May NL Rookie Roundup

Jason Michael Barker

The Roundup is back for a look at the National League's youngsters, led by one of the more hated players in baseball, J.D. Drew. Look beyond his mediocre batting average and you'll find he really isn't off to a horrible start, despite what you might have heard. There's also a relatively old rookie on the list, but he's off to such a great start I just couldn't ignore him.

Alex Gonzalez, SS, Florida
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
22	25	99	12	29	6	3	1	11	3	10	0	0	.293	.320	.444

Gonzalez got a brief trial with the Fish at the end of last season and hit .240/.279, but apparently played well enough to convince the team to trade Edgar Renteria to the Cardinals. He isn't exactly setting the league on fire this year, but those are very nice numbers when you consider his age, his position, and that he missed nearly all of the 1996 season with an injury.

He's never had great on-base skills, but he has good power for a shortstop in 1997 he hit 19 home runs in 449 at-bats at AA, at age 20, and last season he increased his OBP and SLG over the previous season despite moving up a level. He's already putting up good numbers for a middle infielder, but if he's still growing and getting stronger, and can improve his plate discipline to where he can draw 50 or so walks, he could be the best shortstop in the league in a few years.

Michael Barrett, 3B/C, Montreal
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
22	22	80	11	27	6	0	3	14	4	11	0	1	.338	.365	.525

The Expos still can't decide where Barrett should play in the field, but as long as he's hitting like this, who cares? His bat is good enough to carry him at either 3B or C, and he's only made two errors all season despite being moved around. He might not walk as much as you might like, but that's to expect from a player developed in the Montreal farm system.

Barrett had a nice season at AA last year, going .358/.525 (quite similar to what he's hitting now) with 19 homers and 32 doubles in 453 at-bats. He's more probably valuable behind the dish, although that means he can't be in the lineup quite as often. If he keeps hitting like this (and remember, he'll be playing half of his games in a good pitcher's park), he could be an All-Star at either position, Mike Piazza and Chipper Jones notwithstanding.

J.D. Drew, OF, St. Louis
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
23	19	63	16	16	4	3	2	7	10	17	1	0	.254	.365	.508

Didn't I read somewhere that he was off to a slow start? I don't see anything wrong with those numbers, particularly the OBP and SLG, considering he's a rookie who spent a good deal of time tearing up an independent league. Unlike other young players, Drew will always be able to fall back on his plate discipline when he's not hitting well, meaning his OBP will never fall all that much. When he starts hitting the ball better, it'll creep up toward the .400 mark.

He's also battled injuries this season, and he's been moved all over the batting order, neither of which can help a young hitter trying to adjust to the major leagues. He's still my pick for Rookie of the Year, although he'll have to improve that batting average to gain the attention of the voters.

Joe McEwing, 2B, St. Louis
Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
26	24	82	15	32	5	2	0	11	9	12	3	2	.390	.451	.500

He's done it all this season 2B, 3B, SS, and all three OF positions. He's also hitting like crazy, despite batting in front of the pitcher all year. Obviously he's a bit old to be considered a prospect, and he's not going to be a star, but it's nice to see a player like McEwing get a shot after spending seven years in the minors. Seven years which, I might add, weren't anything special until something finally clicked for him last season and he started hitting AA pitching to the tune of .409/.605 with 21 doubles and 9 home runs in 223 at-bats. He kept on hitting upon being promoted to AAA Memphis, finally ending the year with the big club.

He's likely to cool off significantly, and he doesn't walk enough to retain a huge chunk of his OBP. Still, McEwing is the sort of cheap bench player every team needs -- he can play all over the field, and he contributes a bit at the plate.

Odalis Perez, P, Atlanta
Age	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	OOBP	WHIP	ERA
20	5	4	24.1	20	11	10	1	12	21	1	1	0	.311	1.315	3.70

Perez was expected to start the season in the bullpen, but was moved into the starting rotation when super-prospect Bruce Chen had a tough time of things this spring. Perez worked both as a starter and reliever during his time in the minors, and in general was more successful in relief. Given his smallish frame, he might be well suited for a role similar to what Mariano Rivera did in 1996, throwing around 100 innings of late-inning, non-closing relief.

