Welcome to the second edition of the 2023 Rookie Power Rankings. Once a month, the MLB Pipeline staff votes on who we believe are the most likely candidates to win the Rookie of the Year Award at the end of the season.
Make sure you read that last sentence right: At the end of the season. We are not voting for who would win if the award is given now. Instead, we take into account current performance and expectations for the remainder of the year, along with a conscientious judgment of our potential experts. As the campaign progresses, updated statistics will take on more and more importance, and expectations will come second in the rankings.
To no one’s surprise, there has been a fair bit of shake-up since the pre-season rankings – let’s take a look at how the voting fared:
1. Corbin Carroll, OF, D-BEX (Previous Place: 3)
We’ll keep an eye on the health of Carroll, who picked up a foot injury in Sunday’s match, but so far the youngster has lived up to expectations. He made himself known before the eyes of scouts in the minor leagues with the woodwork. He did the same thing last year in his Major League debut. And this campaign has not been an exception. Carroll’s odds of taking home the NL Rookie of the Year trophy increased slightly – unfortunately, it should be noted – thanks to Jordan Walker being sent down to the minors. Walker was ranked No. 2 in the pre-season rankings, just a hair above Carroll.
2. Gunnar Henderson, 3B, Orioles (Previous Position: 1)
Unlike Carroll, Henderson hasn’t had an extraordinary start. But we remain fearless. The youngster has continued to walk, and has started to pick up a bat in the last two weeks. Above all, his track record gives us confidence that he will be successful at this level. When we re-evaluate him next month, if his batting average still starts at one, it could be a different story. But for now, we continue to believe him.
3. Hunter Brown, RHP, Astros (No last berth)
Brown was a top-50 prospect entering the year and already owned a spot in the rotation at least at the start of the season. Brown has struck out at least five in each of his five starts, and in three of those games he has allowed one run or less in seven or more innings. Brilliant.
4. Brett Batty, 3B, Mets (not last berth)
Although Batty began the year in the minors, there was no reason to think he would stay there for long. And, well, it was like that. Batty needed three games to get into rhythm and start moving into the Big Top. He’s a top 25 prospect and already a starter for the Mets. He is definitely a player to follow and a candidate to win the Rookie of the Year award at the Old Circuit.
5. Josh Jung, 3B, Rangers (Previous Position: 8)
Jung received high marks in college for his communication skills. Although power was not his priority. But during his brief stint in the majors, his slugging percentage increased at every level, and he had seven extra-base hits in his last 13 games. If her power is still in effect, she would still appear in the top five of this list.
6. Masataka Yoshida, OF, Red Sox (Previous place: 5)
Yoshida got off to a slow start, recording a sub-Mendoza batting average through the end of April 21. But he’s been on fire since then, raising his season numbers to the level you’d expect — excellent on-base performance and moderate power. Due to his age (about 30 years old), the Japanese is probably a less volatile player than the other youngsters on this list.
7. Kodai Senga, LD, Mets (Previous position: 4)
Unlike his compatriots, Senga started out on a swagger drum, but cooled down a bit. He gave up 10 runs in his last three starts and scored 12 runs in just one start against a team outside the bottom five in runs per game. His ability and talent are clear, but the Japanese need to start throwing more attack and depth into the games.
8. James Outman, OF, Dodgers (No. 2)
what a surprise! Outman, who will turn 26 in less than two weeks, entered the year as the Dodgers’ eighth-best prospect, an interesting player who went less and less as he climbed the minor league levels, but who The league remains an uncertain bet. major. suspenders. The left-handed slugger has been a beast so far, hitting seven home runs in the first month. It remains to be seen how long this good moment can last, but if he makes it through for at least another month, he will appear in the next list in a much better position.
9. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Orioles (no last berth)
Rodriguez, our second-best right-handed pitching prospect and fifth-best overall, has looked better on the mound since being promoted by Baltimore. Rodriguez has had a string of scoreless starts, and in his most recent innings, the right-hander allowed five runs in just five innings. It will probably continue to grow.
10. Anthony Volpe, SS, Yankees (Previous Place: 6)
We warn you at this point that Volpe may have to struggle a bit to adapt, and it has. We like this guy in the long term and probably in the medium term as well. He’s doing some things right, like being patient in the batter’s box and stealing bases. Even his batting numbers look much better if you put aside his shaky 31-4 start. The youngster will be fine but he has a hill to climb if he wants to win the coveted trophy.
