April Progress Reports for All the Top 2017 MLB Rookies
This year's MLB rookie class has some big shoes to fill on the heels of one of the best rookie crops in MLB history in 2015 and another strong group a year ago, led by Corey Seager, Trea Turner and Michael Fulmer.
As always, there's been a healthy mix of surprises (Taylor Motter, Antonio Senzatela), disappointments (Dansby Swanson, Tyler Glasnow) and top prospects living up to the hype (Andrew Benintendi, Aaron Judge) over the first few weeks of the season.
Ahead, we'll check in on all of the top rookies in action around the league and assign a "progress report" grade based on their performance to date.
Since the MLB landscape is still relatively thin on rookies seeing significant playing time at this point in the year, we've bypassed the traditional position-by-position approach in favor of a more streamlined approach with players divided into catchers, infielders, outfielders, starting pitchers and relief pitchers.
Which rookies have passed the first month of the season with flying colors and which take home a failing grade?
Let's find out.
Catchers
1 of 5
Top Rookie Catchers
| 1. Manny Pina, MIL | .439 | 1.124 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1.2 | A+ |
| 2. Stuart Turner, CIN | .222 | .639 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | -0.3 | D |
| 3. Andrew Knapp, PHI | .176 | .594 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | D |
| 4. Kevan Smith, CWS | .091 | .273 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -0.2 | F |
| 5. Kyle Higashioka, NYY | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -0.1 | F |
Position Overview
At 29 years old, Manny Pina is finally getting his chance with the Milwaukee Brewers, thanks in part to an early injury to Andrew Susac.
With 793 minor league games under his belt and a pro career that started all the way back in 2005, he wasn't viewed as anything more than organizational depth heading into the season, but he's been one of the league's most productive two-way catchers here in 2017.
"All of the players, no matter who you are, you've spent time in the minor leagues," Brewers manager Craig Counsell told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "If you see a guy that's spent that much time in the minor leagues and gets an opportunity and takes advantage of an opportunity, you have a lot of respect for that."
Aside from his tremendous offensive numbers, he's also thrown out five of 13 would-be base stealers while ranking as an above-average pitch framer, per Stat Corner.
Colorado Rockies rookie Tom Murphy was expected to be the impact rookie at the catcher position. He's been sidelined with a fractured forearm since spring training, though.
For now, Andrew Knapp, Stuart Turner, Kevan Smith and Kyle Higashioka are nothing more than seldom-used backups.
Infielders
2 of 5
Top Rookie Infielders
| 1. Matt Davidson, CWS | .368 | 1.164 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 0.7 | A+ |
| 2. Taylor Motter, SEA | .255 | .988 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 0.6 | A+ |
| 3. Yulieski Gurriel, HOU | .321 | .791 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0.0 | A |
| 4. Jose Martinez, STL | .379 | .886 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0.2 | A |
| 5. Josh Bell, PIT | .226 | .694 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | C |
| 6. Chad Pinder, OAK | .200 | .800 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.1 | C |
| 7. Daniel Robertson, TB | .192 | .584 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.2 | D |
| 8. Yandy Diaz, CLE | .236 | .550 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | -0.1 | D |
| 9. J.T. Riddle, MIA | .143 | .490 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | D |
| 10. Dansby Swanson, ATL | .139 | .357 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -0.5 | F |
Position Overview
Matt Davidson was once a top prospect with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he's failed to make enough consistent contact since joining the Chicago White Sox to regularly tap into his plus power.
That is until now, as he's off to a fantastic start and looking to prove he belongs in the long-term rebuilding plans on the South Side.
"I think you become a hitter first before you take advantage of the power. Being able to use all parts of the field is very good. He is a guy who is middle-middle," White Sox manager Rick Renteria told Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago.
The Seattle Mariners acquired Taylor Motter as part of a five-player prospect swap with the Tampa Bay Rays during the offseason, and the 27-year-old has quickly played his way into regular at-bats.
However, with Jean Segura about to return from a strained hamstring, his path to everyday at-bats at shortstop will soon be blocked. He seems to be open to whatever role the clubs sees fit going forward.
"I've done my job, whatever I could while Jean was gone to help this team win," Motter told Greg Johns of MLB.com. "Whatever they do with the lineup, I have no control over. I'll do what they want, and let's go win some ballgames—that's all I care about."
