It seems like the young talent just keeps coming. As of Aug. 7, there are 21 rookie position players and 18 rookie pitchers who are first year eligible in the National League. There is no clear cut rookie of the year, and you can make a case for each of them. The stat categories are led by many different candidates. Matt Duffy currently leads all rookies with a .309 average, Joc Pederson leads with 21 home runs and Chicago Cubs rookie third baseman Kris Bryant is the leader in RBIs, with 61. This just makes the vote even harder. What is impressive too, is that most of these rookies are performing in the middle of pennant races. On the mound, Giants' righty Chris Heston, and Mets' Noah Syndergaard have both put up strong numbers and seem to be the two pitching favorites. Milwaukee's Taylor Jungmann has also impressed in his 11 starts this year.
Although Bryant and Pederson have received the most hype, they have struggled mightily since the All-Star break. Fans need to be exposed to the other rookies, so that the other rookies can receive recognition for their solid campaigns. Here are three very underrated rookies who have put up very good numbers, and make good cases to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award.
Matt Duffy - 3B - San Francisco Giants
Duffy has been one of the more quiet rookie performers this year. He doesn't get the same attention as Bryant, or Pederson, but he has definitely been as good or better. Remember just this past offseason marked the departure of Pablo Sandoval, and many were wondering who could replace the beloved third baseman. The Giants first tried veteran Casey McGehee, but after that didn't work out, they gave the job full time to Duffy, who began to stand out from the beginning. Through his first 95 games, Duffy has batted .309 (1st among rookies) with 108 hits (1st), nine home runs (7th) and 51 RBIs (2nd). Duffy has always been a high average hitter, hitting .332 at Double-A Richmond last year, but the power has only developed recently. In his college career at Long Beach State, Duffy didn't hit a single home run, but has hit nine in the big leagues this year. His run production has allowed manager Bruce Bochy to deepen his lineup, penciling in Duffy to the third spot on a Giants team that already features Buster Posey, Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt in the middle of the order. Duffy has definitely made an impact in San Francisco, and he should not be overlooked in the NL ROY race.
Randal Grichuk - OF - St. Louis Cardinals
Many may not know that Grichuk was taken by the Angels 24th overall in the 2009 MLB First Year Player Draft, the pick before reigning AL MVP Mike Trout. Although he didn't get to the big leagues as fast as Trout, Grichuk is a very talented outfielder with solid tools across the board. He is 5th in average (.288), 2nd in doubles (20), 1st in triples (seven) and 6th in RBIs (40). He, like Duffy, has performed on a playoff contending team, and has filled a huge hole in the lineup with Matt Holliday down with a quad injury. He is projected to finish with around 20 home runs (13 at the moment), and has been a big part of the Cardinals. Grichuk consistently hits the ball hard as he ranks 4th in average launch speed (94.7 mph), behind only Giancarlo Stanton (98.7 mph), Kyle Schwarber (96.8 mph), and Miguel Cabrera (94.8 mph). The harder the ball is put in play, the more good things happen for a hitter. Look for Grichuk down the stretch as he looks to continue to help the Cardinals to the playoffs and beyond.
Odubel Herrera - CF - Philadelphia Phillies
Who? That is what most say when they hear the name of this 23 year old rookie outfielder. After being selected by the Phillies from the Rangers in this past Rule 5 Draft, Herrera had a chip on his shoulder, but also an opportunity to play in the big leagues. He has made most of the opportunity so far, hitting .288 with five home runs and 29 RBIs. He currently leads NL rookies with 22 doubles, is 5th in runs with 41 and 3rd in hits with 90. Herrera has also made a nice adjustment to the outfield after being a middle infielder for most of his professional career. Although the Phillies are not contending in a playoff race, Herrera is making his case that he should be in the future plans of the Phillies. He could turn out to be a Shane Victorino like story, as Victorino was also a Rule 5 Draft pick. Paired with Maikel Franco (who has put up a stellar rookie campaign so far.), Cody Asche, and Cesar Hernandez, the Phillies have some nice young pieces moving into the future, and hopes that Herrera will roaming center field in the years to come.
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