Post by Exposgm on Sept 15, 2010 12:30:42 GMT -5
Once again, there are several rookies making their debut in this new season, but for some reason more than half of these first-year players evolve in the American League. It’s also very unusual to have so many rookies but not that many big names. According to projections, there is virtually no rookie player that stands ready to break rookie records this season. There are enough players to make a top 15 but it shouldn’t be a batch that will make history. Once again, here are the top rookies in view of how big an impact they could be having on their team in their first season in the league.
15 - Mike Kinnunen – RP – Cubs – Selected early in the sixth round of the 1976 draft, Kinnunen’s peak spend a lot of time going up and down. Very dominant in the minors, he now makes his debut from the Cubs bullpen. His control is good, and so is his stuff, so he could very well put up interesting numbers for his team. Final Stats: 4-6, 3.50
14 - Darryl Motley – DH – Orioles – Selected in the middle of the second round in 1978, Motley is a small but bulky outfielder that packs a ton of power. It took him a while to get started in the minors, especially power-wise, but his 30 homeruns in only 425 at-bats at AAA last season give you an idea of the type of power he carries. Motley will serve as the full-time DH for the Orioles this year, and could hit between 15 and 20 homeruns in his very first season, maybe with a .250 average and some 65 RBI. - .256, 15 HR, 65 RBI
13 - Scott Terry – RP – Blue Jays – A second round pick in 1977, Terry was most impressive during his minor league career, as he never posted an ERA higher than 3.66, and has in fact kept his ERA below three in every season since 1980. He now makes his debut in the bigs, and stands a real chance as being as good as he was while getting here. His control is awesome and his stuff is great, and Terry has always kept the ball in the park, so it won’t be easy to face him. Expect several good seasons from now on, and it may even start right away with an ERA he’ll keep below four. - 1-1, 3.93
12 - Marty Barrett – 2B – White Sox – Selected in the first round of the 1976 draft by the Astros, Barrett was traded to the White Sox two years later. His development had highs and lows while he switched levels a lot over the years, but things seemed to settle in recent years. He finally breaks the regular lineup at age 26 and will start the season as the full-time 2B for the White Sox. Barrett can hit for average and very rarely strikes out. Expect a .280 average or close to it in his rookie season. - .265, 0 HR, 37 RBI
11 - Mark Eichhorn – SP – Tigers – A rare submarine pitcher, Eichhorn was originally selected by the Reds in the first round in 1978. The Tigers acquired him last season when they traded Brian Downing to the Reds. Used both as a reliever and a starter in the minor leagues, he’ll start the season from the Tigers rotation, where his solid stuff and pretty good control should help him post some interesting numbers. He could reach double-digits in wins with an ERA in the low fours. - 12-13, 4.77
10 - Jamie Moyer – SP – Rangers – The third overall pick in 1980, Moyer was rather inconsistent in the minors but his 1984 campaign at AAA just may have been a breakthrough season. Already owning great control, Moyer has an unusual stuff consisting of a fastball, a change, a slow ball, a slow curve and a slurve. If right-handed hitters sometimes face to love a lefty, things may be different for them when they face Moyer. He’ll give up a lot of homeruns, but very few walks. If all goes well, he could win a dozen games for the Rangers this year. - 6-13, 6.46
