Ranking MLB's Best Rookie Seasons of All Time

Nothing captivates the baseball world like a rookie who takes the league by storm.

While uber-prospects Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr. and Eloy Jimenez dominated the headlines all spring, guys like Pete Alonso, Chris Paddack and Brandon Lowe have enjoyed the most early success among the 2019 rookie class.

Will anyone from this year's crop turn in a campaign for the ages?

It's possible, but let's take a look at what they're up against if they hope to earn a place among the greatest rookie seasons in MLB history.

Ahead we've ranked the 15 best rookie campaigns since 1947, a year that marked two major milestones for Major League Baseball—Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier and the Rookie of the Year award being handed out for the first time.

Integration brought an influx of talent that made the league as a whole more competitive, while the introduction of an award for the top rookies shined more light on the accomplishments of first-year players.

Don't worry, the standout debut seasons turned in before 1947 received their due as well with an All-Rookie Team compiled from that crowd, which is listed alongside 10 honorable mentions for the main list.

The rankings are based on a combination of statistical production, impact on the team, impact on the league as a whole and a healthy dose of subjectivity.

With all of that clarified, let's dive in.

Honorable Mentions

Associated Press

Ted Williams

Next 10

• 1B Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox (2014)
• 1B/OF Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers (2017)
• RP Mark Eichhorn, Toronto Blue Jays (1986)
• SP Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins (2013)
• C Carlton Fisk, Boston Red Sox (1972)
• SS Nomar Garciaparra, Boston Red Sox (1997)
• OF Frank Robinson, Cincinnati Reds (1956)
• 3B Al Rosen, Cleveland Indians (1950)
• SP Herb Score, Cleveland Indians (1955)
• SP Kerry Wood, Chicago Cubs (1998)

Pre-1947 All-Rookie Team

• C Rudy York, Detroit Tigers (1937)
• 1B Hal Trosky, Cleveland Indians (1934)
• 2B Duke Kenworthy, Kansas City Packers (1914)
• 3B Jimmy Williams, Pittsburgh Pirates (1899)
• SS Charlie Hollocher, Chicago Cubs (1918)
• OF Shoeless Joe Jackson, Cleveland Naps (1911)
• OF Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox (1939)
• OF Benny Kauff, Indianapolis Hoosiers (1914)
• SP Vean Gregg, Cleveland Naps (1911)
• SP Russ Ford, New York Yankees (1910)
• SP Pete Alexander, Philadelphia Phillies (1911)
• SP Christy Mathewson, New York Giants (1901)
• SP Ed Reulbach, Chicago Cubs (1905)
• RP Joe Berry, Philadelphia Athletics (1944)

15. 1B Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers (1947)

DG/Associated Press

Stats: 151 G, .297/.383/.427, 175 H, 48 XBH (12 HR), 48 RBI, 125 R, 29 SB

OPS+: 112

WAR: 3.1

No list of the best rookies in MLB history would be complete without perhaps the most important single season in baseball's annals.

The daily pressure Jackie Robinson faced while breaking the color barrier and the fact that he still posted standout numbers speaks volumes of not only his talent but also his character and resolve.

He led the NL in steals (29) and the high-powered Dodgers offense in runs scored (125), finishing fifth in NL MVP voting in the process.

His performance inspired the inception of the annual Rookie of the Year award, which is now aptly named the "Jackie Robinson Award" and given out to the best rookie in each league.

14. SP Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers (1981)

SPX/Diamond Images/Getty Images

Stats: 25 GS, 13-7, 2.48 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 61 BB, 180 K, 192.1 IP

ERA+: 135

WAR: 4.8

Fernando Valenzuela burst onto the scene for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the strike-shortened 1981 season.

The 20-year-old took home the Rookie of the Year award, and he's still the only rookie to ever win Cy Young honors, as he led the NL in complete games (11), shutouts (8), strikeouts (180) and innings pitched (192.1).

Over his first eight starts of the season, he tossed eight complete games and five shutouts, going 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 0.83 WHIP.

