The 1 Flaw Each Young MLB Star Must Improve in 2018
There are few things more exciting than a rising star—so much potential, so much hope.
That said, young players are prone to flaws—kinks they need to iron out before cementing their places in the MLB firmament.
Here's a look at 10 young studs and their single biggest flaws. We're not talking prospects, so we eliminated those. Instead, we examined the top five 2017 Rookie of the Year finishers in each league.
It's not an exhaustive list, but it's a representative sampling of baseball's next big things, provided they refine their games in these specific areas.
German Marquez, RHP, Colorado Rockies
1 of 10
His flaw: A changeup
2017 NL ROY position: 5th
German Marquez was an impactful part of the Colorado Rockies' pitching renaissance in 2017 and a significant reason the Rocks claimed the National League's second wild-card position.
The 23-year-old posted a 4.39 ERA, a solid mark considering he played his home games at Coors Field, and finished fifth in NL ROY voting.
Marquez's curveball was his preferred off-speed offering last season. He's come into spring committed to developing his changeup.
As MLB.com's Thomas Harding noted, Marquez employed the changeup only 18 times last season but surrendered no hits, according to Statcast data.
"He's still got to get to the point where he's comfortable with it, where he can count on it," manager Bud Black said, per Nick Groke of the Denver Post. "Where it becomes a true pitch."
Matt Olson, 1B, Oakland Athletics
2 of 10
His flaw: Platoon splits
2017 AL ROY position: T4th
Matt Olson burst onto the scene in a 59-game look with the Oakland Athletics, crushing 24 home runs during that brief audition. Talk about opening eyes in the East Bay.
The 23-year-old had extreme platoon splits, however. He posted a 1.081 OPS and hit 20 of his homers against right-handers. Against lefties, those numbers fell to four homers and a .758 OPS.
If Olson wants to establish himself among the game's elite power hitters and become the A's everyday first baseman, he'll need to improve his numbers against southpaws.
Rhys Hoskins, LF, Philadelphia Phillies
3 of 10
His flaw: Defense
2017 NL ROY position: 4th
Rhys Hoskins can rake. He proved that with 18 home runs and a 1.014 OPS in 50 games for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Now, after the Phils signed veteran first baseman Carlos Santana this winter, Hoskins needs to prove he can play a capable left field.
He posted minus-one defensive runs saved in left in 2017 with a 0.1 ultimate zone rating. That's not disastrous if you can hit 40-plus dingers, but it's an area of concern for the 24-year-old.
"My defense is something that I really try to pride myself on," Hoskins said, per Oliver Macklin of MLB.com. "I've improved a whole lot from the time I got to pro ball to now and that has a lot to do with the consistent work that goes on before games and in the offseason."
.png?w=256)
Yuli Gurriel, 1B, Houston Astros
4 of 10
His flaw: Maturity
2017 AL ROY position: T4th
Last fall, on baseball's biggest stage, Yuli Gurriel made a very poor decision.
His offensive gesture against then-Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish during Game 3 of the World Series was captured by cameras and broadcast globally. It cast the Houston Astros first baseman as a villain and overshadowed a season in which he hit .299 with 18 home runs.
It was especially galling considering the former Cuban star is 33 years old, hardly a young pup. He should know better.
MLB suspended him for five games but punted the suspension to the start of the 2018 season. The 'Stros went on to win the title, and Gurriel got to bathe in champagne. Now comes the reckoning.
"It would creep up, and I would think about it often," Gurriel said, per Bleacher Report's Scott Miller. "Coming from winning the World Series, it was great, but [the gesture] wasn't me and didn't reflect who I was."
He has the 2018 season—minus five contests—to prove it.
Josh Bell, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates
5 of 10
His flaw: Consistency
2017 NL ROY position: 3rd
Josh Bell hit 26 home runs with 90 RBI in 2017 and finished third in NL ROY voting. The 25-year-old is primed to lead a rebuilding Pittsburgh Pirates squad.
