Here are the 10 hottest rookies of the past 30 days
Welcome to the MLB Pipeline Rookie Hot List for the past 30 days. This is the second 2023 rendition of MLB.com’s monthly look at the rookies on a roll around the Major Leagues.
Friendly reminder: as always, this is not about who’s going to win Rookie of the Year. And it’s also not about who’s the best prospect, though that can be a tiebreaker when there’s a close call.
It’s simply about who’s hot -- rookie players who have put up the best performances over the last 30 days. There’s something of a bias toward playing time, so a player with twice as many at-bats or innings (or appearances, for a reliever) will get the nod over one with a slightly better slugging percentage or ERA in fewer opportunities. That guideline was tested a bit this month, though, as you’ll see below.
This month’s honorable mentions include Brenton Doyle, Anthony Volpe, Gregory Santos and Mason Miller (who likely would be on the list if he weren’t hurt). All stats are as of the end of games on Monday, May 15.
On with the list…
1. Yennier Canó, RHP, Orioles: We don’t often lead this with a reliever, but you don’t often see a rookie reliever do this. Over the past 30 days, Canó has made 13 appearances totaling 17 innings (unusual in itself these days!). He’s struck out 19, hit one batter, hasn't walked anyone and allowed exactly (checks notes) zero runs. He’s even racked up three saves, so this isn’t garbage-time work. Yes, we’re usually biased toward innings and at-bats here. Sometimes you make an exception.
2. Masataka Yoshida, OF, Red Sox: Yoshida found himself below the Mendoza line on April 21, but even then he was controlling the strike zone. Now he’s raking, with a .337/.392/.565 line over the past month, complemented by five homers, 18 RBIs, 15 runs and six doubles. He’s always hit, he’s still hitting. Checks out!
3. Bryce Miller, RHP, Mariners: Cleveland deservedly gets most of the attention for this, but that Mariners pitcher development pipeline isn’t too bad, is it? Miller is the latest homegrown M’s hurler to step in and thrive, and he’s been brilliant so far. Yes, it’s only three starts, but it’s three pretty brilliant starts: 19 innings, one run, 18 Ks, one walk. That’s a 0.47 ERA and a 0.42 WHIP.
4. James Outman, OF, Dodgers: One of only three holdovers from last week, Outman continues to defy expectations. He’s cooled off a bit from his brilliant first few weeks, but he’s still performing at a very high level for a Dodgers team that’s rounding into form. The strikeout rate is a little worrisome but he hasn’t turned into a pumpkin yet.
5. Corbin Carroll, OF, D-backs: Carroll has flashed power at times in his brief Major League career, and it won’t be shocking if he ends up hitting for pretty good power in the long run. But the past month has shown something essential about him: he can contribute quite a bit even when he’s not knocking the ball out of the park. Carroll has a .284/.400/.446 line over the past month, with 15 runs, 14 walks and four steals.
6. Hayden Wesneski, RHP, Cubs: Yes, Wesneski was just sent down after a rough start. It seems unlikely he’ll be in Iowa for long, and his overall performance over the past month is quite solid. He posted a 3.78 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in six starts, averaging almost 5 2/3 innings per outing. That’s not dazzling, but it’s effective, and given the innings count, enough to place him on the list.
7. Josh Jung, 3B, Rangers: It’s been a strange month for Jung, but his counting stats are enough to land him on the list. His slash line (.225/.259/.431) is not exactly eye-popping, but he’s playing just about every day for a first-place team. And he leads rookies in homers, RBIs, and runs over the past month.
8. Tanner Bibee, RHP, Guardians: It gets especially tricky here, where three starters had almost identical lines over the last month. Bibee, Logan Allen, and Mason Miller all made four starts in the last month. All had between 21 and 22 1/3 innings. All had ERAs between 3.00 and 3.50. All allowed exactly eight runs, and their strikeout numbers were almost identical. Bibee gets the nod due to those few extra outs, and the fewest walks. But you could order them in any way.
9. Logan Allen, LHP, Guardians: Allen, meanwhile, noses out Miller mostly because Miller is injured. But, again, you could scarcely fit a business card between any of these three pitchers’ performances. They’ve all been very good. The presence here of both Bibee and Allen, meanwhile, neither of whom was a first-round pick, is a great indicator of that Guardians pitching program.
10. Francisco Álvarez, C, Mets: Yes, it’s only 56 ABs. Yes, he’s still working on his catching. Still, his slash line over the past month is a pretty robust .268/.339/.500, and he’s doing that while playing the most difficult position on the field. Also, remember that part at the beginning about prospect status being a tiebreaker? You can consider Álvarez’s pedigree as having been a tiebreaker to put him on the list over some of the honorable mentions. Don’t be surprised if he’s more comfortably in the top 10 next month.