Let’s hold off on scheduling an MLB rookie-sophomore game during All-Star weekend.
Promising youngsters have arrived in 2016, but these neophytes wouldn’t fare well against the likes of Kris Bryant, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa with a hopefully healthy Noah Syndergaard on the mound.
In that hypothetical situation, either Lindor or Correa would need to handle another position for a day. This problem occurs yet again in a 2016 rookie class headlined by three National League shortstops.
Is it cheating to move them from their true position? Probably, but when the alternative is starting Cheslor Cuthbert, it’s time to play loose with the rules. Besides, it will make good practice for when they need to learn a new craft in real life.
With some lineup manipulation and red-hot hands joining the fray, this rookie lineup—which is based on numbers from the season’s first half—has the makings of a solid squad.