That performance inspired Fernandomania—not only in Los Angeles but throughout baseball.

"Everybody thought this was going to be the greatest pitcher the game had ever seen," MLB historian John Thorn told Alyson Footer of MLB.com.

The Dodgers went on to win the World Series that year. Valenzuela went 3-1 with a 2.21 ERA in 40.2 innings during the postseason, including a complete-game victory in Game 3 of the Fall Classic.

13. RF Tony Oliva, Minnesota Twins (1964)

Uncredited/Associated Press

Stats: 161 G, .323/.359/.557, 217 H, 84 XBH (32 HR), 94 RBI, 109 R, 12 SB

OPS+: 150

WAR: 6.8

Tony Oliva might have as strong a case as anyone on the outside looking in for enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

An eight-time All-Star who won three batting titles and led the American League in hits five times, he retired with a .304/.353/.476 batting line and a 131 OPS+.

He was a star from the start, leading the AL in batting average (.323), hits (217), doubles (43), runs scored (109) and total bases (374) in 1964 to win Rookie of the Year and finish fourth in MVP voting.

He's one of just three rookies since 1900 to win a batting title, joining Benny Kauff (.370, 1914) and Ichiro Suzuki (.350, 2001).

12. SP Hideo Nomo, Los Angeles Dodgers (1995)

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Stats: 28 GS, 13-6, 2.54 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 78 BB, 236 K, 191.1 IP

ERA+: 149

WAR: 4.7

Hideo Nomo was not the first Japanese-born player to play Major League Baseball. That honor belongs to Masanori Murakami, who debuted with the San Francisco Giants in 1964.

It would be another 31 years before Nomo became the second, and his immediate success helped pave the way for the steady influx of Japanese talent we see in the majors today.

The 26-year-old put up dominant strikeout numbers in five seasons with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan, and his swing-and-miss stuff translated to Major League Baseball.

With a good fastball and a devastating splitter, Nomo led the NL in strikeouts (236) and K/9 (11.1) as a rookie. He started the All-Star Game and finished fourth in Cy Young balloting while taking home Rookie of the Year honors.

He played 12 MLB seasons, and his 1,918 career strikeouts crack the top 100 all-time.

11. DH/SP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (2018)

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

Stats: 104 G, .285/.361/.564, 93 H, 45 XBH (22 HR), 61 RBI, 59 R, 10 SB

OPS+: 150

Stats: 10 GS, 4-2, 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 22 BB, 63 K, 51.2 IP

ERA+: 129

WAR: 3.9

Contrary to what any New York Yankees fans within earshot would have led you to believe, Miguel Andujar did not deserve 2018 AL Rookie of the Year honors. Neither did Gleyber Torres.

In fact, the voting should have been unanimous.

What Shohei Ohtani did during his rookie season was historic. It could pave the way for a new era of two-way players across baseball.

While an arm injury limited him to 10 starts on the mound and wound up requiring Tommy John surgery, he was as advertised on the hill in limited action, showing front-line potential and overpowering stuff.

At the plate, he was even better than expected, slugging 22 home runs while posting a 150 OPS+. In fact, he was productive enough that the Angels put off his Tommy John surgery to keep him in the lineup as the primary DH.

Here's hoping he can stay healthy enough to fully showcase his rare talents.

10. C Mike Piazza, Los Angeles Dodgers (1993)

Holy Stein/Associated Press

Stats: 149 G, .318/.370/.561, 174 H, 61 XBH (35 HR), 112 RBI, 81 R, 3 SB

OPS+: 153

WAR: 7.0

Not since Rudy York hit .307/.375/.651 with 35 home runs and 101 RBI for the Detroit Tigers in 1937 had a catcher made the type of immediate offensive impact that Mike Piazza did with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993.

While most future Hall of Famers begin their pro career with some level of notoriety, Piazza was famously selected in the 62nd round of the 1988 draft as a favor by manager Tommy Lasorda to childhood friend Vince Piazza—Mike's father.

In 1992, he made his MLB debut as a September call-up, and the following season he took over as the starting catcher.

