Each team has played nearly 40 games so far this season. Some players have a brilliant start, however, some players still need some time to heat up. It might still be too early to say who has a great season. Nonetheless, some rookie players are doing something impressive to start the season.
The Chicago White Sox selected Luis Gonzalez in the 3rd round of the 2017 draft and Gonzalez made his MLB debut on August 18, 2020. However, over the last two seasons, he got only 13 plate appearances with the White Sox and he was released last August. The Giants claimed him off waivers and it seems to be a great decision. Luis Gonzalez played 21 games for the Giants so far and he’s currently hitting .349/.397/.492 with 2 home runs and 15 RBI. However, the Giants optioned him to Triple-A on May 16. But, he should be back soon.
After Carlos Correa signed a 3-year contract with the Twins, the Astros decided to replace him with Jeremy Pena. Pena doesn't let the Astros down. By far, Jeremy Pena hits .282/.341/.536 with 7 home runs and 21 RBI. His OPS is .877, which ranks 2nd in the Astros lineup.
Additionally, Seiya Suzuki was named the NL Rookie of the Month for April and in the AL, Steven Kwan was the Rookie of the Month. Seiya Suzuki hits .255/.357/.464 with 4 home runs and 18 RBI in 33 games. He also has 17 walks, leading among qualified rookies. Steven Kwan draws 15 walks and it's not easy to strike him out. Kwan has been struck out only 10 times thus far.
Moreover, Alfonso Rivas, Giberto Celestino and Joey Bart each have an OPS over .700 thus far.
Meanwhile, there are rookie players who have been doing well on the mound.
Cody Poteet was selected by the Marlins in the 2015 draft and he made it into the big leagues last year. Poteet made 7 starts for the Marlins in 2021, posting a 4.99 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. He began the 2022 season in the bullpen and just made his first start of the season. By far, Poteet already made 8 relief appearances and 1 start this year. He has a great 0.43 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP.
Brock Burke made his MLB debut on August 20, 2019. In that season, he made 6 starts and tossed 26.2 innings for the Rangers with a 7.43 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. He didn’t have any appearances in the majors over the last two seasons. Nonetheless, this season, he has been a reliable pitcher in the Rangers bullpen. Burke made 11 relief appearances so far and he owns a 1.35 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 20 innings.
Connor Overton made it into the big leagues last summer. But, he only pitched 15.1 innings last season. Last November, he signed a minor league deal with the Reds and was invited to spring training. Overton was called up in late April and has made 4 starts for the Reds, posting a 1.82 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP over 24.2 innings. He already struck out 10 batters, but issued 7 walks. That’s something worth monitoring.
In addition, MacKenzie Gore made his MLB debut on April 15 and he already made 5 starts and 1 relief appearance for the Padres. Gore currently has a 2.17 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. Meanwhile, Joe Ryan is off to a great start and by far, he owns a 2.39 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 37.2 innings. Furthermore, Reid Detmers tossed a no-hitter in the 11th start of his career. Detmers currently has a 4.15 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP.
With more than 100 games remaining in the regular season, it’s probably too early to say who will win the Rookie of the Year award. However, we have seen many great young players who have shown that they are capable of playing in the big leagues. But, baseball season is a marathon and it will be worth watching whether they can extend their good performances through the full season.
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