This year’s rookie position-player class is special, with two surprising older rooks, Yermín Mercedes and Adolis García, both 28, bookending my initial top 12 rankings. Several top outfield prospects, such as the Rays’ Randy Arozarena and the Cardinals’ Dylan Carlson, are making their mark, along with Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff, who recently hit four home runs over three games before landing on the injured list. There’s even some Jazz on this list.
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Expect this list to drastically change during the season, as Ke’Bryan Hayes returns from the IL for the Pirates and top prospects such as Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodríguez of the Mariners, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals and Wander Franco of the Rays likely arrive from the minors.
In the meantime, here are my rankings for the top rookie position players, and early contenders for the Rookie of the Year awards, after the first month-plus of the season. Look for a corresponding top rookie pitcher rankings on Friday.
(Overall ranking among position-player rookies appears in parentheses after the league ranking. Jim Bowden’s tools grades are based on the 20-80 scouting scale, in which 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. All stats are updated through Wednesday’s games.)
American League
1 (1). Yermín Mercedes, DH, Chicago White Sox
Age: 28 B: R: T: R
Height: 5-11 Weight: 245
Scouting Grades: Arm: 55 Fielding: 35 Hitting: 55 Power: 55 Running: 30
Yermín Mercedes is one of the best stories of the season after unexpectedly making the White Sox roster, then pounding the baseball from the designated hitter spot. He has slashed .386/.426/.614 with five doubles, five home runs and 16 RBIs, numbers that earned Mercedes AL Rookie of the Month honors for April. The injuries to outfielder Eloy Jiménez (60-day IL) and Luis Robert (out 12 to 16 weeks) mean Mercedes will receive more opportunities to shine at the plate. Is it sustainable? Only time will tell. But remember, he managed to hit 20 or more home runs in the minor leagues twice and got on base at a 37 percent clip over his last two minor-league seasons. With his upbeat personality, Mercedes is a fun player to watch, especially his reactions after every hard-hit ball. A lot of people are rooting for him, and count me in that group.
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2 (2). Randy Arozarena, RF, Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 26 B: R T: R
Height: 5-11 Weight: 185
Scouting Grades: Arm: 55 Fielding: 50 Hitting: 55 Power: 55 Running: 55
Randy Arozarena burst onto the scene last October when he belted three home runs in the ALDS against the Yankees, then four home runs in the ALCS against the Astros, before topping it off with three more bombs in the World Series against the Dodgers. The big question was whether he could carry that dominance into the regular season. After his first 28 games and 120 plate appearances, the answer, of course, is no, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been solid: a .350 on-base percentage, four doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs and four stolen bases (without getting caught stealing). I expect Arozarena to continue to trend upward.
3 (4). Nick Madrigal, 2B, Chicago White Sox
Age: 24 B: R T: R
Height: 5-8 Weight: 175
Scouting Grades: Arm: 45 Fielding: 60 Hitting: 60 Power: 25 Running: 55
Nick Madrigal is living up to his scouting report this season with a .315 batting average and a .361 on-base percentage. He has no home run power, but has hit four doubles and two triples in his first 89 at-bats. Madrigal has impressed defensively, showing off his range and ability to turn the double play with quick feet and hands. He has a high baseball IQ and a special clock in his head.
4 (7). Alex Kirilloff, LF, Minnesota Twins
Age: 23 B: L T: L
Height: 6-2 Weight: 195
Scouting Grades: Arm: 50 Fielding: 45 Hitting: 60 Power: 55 Running: 50
Alex Kirilloff is the best position-player rookie in this class among those currently in the majors, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s at the top of this list. Anyone who follows me knows that I’ve ranked Kirilloff higher than most analysts; in fact, I had him 10th on my top prospects list before the 2019 season and 12th in 2020, and I took criticism from Minnesota fans for ranking him ahead of Royce Lewis, another top Twins prospect, a year ago. But I’ve been enamored with Kirilloff because I value his hit and power tools. His hands at the plate remind me of a young Christian Yelich, and his core and lower half remind of a young Will Clark; he has the level swing of Yelich with the follow-through of Clark. Bottom line: His hands are special through the zone. The Twins have found another long-term solution at first base; Kirilloff has the ability to dominate the position like former Twins Kent Hrbek and Justin Morneau did. Kirilloff got off to a cold start this season but rebounded nicely (four home runs, 11 RBIs) before being placed on the IL this week with a sprained wrist. Hopefully, this quiet slugger returns soon. When he does, I expect him to provide serious thunder for the Minnesota lineup.