He immediately emerged as an NL MVP candidate and one of the best offensive players in baseball as a rookie, and he would star as one of the faces of the sport throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s.

9. 1B Mark McGwire, Oakland Athletics (1987)

MB/Associated Press

Stats: 151 G, .289/.370/.618, 161 H, 81 XBH (49 HR), 118 RBI, 97 R, 1 SB

OPS+: 164

WAR: 5.1

For 30 years, Mark McGwire held the rookie record for home runs with the 49 he hit for the Oakland Athletics in 1987, a mark that still ranks second to the 52 Aaron Judge hit in 2017.

The gaudy total McGwire produced was made even more impressive by the fact that he started off slowly, hitting just four homers during April.

He eventually caught fire, though, and he closed out his rookie campaign with a .351/.419/.694 line and nine home runs in September and early October.

McGwire wrapped up his rookie campaign as the MLB leader in home runs (49) and slugging percentage (.618), immediately asserting himself as one of baseball's most feared sluggers.

8. 1B/3B/OF Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals (2001)

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Stats: 161 G, .329/.403/.610, 194 H, 88 XBH (37 HR), 130 RBI, 112 R, 1 SB

OPS+: 157

WAR: 6.6

Another late-round pick, Albert Pujols was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Maple Woods Community College in the 13th round of the 1999 draft. A whopping 401 players were chosen that year before Pujols.

He's had a better career than all of them.

If not for a Bobby Bonilla pulled hamstring near the end of spring training, Pujols likely would have been sent to the minors to start the 2001 season. After all, he was just 21 years old and had yet to play above High-A, aside from a brief three-game stint at Triple-A.

However, a fantastic spring and the sudden lineup opening paved the way.

His .329-batting average, 37-home run, 130-RBI rookie season was the first of 10 straight years he posted at least a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBI, a span that saw him win three MVP awards. He'll go down as one of the greatest right-handed hitters to ever play.

7. 3B Dick Allen, Philadelphia Phillies (1964)

Associated Press

Stats: 162 G, .318/.382/.557, 201 H, 80 XBH (29 HR), 91 RBI, 125 R, 3 SB

OPS+: 162

WAR: 8.8

How good was Dick Allen compared to the rest of the league when he debuted in 1964?

Among all rookie position players in MLB history, his 8.8 WAR trails only Mike Trout's 10.5 in 2012 and Shoeless Joe Jackson's 9.2 in 1911.

The slugging third baseman led the NL in total bases (352) and runs scored (125) while also pacing the league in strikeouts (138). However, he more than made up for it with a 9.5 percent walk rate and a .382 on-base percentage, not to mention a .318 batting average that was good for fifth in the Senior Circuit.

Along with Tony Oliva, he ranks near the top of the list of deserving players on the outside looking in for a spot in Cooperstown.

6. SP Mark Fidrych, Detroit Tigers (1976)

Richard Sheinwald/Associated Press

Stats: 31 G, 29 GS, 19-9, 2.34 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 53 BB, 97 K, 250.1 IP

ERA+: 159

WAR: 9.6

Mark Fidrych was more than just a standout pitcher during the 1976 season. He was an event.

Look at the Detroit Tigers' home attendance numbers from that season:

• Fidrych starts: 18 G, 33,649 average attendance
• Non-Fidrych starts: 62 G, 13,843 average attendance

That staggering difference can be directly tied to how entertaining Fidrych was. If you've never seen him pitch, watch this video from MLB Network. He brought a new level of quirkiness to the mound, but he was also extremely effective.

The 21-year-old led the AL in ERA (2.34) and ERA+ (159) and started the All-Star Game while completing 24 of his 29 starts.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career, and he pitched just 162 innings the next four years. 1980 marked his final major league campaign.

He'll forever be remembered for that one magical season when he captivated the baseball world.

5. CF Fred Lynn, Boston Red Sox (1975)

Focus On Sport/Getty Images

Stats: 145 G, .331/.401/.566, 175 H, 75 XBH (21 HR), 105 RBI, 103 R, 10 SB

OPS+: 162

WAR: 7.4

Fred Lynn was the first rookie in MLB history to win his league's MVP award.

