The Biggest Emerging MLB Star at Every Position Entering 2020
They'll only have 60 games to do so, but the 2020 Major League Baseball season will nonetheless be a chance for up-and-coming stars to add to their resumes.
We thought we'd give these guys their due credit by highlighting the best emerging star at each position.
This involved picking one player for each spot on the infield and in the outfield, plus one right-handed starter, one left-handed starter, one setup man and one closer. We didn't count designated hitter, because the pickings were too slim after reigning American League Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez.
Speaking of, we disqualified players who have already won a major awardโincluding a Gold Glove or a Silver Sluggerโor made an All-Star team.ย We also limited ourselves to players who have no more than three major league seasons under their belts.
Ultimately, we came up with a list of players who've already shown potential yet who likely haven't peaked yet.
Catcher: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers
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After Yasmani Grandal left for the Milwaukee Brewers via free agency, the Los Angeles Dodgers began last season with Austin Barnes and Russell Martin splitting time behind the plate.
But on May 28, along came Will Smith. The rookie started 45 times the rest of the way, and the Dodgers went 35-19 in the 54 total games in which he appeared.
This isn't too surprising given the specifics of the 25-year-old's performance. He racked up a stout .907 OPS and cranked 15 home runs. He also earned his keep defensively with respectable framing numbers.
Granted, the offensive numbers that Smith posted last year were seemingly influenced by good luck. It's some comfort, however, that he didn't skate by on a platoon advantage. The right-handed swinger saw the bulk of his action and did the bulk of his damage (i.e., a 1.019 OPS) against right-handed pitching.
If he can avoid a sophomore slump, Smith should further cement himself as a two-way catching star in 2020.
Honorable Mention: Sean Murphy, Oakland Athletics
First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
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Making a choice for this spot was shaping up to be a conundrum, but then the Toronto Blue Jays announced some surprising news last Friday:ย Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is moving from third base to first base.ย
"I feel very good about it," Guerrero told reporters. "I did what I could. I feel good, and I'm ready. I'm ready for the season to start and to help my team win. I'm good. My body feels great."
Though Guerrero is only 21, the Blue Jays aren't necessarily wrong to be aggressive about downgrading his defensive position. He's never been seen as much of a defensive talent, and his minus-16 outs above average in 2019 were by far the worst among third basemen.
What Guerrero can do, though, is hit. He had a .945 OPS in the minors, and he even had an 83-game stretch last year in which he hit .296 with an .882 OPS.
In theory, Guerrero's move to a less intense defensive position will allow him to focus more on hitting. If so, his big break awaits him in 2020.
Honorable Mention: Mike Ford, New York Yankees
Second Base: Keston Hiura, Milwaukee Brewers
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From Cavan Biggio to Luis Arraez to Gavin Lux, some exciting talent popped up at second base throughout last season.
But for our proverbial money, those three guys need to catch up to Keston Hiura.
The 23-year-old had to wait until May 14 to make his debut with the Brewers last year. Though his performance didn't warrant it, he was sent back to the minors just a few weeks later.
Nevertheless, Hiura ultimately played in 84 games with Milwaukee and made an impression by hitting .303 with a .938 OPS and 19 home runs. Notably, his .570 slugging percentage set a record for rookie second basemen.
On the other side of the ball, Hiura struggled in posting minus-seven outs above average. But the Brewers can live with below-average defense on his part as long as he keeps the offense coming. To that end, it stands out that last year's results were backed by a hard-hit rate in the 97th percentile.
Honorable Mention: Cavan Biggio, Toronto Blue Jays
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Third Base: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
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We want Yoan Moncada to know that we indeed see him after his underrated breakout in 2019, but he got DQ'd because he's been in the majors for four seasons.
It might seem like Rafael Devers has been around for just as long, but he hasn't even reached the three-year anniversary of his debut with the Boston Red Sox. It's also only recently that he's put himself on a path to superstardom.