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5 (8). Andrew Vaughn, LF, Chicago White Sox
Age: 23 B: R T: R
Height: 6-0 Weight: 215
Scouting Grades: Arm: 50 Fielding: 45 Hitting: 60 Power: 60 Running: 50
Andrew Vaughn made the team out of spring training, as the White Sox decided not to hold him back for service time and business reasons, despite not being able to sign him to a long-term contract. However, he was curiously absent from the Opening Day lineup and has been in and out of the lineup since, which hasn’t helped his confidence or ability to get going. That said, the injuries to Jiménez and Robert have basically assured that he will be the starting left fielder going forward. Vaughn is rewarding the White Sox for the playing time, going 14-for-47 with a .358 on-base percentage in his last 15 games. Like Kirilloff, Vaughn has the hit and power tools to become a middle-of-the-lineup impact bat, and by next month, I think he’ll be joining Kirilloff at or near the top of the AL list.
6 (11). Akil Baddoo, OF, Detroit Tigers
Age: 22 B: L T: L
Height: 6-1 Weight: 210
Scouting Grades: Arm: 55 Fielding: 55 Hitting: 50 Power: 55 Running: 60
Akil Baddoo is one of the best Rule 5 draft selections we’ve seen in a long time. As his career unfolds, he could end up in the conversation with other great Rule 5 picks like George Bell (Blue Jays), Dan Uggla (Marlins) and Shane Victorino (Phillies). Baddoo is an electric five-tool talent who exudes enthusiasm, passion and fun. He has hit four doubles, a league-leading three triples and four home runs, with 13 RBIs and two stolen bases. The Tigers acquired Baddoo from the Twins, and he had never played above A-ball before this season. He probably would be better off in Double A, but because of the rules, the Tigers will keep him on the major-league roster all season long. He’s shown power and speed and the ability to make highlight catches and throw out aggressive base runners. But he’s also shown a lot of swing-and-miss (33 strikeouts in 69 at-bats), something that’s not going away, at least this year at the big-league level. Although he’ll stick on the Tigers’ roster, it’s unclear how many at-bats he’ll get.
7 (12). Adolis García, OF, Texas Rangers
Age: 28 B: R T: R
Height: 6-1 Weight: 205
Scouting Grades: Arm: 50 Fielding: 45 Hitting: 45 Power: 60 Running: 50
Adolis García is second on this list behind Mercedes as the biggest surprise among the rookie position players. The Rangers acquired García from the Cardinals in December 2019 for cash considerations. The bizarre part of the transaction was that García had been productive in the Cardinals system, hitting a combined .290 with 34 doubles, 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 2017 at Double A and Triple A, then posting 22 homers with 10 stolen bases at Triple A in 2018. But when he got his cup of coffee in the big league with the Cardinals in 2018, he hit .118 and didn’t impress anyone. García rebounded in 2019 at Triple A, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 96 runs, but his low on-base percentage apparently caused the Cardinals to give up on him. The Rangers are glad, because they’ve enjoyed the power he’s provided early in the season (seven home runs, 19 RBIs). However, Texas will have to accept his .312 on-base percentage if he’s going to play every day for them.