9 - Tom Edens – SP – White Sox – The White Sox drafted Edens in the 2nd round of the 1979 draft. Since then, he not only added a pitch while improving on another one, but his development has gone very well (he improved his peak number almost every season). Now 23, he makes it into the Chicago rotation. He could certainly have stayed another year in the minors, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be able to do well with the White Sox. His control is good, and if he doesn’t get killed by homeruns, he could very well win up to fifteen games with an ERA somewhere between four and five. - 5-8, 6.99
8 - Rafael Palmeiro – DH – Rangers – Selected 4th overall by the Rangers in 1982, Palmeiro is already making his debut for them at age 20. There is no doubt that he can survive in the bigs at this point. His best years lie ahead, but if he stays all year with Texas, you can still expect a .260 average, hit between 15 and 20 homeruns and drive in 70 runs. - .266, 18 HR, 87 RBI
7 - Mariano Duncan – 2B – Astros – Selected in the 2nd round by the Twins in 1981, Duncan was sent to Houston two years later. He played in 25 games for the Astros last year, batting .226 with 1 homerun and 9 RBI. Displaying a bat with enough power for the occasional homerun and a bit of speed, Duncan won’t win any defensive awards. For his rookie season, he’ll probably hit in the .270s with close to 10 homeruns. - .272, 9 HR, 47 RBI
6 - Sap Randall – DH – Yankees – The Yankees 2nd round pick in 1978, Randall did very well in the minors and has nothing more to learn there after tearing up the league in AAA last year with a .404 batting average. Randall had been good in a late September call-up in 1983, hitting .294 with 2 homeruns and 7 RBI in 26 games with the Yankees. He’ll be their DH this year, and should hit around .275 with some 15 homeruns and 65 RBI. - .269, 9 HR, 57 RBI
5 - Carmelo Martinez – LF – Tigers – Selected late in the third round of the 1978 draft, Martinez improved his peak by a whopping 17 points over the years, turning himself into a top prospect. He had a tough time adapting to the minors but has been doing much better since 1983. His last AAA season (.398, 36 HR, 144 RBI and 143 walks) proved he was more than ready to help the Tigers on a regular basis. A late September call-up last year had him bat .242 with 2 homeruns and 6 RBI in 26 games. Martinez packs a ton of power. He may hit below .250 in his rookie season, but don’t be surprised if he finished the year with more than 20 homeruns, 80 RBI and 70 walks. - .203, 16 HR, 58 RBI, 75 BB
4 - Mike Smith – SP – Blue Jays – Selected early in the 4th round in 1979 by the Blue Jays, Smith displayed an impressive progression on his way to the big leagues. In 4 games last season with the Jays, he went 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA over 22 innings (no starts!). His presence in the Jays rotation makes it even better. His excellent control and solid stuff should help him put up numbers that will give a nice hand to his team. - 11-11, 4.07
3 - Tony Fernandez – 2B – Cardinals – Picked as the #2 overall pick in 1980, Fernandez dominated in the minors and his 1984 campaign in which he batted .402 indicated that he no longer needed time at AAA. A natural shortstop, Fernandez starts the season at second base for the Cardinals. Expect a .280 average with more walks than strikeouts and an occasional steal as well as some excellent play with the glove. - .297, 5 HR, 62 RBI
2 - Brian Fisher – SP – Braves – Fisher was a late third round pick made by the Braves in 1980. Although he never started a game in the minors, he found his way into the Braves rotation, even as the #2 starter. A major pitching prospect, Fisher already has amazing control and some very good stuff. He’s on the right team to put up solid numbers. Expect at least 14 wins and an ERA around 3.75, and if things go really well, he may even top the 20 wins plateau. - 17-15, 3.61