Though he missed out on an All-Star nod and a Silver Slugger, the 23-year-old found a whole new offensive gear in 2019 en route to a .916 OPS, 32 home runs and a league-high 359 total bases. His primary trick was racking up more hard-hit balls than anyone else.
Not to be overlooked is the good work that Devers also did on defense. His seven outs above average trailed only super-defender Matt Chapman among American League third basemen.
As long as whatever clicked for Devers last year stays clicked, he'll further entrench himself among baseball's shiniest stars in 2020.
Honorable Mention: Yandy Diaz, Tampa Bay Rays
Shortstop: Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
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What if Fernando Tatis Jr. was the best rookie shortstop of all time in 2019?
To be sure, he didn't win the National League Rookie of the Year or even make the All-Star team. And where all-time rookie shortstops are concerned, he didn't amass as many wins above replacement as Troy Tulowitzki in 2007 (6.8) or Nomar Garciaparra in 1997 (6.6).
Tatis only played in 84 games, however, and the 4.1 WAR that he compiled happens to be the most WAR ever by a rookie in 84 or fewer games, at shortstop or any other position.
This mostly traces back to what Tatis, 21, did for the San Diego Padres offensively. He hit .317 with a .969 OPS, 22 home runs and 16 stolen bases, which are easily elite numbers for a shortstop.
Like with Smith, there's a potential good luck component here that can't be ignored. Further, Tatis' minus-13 outs above averageย from 2019 suggests that he has a lot of developing to do on defense. But as a raw talent, he surely offers lots to like.
Honorable Mention: Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays
Left Field: Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
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It feels like cheating to include Juan Sotoโa World Series champion and seemingly everyone's favorite player right nowโin this discussion.
Yet he somehow hasn't made an All-Star squad or won any major awards yet. What's more, he almost certainly hasn't realized the best version of himself.
As it is, the 21-year-old has played in 266 regular-season games for the Washington Nationals and put up a .287/.403/.535 batting line with 56 home runs. Such numbers (specifically his OBP and OPS+) put him in exceptionally rare company among all-time hitters through their age-20 seasons.
Though it's a safe assumption that Soto has even greater offensive feats in his future, he's not to be written off as a bat-only star. He stole 12 bases in 13 tries last season, and he even tied for the MLB lead among left fielders with six outs above average.
There's no All-Star Game for Soto to make this year. But if he builds on what he's already accomplished, he may emerge as a leading candidate for the National League MVP.
Honorable Mention: Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox
Center Field: Ramon Laureano, Oakland Athletics
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Ramon Laureano wasn't a name-brand prospect when he broke through with the Oakland Athletics in 2018, yet he quickly became a local fan favorite with his play on offense and defense.
Because he did it all over again in 2019, anyone who's still overlooking Laureano is missing out.
After posting an .832 OPS with five homers in 48 games in '18, the 25-year-old doubled down in '19 with an .860 OPS and 24 home runs. By OPS+, he's been the best offensive center fielder outside of only Mike Trout and George Springer over the last two seasons.
Laureano is also 20-for-23 stealing bases in his two years with the A's, and his throws from the outfield have quickly become the stuff of legend. And while last year's minus-seven outs above average point to issues with his route efficiency, it's solid consolation that he gets good jumps on the ball.
With skills like these, Laureano should have All-Star nods and Gold Gloves in his future.
Honorable Mention: Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox
Right Field: Alex Verdugo, Boston Red Sox
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We were set to hand this spot to Max Kepler after his breakthrough in 2019, but then we remembered that the Minnesota Twins' German-born star has already been in the majors for five seasons.
Instead, the honor goes to the man most directly responsible for dignifying Boston's trade of Mookie Betts: Alex Verdugo.
Though Verdugo debuted with the Dodgers in 2017, it wasn't until last year that he saw heavy action and lived up to the hype that accompanied him as a prospect. He played in 106 games and hit .294 with an .817 OPS, and he also alerted baserunners to beware his strong throwing arm.
