AL Rookie Roundup

Jason Michael Barker

It has been nearly two months since we last looked at baseball's top rookies, and for that I apologize -- I'm not quite sure what happened in June, but I'm sure it was important. In any event, two months since the last update means bigger samples as well as the chance for new players to sneak on to the list.

We begin in Baltimore with the first of two pleasant surprises, starting pitcher Rodrigo Lopez, off to a very nice start in this his first full season in the majors. After beginning the year in the bullpen and posting a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings, Lopez made his first start of the year on April 24 and hasn't looked back -- he is 8-3, 3.28 in 15 starts, and has allowed just 84 hits in 98.2 innings. He isn't a chiseled veteran, either, and will turn 27 in December. Without question, he has been the top rookie hurler in the league this year.

Lopez' batterymate in Baltimore and a fellow native of Mexico, Geronimo Gil has been an asset for the club as well. His .262/.309/.415 line doesn't look like much, but it's not bad at all for a solid defensive catcher in his rookie year. One-third of his hits have gone for extra bases, and he'll take a walk now and then. Gil, like Lopez, is 26 years old, so his chances of becoming a star seem rather slim. He hit for a good average and solid power in the minors, though, so there should still be some offensive upside to his game.

He's back! Fresh off his second trade in less than a year, 1B Carlos Pena once again finds himself with a starting job, this time in Detroit. Pena wasn't hitting for average (.240) at AAA Sacramento before the trade, though he was taking walks (23 in 171 at-bats, .338 OBP) and knocking the ball around the park (.485 SLG), much like his time in Oakland before being demoted. If anything, the move to the Tigers should take some of the pressure off him to perform immediately, pressure he certainly felt as a starter on an A's club that is expected to win right away.

Very early on, Kansas City's Miguel Asencio, a Rule 5 draft choice, looked like a bust. In his first major league appearance, April 6 against the White Sox, he walked all four batters he faced on just 16 pitches. In all, he racked up a 10.80 ERA in ten relief appearances. Then a funny thing happened -- the Royals made him a starter. On May 21 he worked five innings against the Angels, allowing just one hit and one run (though he did walk four batters as well). Future outings didn't go quite as well, though they've been a far cry from his major league debut.

Since moving into the starting rotation, Asenscio has a 3.95 ERA in 41 innings and opposing batters are hitting just .236 against him. Throw out a horrific start at San Diego in which he allowed five runs and recorded two outs -- in his defense, he hadn't pitched in two weeks -- and that ERA drops to 2.90. I saw him pitch in person on July 3 and it was easy to see why the Royals like him. He has a good lively fastball and decent command of a curve and changeup. Assuming he survives the rest of this season, the Royals will have a very good pitching prospect on their hands.

The Minnesota outfield duo of Bobby Kielty and Dustan Mohr continues to get the job done, with the former hitting a robust .321/.437/.515 and the latter at .299/.349/.466 in 70 more at-bats. Complicating matters is the arrival of prospect Michael Cuddyer, a former third baseman who has been converted to the outfield in the minors. Since being recalled from AAA Cuddyer has played first, third and the outfield, so perhaps manager Ron Gardenhire plans to find playing time for him all over the diamond.

I know I'm not the only one who forgets Nick Johnson is still a rookie. Perhaps it's because he's been a prospect forever -- he had that monster year at AA way back in 1999, then missed the entire 2000 season with a mysterious hand injury before finally debuting with the Yankees late last year. In any event, he is indeed still a rookie. Johnson's .238/.321/.402 line this season has been disappointing to say the least, though perhaps that just goes to show expectations were too high after he hit .256 at AAA last season. Perhaps most disappointing are his 25 walks in 261 at-bats -- this is a guy who lived by the walk in the minors, and drew 81 in just 359 at-bats last season. He's still far too young to give up on, however.

Just when you thought Oakland's pipeline of young pitching had run dry, they go out and acquire Ted Lilly. Even before trading for Lilly, however, they pulled yet another gem from their farm system in righty Aaron Harang. Harang wasn't viewed as a top-flight pitching prospect entering the season, primarily because he doesn't have great stuff. At AA Midland last season he struck out 112 batters in 150 innings, a solid number but not stellar. He also gave up 173 hits, numbers which scream "hittable finesse pitcher." His 3:1 K:BB ratio was much better, however.

As often happens with young pitchers, something clicked for Harang this year. He began the year back at Midland, but struck out 21 batters in his first 16.2 innings to earn a promotion to AAA. He then made seven starts at Sacramento, posting a 1.77 ERA and fanning 34 hitters in 35.2 innings. Since arriving in the majors, he has a 2.84 ERA in eight starts and has kept up his strikeout rate, with 42 in 44.1 innings. What do we make of his marked improvement? Considering he has now kept up his strikeout rate at three different levels, I'm inclined to say it's the real deal.

Last but far from least, Toronto's Eric Hinske is the crown jewel of American League rookies this season. Unheralded entering the year, he has put up very good numbers as a full time player -- .289/.378/.528 with 44 walks in 305 at-bats. Hinske's a good bet to hit 30 homers this year, and he has even stolen eight bases in nine attempts. The knocks against him -- his defense at third and his strikeouts -- are overstated. Hinske can play, and at this moment in time looks to be a lock for Rookie of the Year honors.

about the author

Jason Michael Barker has never won anything in his life, but that doesn't stop him from trying. Suggest the 2003 Topeka Run-on Sentence Contest and Pie Feed for his next challenge at jmb@strikethree.com.

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