Inbox: Early candidates for 2027 Rookie of the Year?

If you need to fill in the gaps between watching MLB playoff games, don't forget that almost all of the Arizona Fall League games stream live at mlb.com. Check out the complete schedule here.

And with no postseason action today, I'll try to fill some of that void by answering your prospect questions ...

Could you give your way-too-early picks for 2027 Rookies of the Year and why it’s Seaver King for the National League?
-- Matt H., Allentown, Pa.

While Nationals shortstop Seaver King (WAS No. 3/MLB No. 51) is a prime NL candidate, I'm going with Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula (LAD No. 1/MLB No. 4). He's the best offensive prospect in baseball and I think he'll force his way into Los Angeles' lineup next year even if there isn't an obvious opening right now. I'd rank King second and Padres catcher Ethan Salas (SD No. 1/MLB No. 21) third, with Rockies first baseman Charlie Condon (COL No. 3/MLB No. 56) as another contender.

It's more difficult for pitchers to win Rookie of the Year awards -- 2024 aside -- so I'll go with Twins outfielder Walker Jenkins (MIN No. 1/MLB No. 13) over Mariners left-hander Kade Anderson (SEA No. 1/MLB No. 5) in the American League. Also keep an eye on Red Sox shortstop Franklin Arias (BOS No. 1/MLB No. 2), Twins shortstop Kaelen Culpepper (MIN No. 3/MLB No. 31), Guardians first baseman/outfielder Ralphy Velazquez (CLE No. 1/MLB No. 29) and Rangers shortstop/third baseman Sebastian Walcott (TEX No. 1/MLB No. 8).

We've been getting more Inbox questions about Brewers third baseman Andrew Fischer (MIL No. 5) than any other prospect, and recently Rodriguez (STL No. 1) has ranked a close second. We just moved him up to No. 10 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list in our final 2026 update, and Ryan is one of several Cardinals fans wondering why he doesn't rank higher.

Rodriguez's offensive ceiling might be higher than any prospect's besides De Paula. He's aggressive at the plate but makes a ton of hard contact and led the Double-A Texas League in all three slash stats (.328/.408/.591) while hitting 23 homers in 87 games at that level as a 19-year-old.

To climb higher, Rodriguez will need to improve defensively. He's young so he certainly has time to do so and he has a strong arm, but he lacks polish as a receiver and blocker. It's not a lock that he'll be a primary catcher in the big leagues because of other options St. Louis has, such as Leo Bernal (STL No. 4), and Rodriguez has worked out at third base.

Except for De Paula, the seven hitters ranked ahead of Rodriguez on the Top 100 all play shortstop and all are graded as better defenders. Of course, he'll still be a teenager and could rise into the top five simply by having players ahead of him graduating to the Majors next year.

After winning the Single-A Carolina League MVP award in 2025, Bonemer (CWS No. 2/MLB No. 27) encored by leading the Minors in extra-base hits (69) and ranking fifth in homers (37) while batting .251/.380/.550 with 17 steals in 132 games between High-A and Double-A. The White Sox drafted him in 2024's second round as a shortstop and he has proven better than expected there, but they have a surplus of young talent at that position.

So Chicago had Bonemer focus more on third base once he got to Double-A -- but they also have All-Star Miguel Vargas at the hot corner in the big leagues and Colson Montgomery potentially shifting from shortstop to third once 2026 No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky (CWS No. 1/MLB No. 14) is ready in the near future. Thus Bonemer spent most of the last three weeks of the Double-A season in center field and is focusing on playing the outfield in the Arizona Fall League.

Bonemer is an average runner underway and could maybe fill in as a center fielder for a big league team, but that's not his long-term position. I think it's more likely that he winds up as a left fielder for the White Sox -- as early as mid-2027 -- and Sam Antonacci becomes a super-utility player for the club.

Miller's (PHI No. 2/MLB No. 59) AFL performance doesn't matter as much as his health, because he played just four games this season while dealing with back issues that cropped up at the end of 2025. There are no questions about his ability to hit for average or power, and he'll just need some time to adjust to third base after playing solely at shortstop in his first four years as a pro. He's a future All-Star if his back holds up.

Center fielder Nori (PHI No. 7) and catcher Kehden Hettiger are playing alongside Miller on the AFL's Glendale Desert Dogs. Nori is a good athlete with bat-to-ball skills, but he'll need to hit balls harder and stop chasing pitches if he's going to make much impact. While Hettiger is a good defender, his bat isn't ready with him coming off a .191/.317/.348 season in Double-A.