On one less positive note, Verdugo missed time last year with back issues that were still bothering him at the outset of 2020. And despite the .843 OPS that he posted against left-handed pitching in 2019, he has more work to do to dispel notions that he's a platoon hitter.
But when it comes down to it, Verdugo is a young and talented player who's coming off an apparent springboard season. A true breakout might await him in 2020.
Honorable Mention: Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants
Right-Handed Starter: Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals
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Jack Flaherty didn't make a good first impression upon his debut for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. Since then, however, it's been all uphill for the 24-year-old.
In 2018, Flaherty made 28 starts and pitched to a sturdy 3.34 ERA and 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. The latter stands as the fourth-highest mark ever for a rookie starter who logged at least 150 innings.
Flaherty initially struggled to recapture the magic of his rookie campaign in 2019, but not for long. Starting on July 7, he made 16 starts down the stretch and posted a 0.93 ERA with 130 strikeouts and only 24 walks in 106.1 innings.
All told, Flaherty led the National League in WHIP and hits per nine innings. Though he never had a real shot at either, his excellent half-season earned him votes for both the NL MVP and Cy Young Award.
If he can pick up where he left off, he could win at least one of those in 2020.
Honorable Mention: Chris Paddack, San Diego Padres
Left-Handed Starter: Jesus Luzardo, Oakland Athletics
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We've avoided going all-in on prospects to this point, but we've reached a spot where options are few and a specific rookie is simply too exciting to ignore.
Jesus Luzardo, come on down.
To be sure, the first thing that Oakland's 22-year-old lefty must do right now is recover from the coronavirus. Though he's rearing to go, Luzardo has to test negative twice before he can return to summer camp.
Assuming that happens and his recovery is of the full variety, Luzardo will look to build on a track record that's loaded with dominance. He pitched to a 2.53 ERA and 5.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the minors and then posted a 1.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 12 innings out of Oakland's pen in 2019.
With a fastball that touches 100 mph and sharp control of that and a slider, curveball and changeup that all at least flash plus, Luzardo may begin 2020 as the front-runner for the AL Rookie of the Year.
Honorable Mention: Max Fried, Atlanta Braves
Setup Man: Emilio Pagan, San Diego Padres
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Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2013, Emilio Pagan didn't break through until 2017. He was good but not great both that year and in 2018 with the A's.
After he landed with the Tampa Bay Rays via a three-team trade, last year was a different story.
Pagan, 29, appeared in 66 games, and even his 2.31 ERA doesn't do him proper justice. Mainly with the help of a devilish fastball/cutterย combination, he led all qualified pitchers with a .221 xwOBA.
That's a Statcast metric that measures expected production based on strikeouts, walks and contact quality. When looking at Pagan's 7.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and better-than-average hard-hit rate from 2019, it becomes believable that he deserved even better results than he ended up with.
Now with the San Diego Padres, Pagan is slated to set things up for All-Star closer Kirby Yatesโwho, by the way, ranked second to him in xwOBA last season.
Honorable Mention: Amir Garrett, Cincinnati Reds
Closer: Nick Anderson, Tampa Bay Rays
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Nick Anderson wasn't on many radars when he debuted with the Miami Marlins in March 2019, but he steadily developed a cult following with his high strikeout totals.
For some reason, the Marlins traded him to the Rays last July. Once there, his already-impressive rookie season became something else entirely.
Anderson, 30, faced 78 batters as a member of the Rays down the stretch of 2019. He whiffed 41 of them while issuing only two walks and 12 hits.
It helped that Anderson gained extra velocity on his fastball (from 95.9 to 96.5 mph) and his curveball (82.8 to 84.0 mph) after going to Tampa Bay. He also masked the two pitches well, forcing hitters into an impossible task of differentiating them before it was too late.
At least at the outset of 2020, Anderson figures to be part of a closer-by-committee approach in Tampa Bay. But with any more of what he gave the club in the final two months of 2019, he could seize the job for himself.
Honorable Mention: Giovanny Gallegos, St. Louis Cardinals
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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