Jose Martinez has impressed as career journeymen who won an Opening Day roster spot, while Yulieski Gurriel is starting to live up to the hefty five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed last July.
On the other end of the spectrum, Josh Bell and Dansby Swanson are not yet living up to the hype that came with being two of the NL Rookie of the Year front-runners.
Swanson has been bumped from the No. 2 spot in the Atlanta lineup to No. 8 as he looks to get things going at the plate.
"I think maybe you can get away from just letting it fly and relaxing your mind and just hitting," manager Brian Snitker told Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Hopefully he will do that because, down the road, hopefully he is going to be right back up there (at No. 2)."
Chad Pinder and Yandy Diaz have been afforded more playing time than expected as a result of injuries to Marcus Semien and Jason Kipnis, respectively, while shortstop prospects J.T. Riddle and Daniel Robertson have seen limited action in depth roles.
Outfielders
3 of 5
Top Rookie Outfielders
| 1. Mitch Haniger, SEA | .321 | 1.020 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 19 | 1.9 | A+ |
| 2. Aaron Judge, NYY | .279 | .983 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 1.1 | A+ |
| 3. Andrew Benintendi, BOS | .347 | .859 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 0.5 | A+ |
| 4. Manuel Margot, SD | .280 | .797 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 0.8 | A |
| 5. Trey Mancini, BAL | .256 | .959 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 0.4 | A |
| 6. Hunter Renfroe, SD | .250 | .693 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 0.0 | C+ |
| 7. Andrew Toles, LAD | .220 | .678 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 0.2 | C+ |
| 8. Allen Cordoba, SD | .292 | .763 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.1 | C |
| 9. Guillermo Heredia, SEA | .269 | .719 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0.3 | C |
| 10. JaCoby Jones, DET | .150 | .544 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0.3 | D |
Position Overview
"Was the Jean Segura Trade Really the Mitch Haniger Trade?"
That was the headline from Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs back in November and it certainly looks like a fair question here one month in the MLB season.
Haniger won the starting right field job this spring and he's been one of the league's most productive hitters thus far, leading the AL in runs scored (19) and checking in with a 1.9 WAR that ranks among the MLB leaders.
"Mitch has really played outstanding," Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais told Stephen Cohen of SeattlePI. "I can't say enough about him. The quality at-bats, the walks, the bit hits, working into his count, understanding situations—it's been huge for us and really a boost."
However, his hot start hasn't taken any attention away from slugger Aaron Judge and pure hitter Andrew Benintendi, who have shined in everyday jobs and figure to be a factor in the AL Rookie of the Year chase.
Benintendi turned in a five-hit game on Sunday and his .347 average currently ranks third in the AL, while Judge is one of 19 players around the league with at least six home runs.
A trio of San Diego Padres appear on this list as Manuel Margot has been a standout defender in center field (3 DRS, 12.1 UZR/150) and better than expected at the plate, Hunter Renfroe has flashed middle-of-the-order potential and Rule 5 pick Allen Cordoba has held his own after spending last season in rookie ball.
Trey Mancini has continued to flash intriguing power of his own as he's now slugged eight home runs in his first 56 plate appearances in the majors, while Andrew Toles is still holding onto the primary left field job with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the time being.
Guillermo Heredia and JaCoby Jones are serving in bench roles and will likely continue in that capacity going forward.
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Starting Pitchers
4 of 5
Top Rookie Starting Pitchers
| 1. Antonio Senzatela, COL | 3-0 | 2.08 | 0.85 | 4 | 17 | 26.0 | 1.1 | A+ |
| 2. Kyle Freeland, COL | 2-1 | 3.32 | 1.48 | 10 | 14 | 21.2 | 0.7 | B |
| 3. Jordan Montgomery, NYY | 1-1 | 3.78 | 1.50 | 6 | 16 | 16.2 | 0.2 | C+ |
| 4. Amir Garrett, CIN | 2-2 | 5.09 | 1.26 | 7 | 22 | 23.0 | -0.2 | C |
| 5. Jharel Cotton, OAK | 2-2 | 4.76 | 1.41 | 11 | 15 | 22.2 | 0.0 | C- |
| 6. Robert Gsellman, NYM | 0-1 | 5.09 | 1.36 | 6 | 20 | 17.2 | -0.4 | D+ |
| 7. Adalberto Mejia, MIN | 0-1 | 5.79 | 2.04 | 8 | 10 | 9.1 | -0.2 | D |
| 8. Rookie Davis, CIN | 0-0 | 6.43 | 1.86 | 6 | 7 | 7.0 | -0.1 | D |
| 9. Dylan Covey, CWS | 0-1 | 7.84 | 1.94 | 5 | 2 | 10.1 | -0.2 | F |
| 10. Tyler Glasnow, PIT | 0-1 | 7.94 | 2.29 | 9 | 13 | 11.1 | -0.5 | F |
Position Overview
The Colorado Rockies are off to a hot start with a 14-6 record that places them atop the NL West standings, and an improved starting rotation that has trimmed its ERA from 4.79 last year to 4.19 this season is a big reason why.