Right now he's getting semi-consistent work as the Braves fifth starter, but he's going to contribute no matter how they use him, because he induces a good number ground balls, keeps the ball down, and has generally good control of his pitches. That and he's left-handed, meaning he'll have a job until he's 45.

Kris Benson, P, Pittsburgh
Age	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	OOBP	WHIP	ERA
24	4	4	21.1	26	14	12	1	9	18	1	2	0	.383	1.641	5.06

After a disappointing 1998 season at AAA, most observers felt Benson was headed for another season in Nashville. The Bucs said phooey to that logic, and he's been in the rotation ever since. Obviously he's allowing far too many baserunners to be successful at this level, and he needs to cut down on his walks as well. He has the stuff to pitch in the bigs, but his command and mechanics need refinement.

The good news is that he hasn't been overworked at this point in his career, and he's old enough (24) where the Pirates don't have to handle him all that carefully. He should have a decent career if he can stay healthy and harness his stuff.

Joe Nathan, P, San Francisco
Age	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	OOBP	WHIP	ERA
24	3	3	21.0	17	6	5	3	7	13	2	0	0	.293	1.143	2.14

The Giants haven't done much in the way of developing pitchers in recent years, so it must be quite a thrill for the organization to see both Russ Ortiz and Joe Nathan pitching well in the rotation this season. The unusual part is that Nathan wasn't a highly regarded prospect entering the season, having spent most of last season at high-A San Jose at age 23. It's not unusual for pitchers to develop later than position players, but you don't expect a 23-year old with A-ball experience to make the jump to the big leagues.

Still, Nathan has made the most of his opportunity this season. Left-handers are hitting him much better than righties, but as long as he can hold righties to a .260 OBP he can get away with giving up a bit more to the lefties. He's also been extremely tough on hitters with runners on, holding them to a paltry .214/.219 with just three hits allowed in 28 at-bats.

Ready for the bad news? In his three starts, Nathan has faced Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Florida, not exactly offensive juggernauts. It remains to be seen what will happen when he's forced to go up against Houston, Atlanta and the like. He's a good story while it lasts, however.

Jose Jimenez, P, St. Louis
Age	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	W	L	SV	OOBP	WHIP	ERA
25	5	5	30.2	36	20	18	3	6	19	2	2	0	.333	1.370	5.28

Prospect or not? He's 25 and doesn't throw all that hard, but he's always had success in the minors thanks to inducing a ton of ground balls. Since pitching rookie ball in 1995, he's moved up one level each season, never with an ERA above 3.50, culminating in a 15-6 record with a 3.11 ERA in 26 starts at AA last year. Normally pitchers who don't have great stuff have to rely on great control, but Jimenez walked 68 batters, hit 12 more, and uncorked 13 wild pitches in just 179.2 innings last season.

It's hard to argue with his success at every level, however, and his numbers this season would look quite a bit better if it weren't for one bad start against the Rockies, in which he allowed seven runs in two innings. His control has been quite good, with just six walks in 30.2 innings. Unlike Nathan, he's faced good competition in Houston, LA, and Atlanta, but he still strikes me as a pitcher who's going to struggle in his second time through the league.

Bonus American League coverage: The Orioles finally got smart and called up 1B prospect Calvin Pickering this week. Is this the end of the Jeff Conine regime in Baltimore? Pickering is a far superior hitter, and could hit 30 home runs this season if he's given a chance. Think of him as a young Mo Vaughn, complete with a huge hulking frame (6-5, 283) and bad defense. His bat will make up for any shortcomings in the field.

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First base -- Jason Michael Barker! Second base -- Jason Michael Barker! Third base -- Jason Michael Barker! Shortstop -- Jason Michael Barker! Catcher, outfield, pitcher -- Jason Michael Barker! Jason Michael Barker! Jason Michael Barker! Ask him to perplex you with his powerful paralyzing perfect pachydermous percussion pitch.