AL Rookies to Watch

Jason Michael Barker

If this is your first season with us here at Strikethree.com, then you're not aware of a monthly feature I write during the season called the "Rookie Roundup." It's two features, actually, one for each league, taking a look at the top rookies in baseball. Consider this your first installment; don't let the name fool you. If you're not new, then hey! Welcome back.

OF Larry Bigbie, Baltimore
Bigbie spent time at three levels last season, splitting time between AA Bowie, AAA Rochester and the majors. His at-bats in Baltimore happened during three separate call-ups, just the sort of jerking around that leads to sub-par numbers as the player never has a chance to get comfortable in any one place. Bigbie struggled in his 131 at-bats, hitting .229/.318/.321 in 47 games, though he did draw 17 walks.

His time in the minors -- .294/.386/.458 in 262 at-bats with a very good walk rate -- went much better. If he can legitimately handle center, he has a chance to be a starter in the majors. Otherwise his bat is a bit light for a corner spot, though he should hit enough to make a nice fourth outfielder.

LHP Casey Fossum, Boston
Starter or reliever? That seems to be the question for Fossum, who has good, but not overpowering stuff. Using him as a situational left-hander would be something of a waste, but it also remains to be seen if he has the ability to pitch deep enough into games to make his living as a starter.

As for his pitching, Fossum was very good at AA Trenton last season, with 130 strikeouts against just 28 walks in 117.2 innings. He also allowed just 102 hits and five homers, all with a 2.83 ERA. He pitched respectably in Boston, with a 4.87 ERA, though his K:BB ratio suffered (26:20). At this point, he's probably best served in long relief, gaining experience until a rotation spot opens up.

3B Joe Crede, Chicago
Crede hit .276 at AAA last year after hitting over .300 the year before, but his isolated power and walk rate were virtually unchanged. A solid glove man, Crede is the sort of player who doesn't excel at any one thing but does everything well enough to help a club. His AAA line -- .276/.349/.464 -- is about the sort of line you can expect in the majors, though it wouldn't be a huge surprise if he had a power surge in the next couple of seasons. The White Sox would be best served giving him the 3B job, moving Jose Valentin to SS and dumping Royce Clayton.

RHP Ryan Drese, Cleveland
Drese pitched well at three levels last season, posting a 3.58 ERA over 183.1 innings. In case you're worried about that workload, there are two things to remember: First, he'll turn 26 in April. Second, he missed the entire 2001 season with a torn ACL, so his arm had quite a bit of rest. He may not be ready for immediate success, as his K:BB ratios weren't exactly stellar. I'm not one to wish injuries on anybody, but Jaret Wright's continued shoulder problems are certainly good news in Drese's bid for a spot in the starting rotation.

C Mike Rivera, Detroit
Rivera's bat isn't a question -- he hit 33 homers at AA last year and drew enough walks that his .289 batting average led to a .368 OBP. His glove is another question, though he did throw out 31% of opposing base stealers last season. Manager Phil Garner said this week that Rivera had a shot at the starting job, despite the presence of Mitch Meluskey and defensive wiz Brandon Inge. Meluskey has yet to catch this spring after shoulder surgery, and Inge's bat leaves something to be desired. Come to think of it, keeping all three around wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

1B Nick Johnson, New York
The hype has been here for years, but yes, Johnson's still a rookie. The difference is that he's pretty much guaranteed a starting job come opening day, be it at first base or as the club's designated hitter. In any event, his bat won't be an issue -- Johnson has tremendous strikezone judgment and developing power. He did hit just .265 at AAA last season, but he had missed the entire 2000 season with a wrist injury that left him rusty and caused a slow start. If he is allowed to play the field, he'll have a chance to show off a very good glove.

1B Carlos Pena, Oakland
Like Johnson, Pena got off to a slow start at AAA last season that had many disappointed. He proceeded to tear things up in the second half, finishing with a .288/.408/.550 line, with 80 walks and 23 homers in 431 at-bats. He even stole 11 bases in 14 attempts, showing surprising speed for a guy his size, and his glove is very good as well. An off-season trade to the A's means his days in the outfield are over, so all he has to worry about now is... replacing Jason Giambi. Hmm. Keeping in mind that guys like Albert Pujols often come out of nowhere, Pena is the early favorite for AL Rookie of the Year honors.

3B Eric Hinske, Toronto
One of the first moves new Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi made was to acquire Hinske from his former club, the A's. After hitting 25 homers at AAA Sacramento last season, Hinske is expected to break camp as the Blue Jays' starter at the hot corner. He should be good for 20 homers and solid defense, though he isn't going to be a star. As an aside, do you think he was happy with the trade that got him out from behind Eric Chavez?

C Josh Phelps, Toronto
Like the aforementioned Rivera, Phelps is a catcher with serious power potential, having hit 31 homers at AA last season. Unlike Rivera, Phelps has very good command of the strikezone, having drawn 80 walks in 486 at-bats on his way to a .406 OBP. With a veteran (Darren Fletcher) in front of him, another hot prospect with a better glove behind him (Jason Wyerth), Phelps might wind up at another position. Preferably, a position where he doesn't have to throw -- he nailed just 18% of opposing base stealers last season.

about the author

Jason Michael Barker will be back next week with the top rookies in the National League. Feel free to offer up your suggestions for the list to jmb@strikethree.com, but whatever you do, don't include the name "Julio Franco."

Custom Search