National League
1 (3). Dylan Carlson, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 22 B: B T: L
Height: 6-2 Weight: 205
Scouting Grades: Arm: 55 Fielding: 55 Hitting: 55 Power: 60 Running: 55
Dylan Carlson debuted last year with the Cardinals and hit seven doubles and three home runs in 110 at-bats. This year, the power numbers have been identical in terms of doubles and home runs in his first 105 at-bats. However, he’s raised his on-base percentage from .252 to a solid .350, and he’s walking more and striking out less. Only 22 years old, Carlson has 20-homer, 20-stolen base upside, which he accomplished in 2019 between Double A and Triple A. He is going to develop into an All-Star-caliber player in time, and represents a long-term answer for the Cardinals at their corner outfield positions.
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2 (5). Pavin Smith, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 25 B: L T: L
Height: 6-2 Weight: 208
Scouting Grades: Arm: 50 Fielding: 55 Hitting: 55 Power: 45 Running: 45
Pavin Smith has taken advantage of his playing opportunities after the injuries to outfielders Ketel Marte and Kole Calhoun. He’s hitting only .250 but has 11 extra-base hits, 13 runs scored and 10 RBIs. He has a sweet swing, better than his results so far, and there’s reason for optimism about his future. He should develop into a .290 hitter with a .340 on-base percentage.
3 (6). Jazz Chisholm, 2B, Miami Marlins
Age: 23 B: L T: R
Height: 5-11 Weight: 184
Scouting Grades: Arm: 55 Fielding: 55 Hitting: 50 Power: 55 Running: 55
Jazz Chisholm was acquired from the Diamondbacks at the 2019 trade deadline for Zac Gallen, one of the best young starters in baseball. The deal looked lopsided at the end of last year after Gallen posted a 2.79 ERA in his first 20 starts with the Diamondbacks and Chisholm hit .161 with 19 strikeouts in his first 62 plate appearances. But should we really ever doubt Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, who had scouted Chisholm in the Arizona Fall League in 2018? Of course not. This season, Chisholm has been one of the real bright spots for the Marlins, slashing .290/.375/551 with four doubles, one triple, four home runs, seven RBIs and a league-leading seven stolen bases before landing on the IL with a strained hamstring. He’s expected to begin running progression and light baseball activities this week.
4 (9). Zach McKinstry, INF/OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 26 B: L T: R
Height: 6-0 Weight: 180
Scouting Grades: Arm: 55 Fielding: 55 Hitting: 55 Power: 45 Running: 55
I was concerned this offseason about how the Dodgers would replace the versatile Enrique Hernández, who left for the Red Sox in free agency. But it didn’t take long to note the skill of Zach McKinstry and realize L.A. had the answer already in place. I love McKinstry’s hit tool: He looks like a player who will hit for average and draw walks, with 15- to 20-homer power. I’m not sure how this stealth utility player slipped under the radar, but Dodgers fans should be excited about his future. After hitting five doubles and three homers and driving in 14 runs in his first 54 at-bats, McKinstry was placed on the IL (retroactive to April 22) with a right oblique strain. It’s unclear when he’ll return.
5 (10). Jonathan India, 2B, Cincinnati Reds
Age: 24 B: R T: R
Height: 6-0 Weight: 204
Scouting Grades: Arm: 55 Fielding: 55 Hitting: 55 Power: 50 Running: 50
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Jonathan India got off to a fast start at the beginning of April, but the league has started to make adjustments on how to pitch him, and his batting average has dipped to .222. Still, he’s scored nine runs, driven in 14, and played solid defense at second base. The Reds have their long-term answer at that position, but like most rookies, India will likely have a lot of peaks and valleys at the plate this year as he battles major-league pitching for the first time.
Rookies who could make a run for next month’s list
Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B, Pittsburgh Pirates (10-day IL)
Dom Nuñez, C, Colorado Rockies
Phillip Evans, INF/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Taylor Trammell, OF, Seattle Mariners
Tyler Stephenson, C, Cincinnati Reds
Rookies who could be promoted and become a factor
Jarred Kelenic, OF, Seattle Mariners
Julio Rodríguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals
Wander Franco, INF, Tampa Bay Rays
CJ Abrams, INF, San Diego Padres
(Photo of Yermín Mercedes: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)