1 - Ron Shepherd – LF – Royals – Shepherd probably thought his days in Kansas City were in danger with Barry Bonds occupying left field, but with Bonds now out of the way, the 24 year old Shepherd is making his debut for the Royals. Their second round pick in 1978, Shepherd isn’t the same type of player that Bonds is, but should nevertheless put up solid numbers. A sure-handed fielder, he can also hold his own at the plate. Expect a .290 average with 15 homeruns and 70 RBI. - .233, 11 HR, 50 RBI
Best of the Rest: (In no particular order)
Mike Trujillo - SP - Tigers - 3-6, 8.01
Mike Christopher - RP - Tigers - 2-1, 4.58
Bill Latham - SP - Orioles - 7-12, 5.63
Al Nipper - SP - Orioles - 2-9, 5.63
Don Gordon - RP - Orioles - 2-3, 4.58
Tim Belcher - RP - Orioles - 0-4, 4.80
Jeff Kaiser - RP - Blue Jays - 4-0, 3.63
Rick Aguilera - RP - White Sox - 3-5, 5.30
Ed Vosberg - RP - White Sox - 0-0, 3.25
Mark Knudson - RP - White Sox - 7-5, 3.08
Ty Gainey - CF - Brewers - .225, 0 HR, 8 RBI
Geno Petralli - C - Royals - .313, 0 HR, 55 RBI
Bob Ojeda - SP - Royals - 5-8, 5.57
Terry Mulholland - SP - Indians - 8-3, 4.55
Chuck Cary - SP - Indians - 9-5, 3.96
Bill Landrum - RP - Indians - 0-1, 4.58
Reggie Ritter - RP - Mariners - 3-1, 3.53
Steve Brown - RP - Mariners - 4-1, 4.38
Kelly Downs - RP - Angels - 1-0, 8.22
Ron Romanick - RP - Angels - 3-2, 4.27
Dave Beard - RP - Rangers - 7-4, 1.82
Mark Portugal - SP - Athletics - 8-14, 4.53
German Jimenez - SP - Athletics - 10-10, 4.29
Rick Surhoff - RP - Athletics - 6-7, 4.65
Craig McMurtry - RP - Athletics - 5-5, 3.33
Fernando Valenzuela - SP - Phillies - 11-10, 3.60
Todd Frohwirth - RP - Phillies - 6-4, 3.43
Bob Sebra - SP - Cardinals - 3-4, 5.17
Don Crow - C - Expos - .302, 6 HR, 59 RBI
Chris Green - RP - Reds - 3-6, 5.40
Colin Ward - RP - Cubs - 10-9, 4.48
Randy Myers - RP - Padres - 2-3, 5.82
Tony Ferreira - RP - Giants - 4-4, 4.31
Rob Murphy - RP - Dodgers - 5-3, 2.31
Storm Davis - RP - Dodgers - 3-1, 2.96
Les Straker - SP - Astros - 1-11, 7.48
Kirk McCaskill - RP - Astros - 3-6, 4.93
15 - Mike Kinnunen – RP – Cubs – Selected early in the sixth round of the 1976 draft, Kinnunen’s peak spend a lot of time going up and down. Very dominant in the minors, he now makes his debut from the Cubs bullpen. His control is good, and so is his stuff, so he could very well put up interesting numbers for his team. Final Stats: 4-6, 3.50
14 - Darryl Motley – DH – Orioles – Selected in the middle of the second round in 1978, Motley is a small but bulky outfielder that packs a ton of power. It took him a while to get started in the minors, especially power-wise, but his 30 homeruns in only 425 at-bats at AAA last season give you an idea of the type of power he carries. Motley will serve as the full-time DH for the Orioles this year, and could hit between 15 and 20 homeruns in his very first season, maybe with a .250 average and some 65 RBI. - .256, 15 HR, 65 RBI
13 - Scott Terry – RP – Blue Jays – A second round pick in 1977, Terry was most impressive during his minor league career, as he never posted an ERA higher than 3.66, and has in fact kept his ERA below three in every season since 1980. He now makes his debut in the bigs, and stands a real chance as being as good as he was while getting here. His control is awesome and his stuff is great, and Terry has always kept the ball in the park, so it won’t be easy to face him. Expect several good seasons from now on, and it may even start right away with an ERA he’ll keep below four. - 1-1, 3.93
