Back when we published our first rookie watch on May 20, we warned that some players who might end up making noise in the Rookie of the Year races may not have even debuted yet, or at least proven themselves as capable candidates.
Well, there are some new entries on our imaginary ROY ballots that weren’t given a second thought on our first edition. The new player in the AL top three had made just two starts on May 20 (he's now made five, all impressive, as you will learn) while the new face in the NL’s top three had just returned from the minors. Heck, an NL honorable mention pitcher is in the minors now.
This is perhaps the hardest race to forecast at the beginning of the season, but there are a couple of clear frontrunners emerging despite the movement behind them on the ballot.
All stats are accurate entering Monday.
American League
1. Jacob Wilson, shortstop, Athletics
Baseball Reference has Wilson in the top 10 of 27 different positive categories—offensive and defensive. His slash line has, preposterously, improved since he debuted at the top of our rankings last month—he's now hitting .372 with a .408 on-base percentage and .528 slugging percentage. Even as the Athletics fall off a cliff (they're now 26–41), the May AL Rookie of the Month continues to rake. The former No. 6 overall pick would be the franchise's first Rookie of the Year since pitcher Andrew Bailey in 2009.
2. Carlos Narváez, catcher, Boston Red Sox
Narváez is now Boston’s first-string catcher over Connor Wong. After a torrid start, the Venezuela native made up for slight batting average and on-base percentage dips in May by recording a splendid .534 slugging percentage. At .263/.440/.474 in June, it's hard to see any sign of a fall-off—like Wilson, he's helping carry a mediocre team. Oh, and the 26-year-old has been a superb defender in terms of blocking, framing and controlling the run game, and his 25 assists lead AL catchers.
3. Noah Cameron, pitcher, Kansas City Royals
Cameron replaces Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jake Mangum, who is back from injury but missed enough time to fall below this ranking's plate appearance minimum. The Royals seem to have a gem in this southpaw from nearby St. Joseph, Mo., the owner of a 0.85 ERA in five starts. Every one of those starts has lasted at least six innings, and in none has he given up more than one earned run. There are hints he's getting lucky (.148 batting average on balls in play, 3.64 FIP), but this is a situation worth monitoring.
Honorable Mention
Shane Smith, starting pitcher, Chicago White Sox; Chase Meidroth, infielder, Chicago White Sox; Eric Orze, reliever, Tampa Bay Rays
National League
1. Drake Baldwin, catcher, Atlanta Braves
Baldwin would be getting more publicity if the seemingly snakebitten Braves weren’t so adept at finding new ways to lose. Still, he's been everything Atlanta must've envisioned when it put him on its Opening Day roster. A .303/.351/.508 slashline with seven home runs and 18 RBIs has the 24-year-old tied for the lead in bWAR among rookies—and he's not even starting every day thanks to Sean Murphy rebounding from a rough 2024 campaign. Let's hope a .188 batting average in June doesn't fester—though he's still slugging .563 this month.
2. Liam Hicks, catcher, Miami Marlins
On a club teeming with rookies, Hicks—the former ninth-round pick who just turned 26 and grew up in Canada—is the best. With a .313 average in May giving way to a .316 clip in June, his success is looking less and less like an aberration, with a .300 BABIP providing more evidence. Consistent playing time remains an issue due to the success of fellow rookie backstop Agustín Ramírez, though the Marlins seem open to deploying him at first base.
3. Matt Shaw, third baseman, Chicago Cubs
Slot this Maryland product in for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius, who remains a valuable long reliever and a Rookie of the Year contender. In Shaw, the Cubs—a team with a light-hitting revolving door at third base for much of this season—have found a godsend. He's a classic sabermetric darling—look not upon his .252/.328/.366 slash line but on his 1.1 WAR (same as Baldwin's) and 0.4 dWAR (second among NL rookies). "I just feel like myself again," he said via Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic in the wake of a productive stint with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, and it's showing.
Honorable Mention
Agustín Ramírez, catcher, Miami Marlins; Chad Patrick, starting pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers; Logan Henderson, starting pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Rookie Watch: New Faces Enter Top Three in Each League.
