By Chris Gamble
Some of their names are
familiar to us already. Jesus Montero
took New York Yankees by storm last September.
Now, he finds himself in Seattle after being traded for Michael Pineda. Matt Moore showed enough poise to start Game
1 of the ALDS for the Tampa Bay Rays.
There are seemingly a ton of future stars poised to make Major League
rosters either out of Spring Training or as call-ups later on in the year. Here is my list of impact rookies for 2012
and what to expect from them this year.
1. Jesus Montero, C, Mariners. Montero takes the top spot on this list
because his offense is something Seattle needed badly last year. He won’t be expected to immediately mash 40
homers but that day will come. He is
young, still only 22 years-old, and has proven he is capable of hitting. His defense leaves a lot to be desired,
however. He is listed as a catcher but
with his offensive abilities and defensive inefficiencies he should become the
Mariners DH with random appearances behind the plate. Montero will mash, even at SAFECO Field,
using his opposite field power to drive balls into the gap. That power might not translate into home runs
right away but it will soon. Because of
his ability to play every day and his potential impact in a very blah lineup I
have him listed at the top spot.
2. Matt Moore, SP, Rays. Matt Moore might just be one of the best
pitchers most of us have never heard of.
He got the nod to start Game 1 of the ALDS for the Rays last season
based on his ability and other pitchers rest.
The only reason he isn’t in my top spot is because the Rays won’t throw
him to the wolves. They will let him
pitch but will monitor his pitch counts and innings closely. The Rays have a future ace in Matt Moore and
they know it. He has been lights out at
every stop in his minor league tours and now he should continue that in the
Majors. He could very well win the AL
Rookie of the Year Award, a precursor to the Cy Young that I see sometime in
his future. Yes he is that good.
3. Jarrod Parker, SP, Athletics. Parker will pitch in a very forgiving
ballpark and has good enough stuff to get Major League hitters out. The defense behind him will also aid
him. He has a very nice fastball and
generates a lot of swings and misses and his mistakes will partly be masked by
the fact that The Coliseum is a notorious pitcher’s park. Parker should be able to give the A’s quality
innings as he continues to develop. I
can see him evolving into an ace, especially if he pitches a few years out
there in Oakland. As for right now, he
can pitch well enough to be considered for AL Rookie of the Year.
4. Devin Mesoraco, C, Reds. He will be the Reds starting catcher going
into this season and should hit well enough while playing above average defense
to make Reds fans dream about a big future.
His offensive skill set isn’t as high as Montero’s but few young
catchers come into the league with that kind of power and ability. He will eventually hit for 20+ homers
although I think it will take some time for that power to develop at the Major
League level. He is not far off from
being an All-Star at catcher and should win the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
5. Addison Reed, RP, White Sox. Reed will most likely end the year as the
White Sox closer. He has electric stuff
and should provide plenty of impact in a bullpen that badly needs it. His fastball runs north of 95 MPH and can
touch 99 at times. His slider is
devastating, especially on right-handed hitters. He is much better suited to the bullpen than
the starting rotation and the White Sox should keep him there. He could have the kind of impact that Craig
Kimbrel had for the Braves last season.
6. Mike Trout, OF, Angels. If he had a guaranteed spot in the outfield
in Anaheim he would be near the top of this list. Trout does everything well.
Defense, hit for average, hit for power, and steal bases. The only problem is there are a few guys in
front of him making boatloads of money and the Angels might have to ease him
into the lineup. I am a little astounded
that the Angels think guys like Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Vernon Wells are
better than him because right now they aren’t.
Trout should start and the Angels might be forced into doing just
that. There is not a single outfielder
on this roster that is better all around than Mike Trout. If the Angels wake up and send one of the
aging veterans to the bench then Trout might just be the most impactful rookie
of them all.
7. Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals. It has already been determined that Harper
will start the season at AAA. That is a
good thing for Harper. He has shown some
insane skills in the minors but he still needs a little time to develop his
pitch recognition, especially from left-handers. That will come and when it does let the show
begin. He will be dominant in D.C. If he gets off to a hot start and shows he
has improved from his Spring Training struggles I don’t see anything blocking
the Nationals from calling him up. Nats
Manager Davey Johnson is enamored with the kid and believes he will be a force
in the near future. I’m inclined to
believe Davey. I just hope he doesn’t
get a stupid tag-line. I don’t know if I
can stomach “HarperMania” every night on ESPN.
8. Jacob Turner, SP, Tigers. He looks like he will be the Tigers fifth
starter, a move I’m not in love with.
Turner has some plus stuff, namely his fastball and a 12-6
curveball. The talent is there but I
think he could have used another season in the minors before getting the
nod. Still, it’s a fifth starter slot on
a team with loads of offense so his mistakes could be easily overcome. However, he does pitch to contact, especially
with his fastball that tends to stay up in the zone. With Prince Fielder at first and Miguel
Cabrera at third there might be some issues for Turner. Plus, he won’t be 21 until May. The Tigers have a tendency to rush their
pitchers and I think they are rushing Turner.
Who knows, though. The kid could
put it together and thrive away from the attention in the fifth spot and
compete for AL ROY.
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