12 - Marty Barrett – 2B – White Sox – Selected in the first round of the 1976 draft by the Astros, Barrett was traded to the White Sox two years later. His development had highs and lows while he switched levels a lot over the years, but things seemed to settle in recent years. He finally breaks the regular lineup at age 26 and will start the season as the full-time 2B for the White Sox. Barrett can hit for average and very rarely strikes out. Expect a .280 average or close to it in his rookie season. - .265, 0 HR, 37 RBI
11 - Mark Eichhorn – SP – Tigers – A rare submarine pitcher, Eichhorn was originally selected by the Reds in the first round in 1978. The Tigers acquired him last season when they traded Brian Downing to the Reds. Used both as a reliever and a starter in the minor leagues, he’ll start the season from the Tigers rotation, where his solid stuff and pretty good control should help him post some interesting numbers. He could reach double-digits in wins with an ERA in the low fours. - 12-13, 4.77
10 - Jamie Moyer – SP – Rangers – The third overall pick in 1980, Moyer was rather inconsistent in the minors but his 1984 campaign at AAA just may have been a breakthrough season. Already owning great control, Moyer has an unusual stuff consisting of a fastball, a change, a slow ball, a slow curve and a slurve. If right-handed hitters sometimes face to love a lefty, things may be different for them when they face Moyer. He’ll give up a lot of homeruns, but very few walks. If all goes well, he could win a dozen games for the Rangers this year. - 6-13, 6.46
9 - Tom Edens – SP – White Sox – The White Sox drafted Edens in the 2nd round of the 1979 draft. Since then, he not only added a pitch while improving on another one, but his development has gone very well (he improved his peak number almost every season). Now 23, he makes it into the Chicago rotation. He could certainly have stayed another year in the minors, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be able to do well with the White Sox. His control is good, and if he doesn’t get killed by homeruns, he could very well win up to fifteen games with an ERA somewhere between four and five. - 5-8, 6.99
8 - Rafael Palmeiro – DH – Rangers – Selected 4th overall by the Rangers in 1982, Palmeiro is already making his debut for them at age 20. There is no doubt that he can survive in the bigs at this point. His best years lie ahead, but if he stays all year with Texas, you can still expect a .260 average, hit between 15 and 20 homeruns and drive in 70 runs. - .266, 18 HR, 87 RBI
7 - Mariano Duncan – 2B – Astros – Selected in the 2nd round by the Twins in 1981, Duncan was sent to Houston two years later. He played in 25 games for the Astros last year, batting .226 with 1 homerun and 9 RBI. Displaying a bat with enough power for the occasional homerun and a bit of speed, Duncan won’t win any defensive awards. For his rookie season, he’ll probably hit in the .270s with close to 10 homeruns. - .272, 9 HR, 47 RBI
6 - Sap Randall – DH – Yankees – The Yankees 2nd round pick in 1978, Randall did very well in the minors and has nothing more to learn there after tearing up the league in AAA last year with a .404 batting average. Randall had been good in a late September call-up in 1983, hitting .294 with 2 homeruns and 7 RBI in 26 games with the Yankees. He’ll be their DH this year, and should hit around .275 with some 15 homeruns and 65 RBI. - .269, 9 HR, 57 RBI
5 - Carmelo Martinez – LF – Tigers – Selected late in the third round of the 1978 draft, Martinez improved his peak by a whopping 17 points over the years, turning himself into a top prospect. He had a tough time adapting to the minors but has been doing much better since 1983. His last AAA season (.398, 36 HR, 144 RBI and 143 walks) proved he was more than ready to help the Tigers on a regular basis. A late September call-up last year had him bat .242 with 2 homeruns and 6 RBI in 26 games. Martinez packs a ton of power. He may hit below .250 in his rookie season, but don’t be surprised if he finished the year with more than 20 homeruns, 80 RBI and 70 walks. - .203, 16 HR, 58 RBI, 75 BB