Rookies Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland have been a big part of that improvement, and another rookie is on the way as German Marquez will fill in for the injured Jon Gray.
"He's always had a specialness to him," Rockies director of pitching Mark Wiley said of Senzatela to Nick Groke of the Denver Post. "He always had a command of his fastball, on both sides of the plate. That's rare so early in your career."
The other clear standout among rookie starters has been Amir Garrett, who found his way into the Cincinnati Reds rotation after they were hit hard by injuries this spring.
The former two-sport star was shelled on Monday night (3.1 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 9 ER), but prior to that, he had gone 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 19.2 innings over his first three starts.
"I know that over the course of his season and his career, he will have the highs and lows that all others experience," Reds manager Brian Price told Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "But fear is not a part of his game. Because of that, I see fewer dips."
Jordan Montgomery has held his own as the surprise winner of the No. 5 spot in the New York Yankees rotation and Jharel Cotton has flashed some of the potential he showed in a brief cameo with the Oakland Athletics down the stretch last season.
The rest of this group is in jeopardy of losing their spot in the rotation if they continue to struggle. Rule 5 pick Dylan Covey figures to stick with the rebuilding Chicago White Sox in some capacity, but the others could be sent back to the minors for further seasoning.
Relievers
5 of 5
Top Rookie Relief Pitchers
| 1. Wandy Peralta, CIN | 9 | 0/1 | 1.04 | 0.46 | 14.5 | 0.3 | A+ |
| 2. Robby Scott, BOS | 6 | 0/2 | 0.00 | 0.67 | 6.0 | 0.3 | A+ |
| 3. Grant Dayton, LAD | 7 | 0/0 | 0.00 | 0.79 | 5.9 | 0.2 | A+ |
| 4. Jose Leclerc, TEX | 7 | 1/1 | 1.00 | 0.67 | 15.0 | 0.2 | A+ |
| 5. Koda Glover, WAS | 10 | 0/4 | 2.35 | 0.78 | 7.0 | 0.2 | A |
| 6. James Pazos, SEA | 8 | 0/0 | 2.35 | 1.30 | 8.2 | 0.2 | B |
| 7. Jonathan Holder, NYY | 8 | 0/2 | 3.38 | 1.88 | 13.5 | 0.1 | C+ |
| 8. Justin Haley, MIN | 5 | 1/0 | 4.15 | 1.00 | 7.6 | 0.0 | C |
| 9. Josh Smoker, NYM | 9 | 0/1 | 4.66 | 1.55 | 11.2 | 0.0 | C- |
| 10. Ty Blach, SF | 7 | 0/0 | 4.76 | 1.06 | 3.2 | 0.0 | C- |
Position Overview
In today's game where a lockdown bullpen has become crucial in the pursuit of a title, significant contributions from a rookie reliever are a huge bonus.
So far this season, it's the southpaws who have made an impact.
Wandy Peralta has been the best of the bunch with just two hits and one run allowed to go along with 14 strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work.
The Boston Red Sox have gotten six scoreless appearances out of left-handed specialist Robby Scott after he won the last spot in their bullpen, while James Pazos, Grant Dayton and Josh Smoker have all settled into steady middle relief roles.
Ty Blach is the other lefty on the list and he's set to move into the San Francisco Giants starting rotation in place of the injured Madison Bumgarner.
Among right-handed rookies, flame throwers Koda Glover and Jose Leclerc could both find their way into the closer's role before the season is over, and they're already being trusted in high-leverage situations.
Jonathan Holder is making his mark in the majors after posting a ridiculous 101-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the minors a year ago, and Rule 5 pick Justin Haley figures to be used to eat innings for a non-contending Minnesota Twins team.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.
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