2012 was a banner year for rookies. Not only did it mark the arrival of two players with the potential to be generational superstars in Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, it also saw the graduation of other high-level prospects such as Manny Machado, Will Middlebrooks and Matt Harvey.
Although the 2013 season won’t feature anything close to what Harper and Trout did last year, there’s a new wave of elite prospects on the verge of becoming big-league regulars.
To change things up, I’ve composed a list of 10 prospects and assigned each of them Vegas style odds based upon their likelihood, at least in my opinion, of winning the Rookie of the Year award next season.
Read through, vote and then I’ll let you know my pick.
Jurickson Profar, SS, Texas Rangers
Odds: 2/1
Tools: All of them. He’s baseball’s top prospect for a reason, folks.
Opening Day Level: MLB
Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Odds: 3/1
Tools: Plus raw power and power frequency; average hit and defense.
Opening Day Level: MLB (I hope.)
Trevor Bauer, RHP, Cleveland Indians
Odds: 3/1
Tools: Five-pitch mix masked by unorthodox and explosive delivery; plus fastball and curveball; above-average changeup; pitchability.
Opening Day Level: MLB
Dylan Bundy, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
Odds: 7/2
Tools: Four-pitch mix of above-average-to-plus offerings; plus pitchability
Opening Day Level: Double-A/Triple-A
Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Odds: 7/2
Tools: Plus hit tool; advanced plate discipline; above-average present power; average defensive outfielder
Opening Day Level: Triple-A
Adam Eaton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Odds: 9/2
Tools: Big-time sleeper prospect has four above-average to plus tools; power is below average. Unrelated, but this guy could be a fantasy monster.
Opening Day Level: MLB
Travis d’Arnaud, C, New York Mets
Odds: 5/1
Tools: Plus raw power; average to above-average hit; plus arm; solid-average defensive catcher
Opening Day Level: Triple-A
Shelby Miller, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Odds: 13/2
Tools: Advanced three-pitch mix; swing-and-miss fastball; average curveball and changeup that should improve.
Opening Day Level: MLB
Chris Archer, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Odds: 13/2
Tools: Mid-to-high-90s fastball with late life; plus slider is a legitimate out-pitch; average changeup when locating fastball.
Opening Day Level: MLB
Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds
Odds: 7/1
Tools: Plus-plus (maybe even another -plus) speed; switch hitter with improving on-base skills; plays up-the-middle position with above-average defense.
Opening Day Level: Double-A
My Pick: Adam Eaton. Dude’s for real. He has tools, baseball skills that will play in the major leagues and a chance to stick in the major leagues from Opening Day.
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