Top rookies in the American League

1. Nomar Mazara – Right field – Texas Rangers

Mazara, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball in 2015 according to MLB Pipeline, was called up on Apr. 10 after a right calf injury sent Shin-Soo Choo to the disabled list. In his Major League Debut, Mazara went 3-for-4 including a solo-homer off Angels’ righty Jared Weaver. Mazara, who is known for his bat, has not slowed down, leading AL rookies with a .315 batting average (minimum 100 at-bats) and 67 hits. He is also first among AL rookies with 28 RBIs and is tied second with Dae-Ho Lee with 10 homers. His hot start named him AL Rookie of the Month in April and in May. Even with Choo coming off the DL soon, it seems that Mazara is here to stay.

2. Michael Fulmer – Starting Pitcher – Detroit Tigers

Acquired in the trade that sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets, Fulmer immediately slid into the Tigers’ No. 1 prospect slot. He had a breakout 2015 season in which he went 10-3 with a 2.24 ERA between Class-A Adv (St. Lucie) and Double-A (Binghamton and Erie). The 23-year-old Fulmer made his Major League debut on Apr. 29 against the Twins, surrendering two earned runs over five innings while picking up the win. Over his last seven starts, Fulmer is 6-0 with a 1.65 ERA in 43 2/3 innings pitched, and he is 7-1 overall. The Tigers, only 3.0 games back of the Indians in the AL Central, will need Fulmer to continue to lengthen their rotation.

3. Dae-Ho Lee – First Baseman – Seattle Mariners

Lee is an unconventional rookie, migrating from the Japan Pacific League to the Major Leagues as a 33-year-old. The Korean first baseman has always hit for a high average, boasting a .303 career average in 15 seasons between the Japan Pacific League and the Korean Baseball Organization. His approach in the Majors has been no different as Lee is sporting a .296 average, 2^nd among AL Rookies. He has also shown the power that allowed him to hit 20 or more homers in 10 of his 15 seasons overseas. Lee is tied second with Mazara in home runs with 10, but has almost half of the at-bats. He has been a solid addition to the new-look Mariners, and although he may not receive the at-bats to keep up in the AL Rookie of the Year race, he has certainly impressed early in the 2016 season.