The Boston Red Sox saw an 11-win improvement upon his full-season debut in 1975, and they reached the World Series in one of the most memorable postseasons in MLB history.

During the regular season, Lynn led the Red Sox in batting average (.331), hits (175), RBI (105) and WAR (7.4), while he led the entire American League in slugging (.566), OPS (.967), doubles (47) and runs scored (103).

Aside from his impressive offensive production, he was also a standout defender in center field, winning the first of four Gold Glove Awards during his rookie campaign.

4. SP Dwight Gooden, New York Mets (1984)

Rich Pilling/Getty Images

Stats: 31 GS, 17-9, 2.60 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 73 BB, 276 K, 218.0 IP

ERA+: 137

WAR: 5.5

Dwight Gooden was borderline unhittable as a 19-year-old rookie in 1984.

The precocious right-hander had an electric fastball and a lethal curveball, which are displayed perfectly in this tweet from Rob Friedman.

He used those pitches to the lead the majors in WHIP (1.10), strikeouts (276), K/9 (11.4) and opponents' batting average (.202).

The most impressive number of all from his rookie season was his 1.69 FIP.

That not only led all of baseball but stands as the 14th-best single-season mark in MLB history and trails only Pedro Martinez's 1.40 from 1999 among seasons since 1910.

He was simply on another level right out of the gates.

3. RF Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners (2001)

DAN LEVINE/Getty Images

Stats: 157 G, .350/.381/.457, 242 H, 50 XBH (8 HR), 69 RBI, 127 R, 56 SB

OPS+: 126

WAR: 7.7

Yes, Ichiro Suzuki was already 27 years old when he joined the Seattle Mariners.

Yes, he had already racked up 1,278 professional hits while batting .353 in nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave.

Still, plenty of players have taken star turns overseas before falling flat stateside, and his prior experience takes nothing away from his historic 2001 debut.

Ichiro won the AL batting title (.350) and led the league in hits (242) and steals (56) while playing for a 116-win club.

He joined Fred Lynn as the only other rookie to ever win MVP honors and added a Silver Slugger, Gold Glove and an All-Star Game start to his budding resume.

His rookie season was the first of 10 straight where he batted at least .300 and tallied at least 200 hits.

2. RF Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (2017)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Stats: 155 G, .284/.422/.627, 154 H, 79 XBH (52 HR), 114 RBI, 128 R, 9 SB

OPS+: 171

WAR: 8.1

Will anyone ever chase down the No. 1 guy on this list?

So far, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has come the closest with his 52-homer onslaught during the 2017 season.

Sure, he led the AL with a staggering 208 strikeouts, but he was also tops in walks (127) and second in on-base percentage (.422) en route to a terrific 1.049 OPS and 171 OPS+, so the swing-and-miss in his game didn't take anything away from his bottom line.

While his offensive contributions drove his value, Judge was also a standout defender in right field, as he moved well for a 6'7", 282-pound giant and posted excellent defensive metrics (9 DRS, 7.1 UZR/150).

The question becomes whether Judge will ever match his rookie year.

1. CF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (2012)

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Stats: 139 G, .326/.399/.564, 182 H, 65 XBH (30 HR), 83 RBI, 129 R, 49 SB

OPS+: 168

WAR: 10.5

It's easy to forget that Mike Trout was anything but a star in his first taste of MLB action.

He made his debut on July 8, 2011, and hit an uninspiring .220/.281/.390 with five home runs and four steals in 40 games.

Luckily, the Los Angeles Angels were smart enough to limit him to 123 at-bats, since 130 is the cutoff to maintain rookie eligibility for the following season.

Ranked No. 3 on Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list at the start of the 2012 season behind Bryce Harper and Matt Moore, he wasted little time becoming the most dynamic all-around player in baseball.

Will we ever see another 10-WAR season from a rookie?

Never say never, but for now, the No. 1 spot clearly belongs to Trout.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.