The goal of our Rookie Power Rankings is to try to predict who will be the Rookie of the Year award winners in both leagues at the end of the season. What the players have done so far has a very important weight, but with half a season to play, there are still a lot of projections in this year, so there is a lot that can change in recent months.
So here is our latest edition of the Rookie Power Rankings:
1. Trevor Rogers, LZ, Marlins
The king is still the king. This is the fourth time in a row that Rogers is at the top of our ranking and it will not be easy to get him down from there. After all, the Miami southpaw was the only rookie to pitch in the All-Star Game for a reason. He leads qualified rookies with 2.31 ERA, 122 strikeouts and 100.1 innings in the first half. His fWAR of 3.1 is also the best among all rookies, hitters or pitchers.
2. Adolis Garcia, OF, Rangers
Cuban Garcia is the other All-Star at the top of these Rookie Power Rankings. Garcia leads all rookies with 22 home runs, eight more than Ryan Mountcastle, and also sits in front of the hitting (84), bases reached (164), RBIs (62) and fWAR (2.2) departments among rookies. in addition to being first with a .527 slugging, .840 OPS and 127 wRC +.
3. Casey Mize, RHP, Tigers
The Tigers right-hander has pitched just five innings in two starts since our last ranking as the team is limiting his workload to take care of his arm. Mize has not allowed more than three earned runs in a game since April 23, a stretch of 13 straight starts. In that span, his ERA improved from 5.23 to his current 3.59. His 95.1 innings are the third-most among rookies, and his 1.14 WHIP is the second-best among qualified rookies.
4. Luis Garcia, RHP, Astros
Consistency will earn you points in this edition of the PRN, and that also applies to the Venezuelan starter from Houston. Garcia had a minor setback on June 30, when he allowed four earned runs – the most this season – in 4.0 innings against the Orioles, but bounced back in great shape with seven strikeouts in just over five single-run innings last year. Wednesday against the Athletics. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 3.06 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 97 strikeouts in 85.1 acts, and his 1.7 fWAR is the third-best among rookie pitchers.
5. Randy Arozarena, OF, Rays
The Cuban has been characterized by hitting the ball very hard. His maximum exit velocity of 112.6 is in the 87% of major leaguers, and his hard hitting rate of 42.5% (balls connected with a muzzle velocity of at least 95 mph) also ranks at a solid 57%. But the Rays patrolman just doesn’t get the ball high enough; his 49.1% ground ball rate is the 24th highest in the majors. That has earned him a .251 / .333 / .400 batting line and 10 home runs in 82 games – far from the big numbers he posted last postseason. However, his offensive profile is still above average (107 from wRC +), and Arozarena earns additional points for exhibiting stellar left-field defense and being a good baserunner with 11 scams.
6. Ian Anderson, RHP, Braves
Let’s consider this position temporary for now. Anderson walked five and gave up four runs and six hits in just 2.1 innings against the Marlins on Sunday and told reporters after the game that he planned to undergo tests on his pitching shoulder during the All-Star break. due to stiffness. Manager Brian Snitker added that the disabled list is a possibility, a decision that would be made to give Anderson a break in his first full season at the Big Top. If that’s the only concern, expect Anderson to move up in the next rankings. He currently has a 3.56 ERA, 98 strikeouts and 1.9 fWAR in 18 starts (96 innings) – numbers that place him as the second-best candidate for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
7. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pirates
Previous rank: 6
The Pirates third baseman dealt with wrist problems that limited him to just 37 games in the first half. He began playing steadily in early June and has shown glimpses of the talent that made him a Rookie of the Year nominee last season. Hayes starts the second half with averages of .262 / .349 / .438 with four home runs.
8. Jonathan India, 2B, Reds
Previous ranking: No ranking
A premiere! India got here thanks to her work at the plate. His .275 average and .397 on-base percentage lead all qualified rookies. He’s also at the top among first-year players with 41 walks. Only 20 of his 71 hits have been extra-base hits and he’s slugging .407, but his patience at the plate is enough to hit a 123 wRC +.
9. Emmanuel Class, RHP, Indians
Week 11 ranking: 8
The Dominican closer for the Indians ended the first half with a bad taste in his mouth, missing two saves, on Monday and Friday of last week. That caused his ERA to increase from 1.01 to 1.72. It is still good. In fact, while the Class numbers aren’t up to the mark of Devin Williams in 2020, they’re pretty close. The 23-year-old right-hander has struck out 41 opponents in 36.2 innings. He has 11 saves, being the only rookie with more than three.
10. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B / SS, Marlins
Previous ranking: No ranking
The Marlins infielder finished the first half in style, going 1-for-30 (.300) with two homers and a double in his last seven games. His OPS increased 12 points in that period, to .764; its highest level since June. When healthy, the left-hander can become the player with the best combination of power and speed in his rookie class, being the only player with double digits in home runs (11) and steals (11), alongside Cuban Randy Arozarena. .
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