Bell started slow, however, hitting .214 in his first 20 games, and he hit .221 over his final 27 contests.
This season, he's seeking consistency.
"You always want to finish the season strong and go into the offseason with a good feeling," Bell said, per John Perrotto of the Associated Press (h/t the Bradenton Herald). "I was very disappointed with the way last season ended. I don't want that to happen again this year."
Trey Mancini, OF/DH, Baltimore Orioles
6 of 10
His flaw: Defense
2017 AL ROY position: 3rd
To his credit, Trey Mancini made strides as an outfielder in 2017.
Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter initially doubted the 25-year-old's capabilities in left field.
"He proved me wrong," Showalter said, per Rich Dubroff of PressboxOnline.com. "I didn't think he could be the fielder he was last season."
That said, Mancini posted minus-one defensive runs saved and a minus-3.9 ultimate zone rating. He also hit 24 home runs with an .826 OPS.
The O's want to play him every day. With Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo figuring to get the bulk of the action at first base and designated hitter, defensive strides by Mancini in left would be a welcome development.
Paul DeJong, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
7 of 10
His flaw: Too many strikeouts, not enough walks
2017 NL ROY position: 2nd
Paul DeJong enjoyed an unmitigated breakout for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. The 24-year-old hit .285 with 25 homers while looking the part defensively at shortstop.
If there's a weakness in his game, it's his aversion to walks and propensity for strikeouts. He drew 21 free passes in 443 plate appearances while whiffing 124 times.
Striking out 28 percent of the time while walking less than 5 percent of the time isn't ideal. Fortunately, DeJong excelled enough in other areas for the Cards to show him ample patience and believe in him as a middle infield fixture.
Andrew Benintendi, LF, Boston Red Sox
8 of 10
His flaw: Consistency
2017 AL ROY position: 2nd
If not for Aaron Judge's monster season, Boston Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi would likely have been the American League Rookie of the Year in 2017.
The 23-year-old hit .271 with 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 90 RBI. He endured some lasting cold spells, however, having slashed .204/.296/.306 in May and .238/.310/.362 in September.
"I think I'm a better hitter than what I showed last year," Benintendi said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. "There were too many slumps. More valleys than peaks, it seemed like—just being inconsistent. I feel like every other month, it was a bad month. [I'm] just trying to even that up, and I think I'm going to be a lot better hitter overall."
Cody Bellinger, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
9 of 10
His flaw: Strikeouts
2017 NL ROY position: 1st
Strikeouts don't carry the stigma they once did. In this big-swinging, home-run-happy MLB era, we understand it's OK to K a lot if you also get on base and send the ball careening into the stratosphere.
So it's no surprise Cody Bellinger won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished ninth in MVP voting despite striking out 146 times in 132 games. The 22-year-old hit 39 home runs with a .933 OPS, after all.
He also whiffed three times in Game 7 of the World Series as his Dodgers went down in defeat.
He's added muscle in the offseason and is hungry for a title, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times. A plate-discipline improvement is on the table—and a scary thought for opposing pitchers.
Aaron Judge, RF, New York Yankees
10 of 10
His flaw: Strikeouts
2017 AL ROY position: 1st
Broken record alert: The 2017 AL Rookie of the Year flexed eye-popping power with a lot of strikeouts.
Aaron Judge swatted 52 home runs for the New York Yankees and finished second in AL MVP balloting. He also paced MLB with 208 whiffs.
In 2016, Judge struck out 42 times in 27 big league games. It's a weakness everyone will look to exploit as the 25-year-old enters his second full season at the highest level.
Hitting in the vicinity of his doppelganger, Giancarlo Stanton—who smacked 59 homers for the Miami Marlins—should afford Judge more pitches to hit. If he tallies 50-plus homers, his strikeout total won't make headlines.
Striking out less frequently is always a good plan, however, and would propel Judge from very good to unimpeachably great.
All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
.png?w=480)