4 - Mike Smith – SP – Blue Jays – Selected early in the 4th round in 1979 by the Blue Jays, Smith displayed an impressive progression on his way to the big leagues. In 4 games last season with the Jays, he went 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA over 22 innings (no starts!). His presence in the Jays rotation makes it even better. His excellent control and solid stuff should help him put up numbers that will give a nice hand to his team. - 11-11, 4.07
3 - Tony Fernandez – 2B – Cardinals – Picked as the #2 overall pick in 1980, Fernandez dominated in the minors and his 1984 campaign in which he batted .402 indicated that he no longer needed time at AAA. A natural shortstop, Fernandez starts the season at second base for the Cardinals. Expect a .280 average with more walks than strikeouts and an occasional steal as well as some excellent play with the glove. - .297, 5 HR, 62 RBI
2 - Brian Fisher – SP – Braves – Fisher was a late third round pick made by the Braves in 1980. Although he never started a game in the minors, he found his way into the Braves rotation, even as the #2 starter. A major pitching prospect, Fisher already has amazing control and some very good stuff. He’s on the right team to put up solid numbers. Expect at least 14 wins and an ERA around 3.75, and if things go really well, he may even top the 20 wins plateau. - 17-15, 3.61
1 - Ron Shepherd – LF – Royals – Shepherd probably thought his days in Kansas City were in danger with Barry Bonds occupying left field, but with Bonds now out of the way, the 24 year old Shepherd is making his debut for the Royals. Their second round pick in 1978, Shepherd isn’t the same type of player that Bonds is, but should nevertheless put up solid numbers. A sure-handed fielder, he can also hold his own at the plate. Expect a .290 average with 15 homeruns and 70 RBI. - .233, 11 HR, 50 RBI
Best of the Rest: (In no particular order)
Mike Trujillo - SP - Tigers - 3-6, 8.01
Mike Christopher - RP - Tigers - 2-1, 4.58
Bill Latham - SP - Orioles - 7-12, 5.63
Al Nipper - SP - Orioles - 2-9, 5.63
Don Gordon - RP - Orioles - 2-3, 4.58
Tim Belcher - RP - Orioles - 0-4, 4.80
Jeff Kaiser - RP - Blue Jays - 4-0, 3.63
Rick Aguilera - RP - White Sox - 3-5, 5.30
Ed Vosberg - RP - White Sox - 0-0, 3.25
Mark Knudson - RP - White Sox - 7-5, 3.08
Ty Gainey - CF - Brewers - .225, 0 HR, 8 RBI
Geno Petralli - C - Royals - .313, 0 HR, 55 RBI
Bob Ojeda - SP - Royals - 5-8, 5.57
Terry Mulholland - SP - Indians - 8-3, 4.55
Chuck Cary - SP - Indians - 9-5, 3.96
Bill Landrum - RP - Indians - 0-1, 4.58
Reggie Ritter - RP - Mariners - 3-1, 3.53
Steve Brown - RP - Mariners - 4-1, 4.38
Kelly Downs - RP - Angels - 1-0, 8.22
Ron Romanick - RP - Angels - 3-2, 4.27
Dave Beard - RP - Rangers - 7-4, 1.82
Mark Portugal - SP - Athletics - 8-14, 4.53
German Jimenez - SP - Athletics - 10-10, 4.29
Rick Surhoff - RP - Athletics - 6-7, 4.65
Craig McMurtry - RP - Athletics - 5-5, 3.33
Fernando Valenzuela - SP - Phillies - 11-10, 3.60
Todd Frohwirth - RP - Phillies - 6-4, 3.43
Bob Sebra - SP - Cardinals - 3-4, 5.17
Don Crow - C - Expos - .302, 6 HR, 59 RBI
Chris Green - RP - Reds - 3-6, 5.40
Colin Ward - RP - Cubs - 10-9, 4.48
Randy Myers - RP - Padres - 2-3, 5.82
Tony Ferreira - RP - Giants - 4-4, 4.31
Rob Murphy - RP - Dodgers - 5-3, 2.31
Storm Davis - RP - Dodgers - 3-1, 2.96
Les Straker - SP - Astros - 1-11, 7.48
Kirk McCaskill - RP - Astros - 3-6, 4.93