AL Rookie Roundup

Jason Michael Barker

While I'll be the first to admit that it's very early, so far we're looking at a pretty weak crop of rookies in the American League -- take away Ichiro and there isn't a single player who screams, "Look at me!" Ichiro isn't yelling that either, and even if he were it'd be in Japanese, but I think you get the idea.

A few months ago I previewed the league, offering up a few names of youngsters worth watching. Perhaps this was some sort of "Sports Illustrated cover jinx," because poor performance, injuries and just plain mishap have befallen this group of once promising players.

Oakland's Jose Ortiz, a strong pre-season bet to win Rookie of the Year honors, hit .179 in 39 at-bats before suffering a strained left calf and hasn't played since April 15. Ryan Anderson, Seattle's 21-year old Randy Johnson clone, will miss the entire season after undergoing surgery this spring to repair torn cartilage in his left shoulder. Cleveland's Danny Baez has pitched well in relief -- for AAA Buffalo.

Adam Bernero and Matt Kinney, who I really expected to make the starting rotations in Detroit and Minnesota respectively, both began the year in AAA. Both can be expected to see some time in the majors later in the season, but neither has pitched well thus far in 2001. New York's D'Angelo Jiminez and Tampa Bay's Brent Abernathy are similarly struggling in AAA to start the year.

On a positive note, Toronto's Vernon Wells is off to a good start with AAA Syracuse, batting .333/.382/.529 through his first 13 games. The Blue Jays really rushed Wells two years ago, pushing him through three levels in one season on his way to the majors. He got off to a slow start at Syracuse last season, but finished the year strong and is still only 22. He should be in the majors by next season, if not sooner.

Where does that leave us, friends? In my book the AL rookie story this year (so far, at least) begins and ends with Ichiro, who has hit in 23 of the Mariners' first 25 games this season and presently sports a .336 batting average. No, he doesn't walk enough -- heading into Sunday, his .368 OBP was just 23 points higher than his batting average, thanks to his only having drawn four walks (one of which was intentional). He'll have to be more patient at the plate if he's going to be a truly great lead-off man, because it's unlikely he's going to hit the .370 or so needed to keep him getting on base at a .400 clip.

Defensively, Ichiro has good range thanks to his great speed and features a strong, accurate throwing arm. He has yet to dominate the basepaths as advertised (he's five of seven on steal attempts), but that's understandable given that he's still learning opposing pitchers. As an aside, both of his unsuccessful steal attempts came against Ivan Rodriguez, and he was clearly safe on one of those two.

Alfonso Soriano is a fraud. Sure, he's hitting .282 and the Yankees like the "pop in his bat." Sunday was a big day for the young infielder -- he drew a walk, giving him a grand total of ONE in 112 at-bats this season. In case you're wondering, that brings his career total to TWO in 161 at-bats. Soriano entered Sunday with a higher batting average (.277) than on-base percentage (.275), a feat only a true out-maker could hope to accomplish. Throw in a marginal glove and you're looking at a very bad player.

Another guy getting some attention early in the year is Shea Hillenbrand, Boston's rookie at the hot corner. A former catcher, it's unfortunate Hillenbrand no long dons the tools of ignorance, because his bat would be much better suited behind the plate. His minor league career has been marked by empty .300 batting averages -- meaning he hits .300, but doesn't walk much or hit for power. Sure enough, he's hitting .319 so far this season but has an OBP of just .333 thanks to one walk. Seven doubles, two homers and a triple find him slugging .479, so for the moment he's a productive player. If his minor league career is any indication, I don't expect it to continue.

On the other hand, there's Anaheim's David Eckstein, who has been filling in at both shortstop and second base this season. The Angels wisely snapped him up off waivers this off-season, and the 26-year old rookie with a .400 OBP in his minor league career has yet to disappoint, posting a 313/.389/.406 line so far. Shhh... don't tell, but he's a better player than either Adam Kennedy or Benji Gil, the two guys robbing him of playing time in Anaheim.

Finally, Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia is a huge guy, standing 6-7 on the mound and listed at 235 pounds. If you've seen him, though, you know he looks even bigger than that. In four starts this season he's allowed only 19 hits in 21.2 innings, but has also allowed 10 walks (to go along with just nine strikeouts). Nine strikeouts in 21.2 innings seems odd for someone with Sabathia's stuff -- mid- to high-90's fastball and a great curveball. He's never made a start in AAA, and spent just half a season at AA last year, so it's easy to say he's been rushed. Fortunately, the Indians have kept him right around 100 pitches each start, so they are being careful with their prized prospect.

about the author

Hey! You there! Don't look now, but there's a rumor that Jason Michael Barker thinks you're a fraud as well. If you'd like to defend yourself, drop him a line at jmb@strikethree.com.

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