stay by hitting .296/.355/.531 with 16 homers.
Flaunting a 3.5 WAR, he's a strong favorite to win National League Rookie of the Year honors. Even though fans are voting for the less-deserving Addison Russell at shortstop, Seager is the newcomer most likely to receive an All-Star Game invite.
“That’s not a worry right now, but it’s one of those things that is a great accomplishment for anybody,” Seager told ESPN.com's Doug Padilla. “That’s special for you and your family. It’s one of those things that is really, really cool.”
Including last year's rousing late debut, the 22-year-old is batting .306/.373/.538 with 20 long balls in 106 games. One way or another, the current and future superstar was a lock to make the all-rookie team.
Honorable Mention: Cheslor Cuthbert, Kansas City Royals
SS: Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
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It's virtually impossible to start one's career better than Trevor Story has, as he hit seven home runs over his first six games with the Colorado Rockies.
No human could maintain such a torrid power pace, yet he remains an above-average slugger, especially at shortstop. The 23-year-old leads all rookies and shortstops with 19 homers, and his 50 RBI ties Xander Bogaerts and Brandon Crawford for the position's highest clip.
Coors Field can't take all the credit. While he's a better hitter at home, he's also slugging .522 with a 118 wRC+ on the road. The park has done more to sustain a solid average; he's hitting .267 due to a .283 clip at Coors Field.
Story made it easier for Colorado to part ways with Jose Reyes. He's also faring better than former Rockies shortstop star Troy Tulowitzki, who is hitting .215/.294/.429 for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Best of all, his immediate breakthrough allowed everyone to use up the obvious Story puns.
Honorable Mention: Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox
LF: Whit Merrifield, Kansas City Royals
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Never considered much more than organizational depth, Whit Merrifield has morphed into a solid starter for the Kansas City Royals.
A career .274/.334/.399 hitter in the minors, Merrifield is batting .314/.335/.438 in his MLB initiation. Along with providing relief in left field when Alex Gordon went on the disabled list, he allowed Kansas City to move on from Omar Infante at second base.
While the 27-year-old hasn't offered power, a total of 14 extra-base hits is impressive for someone who never went deep more than nine times in a full minor league campaign. He's not as disciplined as the typical leadoff hitter, but he's making strong contact with a 37.2 hard-hit rate.
Merrifield's defensive competence and versatility give him the narrow edge over Hyun Soo Kim, a superior hitter who would deliver more value as a DH.
Honorable Mention: Hyun Soo Kim, Baltimore Orioles
CF: Tyler Naquin, Cleveland Indians
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Tyler Naquin spent May traveling back and forth between the majors and minors. Now he's a legitimate American League Rookie of the Year candidate.
With Michael Brantley (shoulder) injured, the 25-year-old earned an Opening Day spot on the Cleveland Indians roster. But he played irregularly between two separate demotions and carried a .751 OPS to his second Triple-A detour.
Since getting promoted at the beginning of June, the outfielder is hitting .344/.444/.787 with six home runs. He had previously gone deep once all year, and he rounded those bases in Triple-A.
Sporting 22 career homers in the minors, Naquin had never brandished power in his professional career. He didn't even hit this well at a lower level in May, when he registered a .400 slugging percentage in 79 Triple-A plate appearances.
His breakout came from nowhere, and he's doomed for regression when an abnormal .461 BABIP—Starling Marte leads all qualified hitters with a .411 BABIP—diminishes to normalcy. Such a high average is especially unsustainable given his 30.2 strikeout percentage.
Cleveland can worry about that later, but how can a guy hitting .331/.394/.597 not make the team?
Honorable Mention: Travis Jankowski, San Diego Padres
RF: Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers
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Despite suffering a recent power outage, Nomar Mazara remains an easy choice in right field.
Because of an early calf injury to Shin-Soo Choo, the Texas Rangers promoted the prized prospect a week into the season. The 21-year-old proved he belongs, hitting .287/.339/.487 with 11 homers for the Texas Rangers.
However, he stumbled with a .688 June OPS. After rounding the bases seven times in May, he has since gathered six extra-base hits.
Nevertheless, the left-handed outfielder has flaunted his compact swing, making good on early predictions of him blending elite contact and power at the pro level. He'll hit .300 with 30 homers at his best, but .280 with 20 bombs would make a heck of a debut.
He might have gotten lost in last year's prolific shuffle, but Mazara stands tall as this season's best rookie position player outside of the shortstop trio.
Honorable Mention: Trayce Thompson, Los Angeles Dodgers
SP: Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers
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The team's starter is a tough call between Steven Matz, Kenta Maeda and Michael Fulmer. Recency bias gives the nod to Fulmer, who has allowed three runs over his last seven starts.
Matz has the edge with a 4.87 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 2.94 fielding independent pitching (FIP), but he's pitching with a bone spur in his elbow. After surrendering 30 hits, 15 runs and an .869 OPS in June, the New York Mets southpaw needs to rest rather than pitch this imaginary game.
Maeda has also hurled 23 more innings over four more starts than Fulmer, and he sports a superior FIP (3.45) to his peer's 3.82. The 28-year-old Maeda also wields a 2.91 ERA in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
This all bodes well for Maeda, but Fulmer has a superior 2.40 ERA and 3.22 deserved run average (DRA), per Baseball Prospectus. He also doesn't benefit from eight years of experience pitching professionally in Japan.
If we're picking one starter for the rest of the season, Maeda (or Matz with a repaired elbow) is the choice. Although Fulmer is a strong candidate for second-half regression, he deserves recognition for preventing runs at an elite level in his first taste of MLB action.
Honorable Mentions: Kenta Maeda, Los Angeles Dodgers; Steven Matz, New York Mets; Zachary Davies, Milwaukee Brewers; Junior Guerra, Milwaukee Brewers; Jon Gray, Colorado Rockies
RP: Seung Hwan Oh, St. Louis Cardinals
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Anybody facing this rookie team better not procrastinate. If Seung Hwan Oh enters with a lead, the other guys can kiss their chances goodbye.
Although hardly a baseball neophyte, the 33-year-old reliever qualifies for this team. Amazingly enough, he has pitched better for the St. Louis Cardinals than he did for the Hanshin Tigers last year.
The Final Boss garnered MLB attention after recording a 2.73 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in the Japan Central League last season. In his smooth transition to the U.S., he has notched a 1.58 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, amassing 53 strikeouts and 11 walks over 40 innings.
Only Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances and Kenley Jansen have a lower FIP than Oh's 1.66. He also ranks third in swinging-strike percentage (18.1) while boasting the sixth-best contact rate (64.1) among qualified relievers.
Meanwhile, former Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal has unraveled with a 2.04 WHIP. Manager Mike Matheny recently removed him from the ninth-inning role, and Oh is the logical choice to take the position.
Both the Cardinals and this rookie team are in good hands.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Buchter, San Diego Padres; Christopher Devenski, Houston Astros; Kyle Barraclough, Miami Marlins
Note: All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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