Major League Baseball has seen a plethora of young talent come up and instantly succeed the past few seasons. With names like Craig Kimbrell, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Yasiel Puig, Will Myers and Jose Fernandez, fans and clubs are almost expecting to see at least one of these young phenoms come up every year. Oddly enough, none of the names mentioned above won the Rookie of the Year Award.
This rookie class doesn't seem to have the same type of glamour as past seasons, with the exception of a couple names. Major League clubs appear to be holding some of their top prospects down until the "super-two" cutoff date passes, which was increased from 17% to 20% once the new collective bargaining agreement was put in place. This means there are players who could eventually win Rookie of the Year and aren't even going to make this list. (See: Oscar Taveras, Gregory Polanco)
NL ROTY Contenders:
Disclaimer: This was a tough list to compile for the National League, seriously.
A. Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds (.252 1 HR 8 RBI 18 SB)
Hamilton is one of the most exciting players to watch in baseball, at least when he gets on base. He has deadly speed and has already compiled 18 steals on the season. When watching Reds highlights, it is almost a guarantee that Hamilton will be shown. He has proven that speed kills and has singlehandedly manufactured runs on the base paths. He is getting all the exposure that he needs during nightly highlights and has recently said that his goal is to steal home - something else that could add to the excitement of his potential Rookie of the Year campaign.
B. Chris Owings, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks (.266 3 HR 8 RBI 6 SB)
Owings beat out the incumbent shortstop, Didi Gregorius, after outplaying him in the spring and early this season. He has been shuffled around the lineup; getting multiple at-bats in the leadoff spot, along with the second and seventh spots in the lineup. While six stolen bases isn't a big number, he hasn't been caught yet and is six-for-six on the season. Owings has been a top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization for a couple of seasons and is now getting his chance to showcase his skills in the Major Leagues. While Owings is a long shot to win the Rookie of the Year award, right now he seems to be second best in the National League.
C. Mike Olt, 3B, Chicago Cubs (.169 9 HR 24 RBI)
Alright, like I said, the picking was tough. Olt made the top three on the list because he leads all National League rookies in home runs by 6 and RBI's by 15. Even though Olt will lead the NL Rookie Class in both categories by the end of the season, the abysmal average he is carrying now will completely wipe him from contention if it stays that low.
Honorable Mentions: Kolten Wong, 2B-STL; Carlos Martinez, RP-STL
AL ROTY Contenders:
A. Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox (.260 15 HR 42 RBI)
The hype is real! Abreu is leading AL Rookies in home runs (15) and RBI's (42). He was on an absolute tear before he hit the disabled list, yet he is eligible to return as early as June 2. At the time of his injury, Abreu wasn't just leading the rookie class in home runs and RBIs - he was leading all of baseball in those categories as well. Another impressive thing is that he put up these stats in his first 44 Major League games. He has a great approach at the plate and doesn't look like a rookie at all in the batter's box. The fact is that the latest Cuban sensation is here to stay.
B. Masahiro Tanaka, SP, New York Yankees (7-1, 2.29 ERA)
Tanaka is yet another player who came to the Major Leagues with plenty of hype, and much like Abreu, his hype is real. Tanaka also made the Cy Young list and could follow up Jose Fernandez by winning ROTY while placing highly in the Cy Young award balloting. He has a 79-to-10 K/BB ratio and a 0.98 WHIP. His seven wins leads all rookies by three and is four higher than any starting rookie pitcher. Barring injury, he could easily win the AL Rookie of the Year and possibly even the Cy Young.
C. Yangervis Solarte, 2B/SS/3B, New York Yankees (.306 5 HR 25 RBI)
Solarte has been a reliable utility man for the Yankees. Through 44 games, his average still sits north of .300 and he looks to have the staying power. He hit a bit of a slump going 5-for-36 from the end of April to early May, but has recovered nicely since then and has seen his average rise back in to the three-hundreds. His 25 RBI ranks second amongst all rookies and his 21 strikeouts is lowest amongst rookies who have at least 100 at bats. Solarte's five home runs rank him fifth amongst all American League rookies.
Honorable Mentions: George Springer, OF-Hou; Yordano Ventura, SP-Royals; Xander Bogaerts, SS/3B-BOS
