MLB PLAYER NEWS

15 AL Rookies to Watch

The Sports Xchange

April 06, 2015 at 8:21 am.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Taijuan Walker. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Will right-hander Taijuan Walker, still just 22 years old, take the next step for Seattle? Can 24-year-old James McCann provide ample offensive and defensive cover as the Tigers new backup catcher? Can Baltimore’s 23-year-old righty Dylan Bundy live up to the hype a year removed from Tommy John surgery?

These are just a few of the questions that will be answered this season as The Sports Xchange’s network of baseball correspondents analyze each American League team’s top rookie.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

HOUSTON ASTROS: RHP Asher Wojciechowski, 26, appeared on the brink of a roster breakthrough last spring before a lat injury derailed those aspirations. This spring he was healthy and performed splendidly (1-0, 1.08 ERA over five appearances, including two starts), and while he might not break camp with the club, he seems a sure bet to make his big league debut if one of the Astros’ starters breaks down or backslides. For a franchise on the cusp of a bright future, Wojciechowski represents a potential rotation anchor, albeit one on the back end of that rotation. Whatever he contributes this season will serve as a foundation for his future.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS: INF Taylor Featherston has never played above Double-A, but is in the running to make the club as a utility infielder. He has hit .244 during camp, but most important to the club would be his ability to play shortstop. Featherston has played mostly second base in his professional career but was a shortstop at TCU. Also helping his cause is the fact that he’s a Rule 5 player, meaning he must be offered back to his former team, the Colorado Rockies, if he doesn’t make the team out of spring training.

OAKLAND ATHLETICS: RHP Kendall Graveman was all but unhittable during a dominant spring training, earning a spot in the A’s rotation. Graveman went 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA in his first five starts with 11 strikeouts and just four walks over 21 1/3 innings. Graveman, 24, relies primarily on a nasty sinker and was a ground-ball machine in Arizona. Late last season, he made five relief appearances for Toronto and had a ground out/fly out ratio of 9 to 1. The A’s acquired Graveman from the Blue Jays on Nov. 28 along with 3B Brett Lawrie, LHP Sean Nolin and SS Franklin Barreto for 3B Josh Donaldson.

SEATTLE MARINERS: RHP Taijuan Walker is only 22 years old, but it feels like he’s been on the verge of superstardom for years. He’s been the organization’s top prospect since he was 19 years old and could finally be ready to make an impact with the Mariners. After getting some seasoning over eight starts with Seattle during 2013 and 2014, Walker looks like a good bet to make the rotation out of spring training. The presence of Felix Hernandez means Seattle won’t be looking for Walker to be an ace, but the Mariners will need their future phenom to be a steady contributor if this rotation is going to thrive.

TEXAS RANGERS: LF Ryan Rua, 25, was one of the favorites to win the job in left, and after a slow start he did just that with a fast finish. Rua, a 17th-round pick in 2011, hit at every level in 2014 and that continued in his brief September stint with Texas. Rua batted .295 in 105 at-bats with the Rangers and capped a season in which he totaled 20 home runs and 88 RBIs in a season that began for him with a .300 average in 71 games in Double A.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 2B Micah Johnson, 24, appears to have won a tight competition for the starting job at second base with fellow rookie Carlos Sanchez. Johnson, who stole 84 bases in the minors in 2013, was hampered on the basepaths at Triple-A Charlotte last season. A badly strained left hamstring ended his 2014 season in August, but he’s recovered and has performed well for a second straight year in the Cactus League. Johnson hit .339 in 59 at-bats this spring, with a .391 on-base percentage, .865 OPS and three stolen bases in four attempts.

CLEVELAND INDIANS: SS Francisco Lindor, 21, is expected to recalled sometime before the All-Star break, completing his meteoric rise through the system after the Indians selected him with the eighth pick in the 2011 draft. Lindor, considered one of the top prospects in all of the minor leagues, will start the year at Triple-A Columbus, where he had only 165 at-bats last year. In 2014, he hit a combined .276/.338/.389 with 11 homers, 62 RBIs and 28 steals in 126 games in Double-A and Triple-A.

DETROIT TIGERS: C James McCann, 24, is being looked at on two levels this season. First, whether he’s a more capable backup than last year’s No. 2 catcher, Bryan Holaday, who was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on March 30. McCann hit .295 for Toledo last season and he has solid defensive and game-calling credentials. Regular C Alex Avila is in his walk season behind the plate and thus McCann will be evaluated all season to see whether he could be a No. 1 catcher if Avila leaves as a free agent.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS: OF Paulo Orlando is what manager Ned Yost terms a “late bloomer.” Orlando is from Brazil, which is not a baseball hotbed. Orlando flashes good speed and his bat has developed. He hit .301 and stole 34 last season with Triple-A Omaha. His offense continued in the Venezuelan Winter League, hitting .319 with 15 doubles, eight home runs and 40 RBIs in 64 games. Orlando hit .333 in 23 spring training games and is in contention to open the season on the major league roster after nine minor league seasons.

MINNESOTA TWINS: 3B Miguel Sano will start the season in Double-A, but don’t be surprised to see him reach the majors early this summer if he gets off to a quick start. Sano has impressive power, and although his body frame has raised questions about whether his long-term future is at third, Sano’s epic power has made him one of baseball’s top prospects. Sano missed all of last season after having Tommy John surgery, but in 2013, hit .280 and belted 35 homers in 123 games between Class-A and Double-A. He hit just .200 in 13 plate appearances during the spring, but hit two homers and reached base at a .385 clip. The Twins have several high-end prospects on the way, and Sano could be the first one to arrive in the Twin Cities.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

BALTIMORE ORIOLES: RHP Dylan Bundy, 23, could start his highly anticipated career at the major league level this season. Bundy, who is one of the franchise’s most touted prospects, successfully returned from Tommy John surgery late last season and did not show any ill effects. He will start the season in the minors to work on his mechanics and gain strength, but he will likely be part of the Orioles’ bullpen, or possibly even the rotation, at some point this season. Bundy already pitched in two games for the Orioles during the 2012 season and was not overwhelmed by the experience. The next time he arrives in Baltimore, Bundy is expected to help anchor the pitching staff for years to come.

BOSTON RED SOX: OF Rusney Castillo, who appeared in 10 games for the Red Sox after signing and playing in the minors last year, was supposed to battle Mookie Betts for the starting center field job. However, an oblique injury held Castillo back as Betts flourished. Then Castillo settled into a battle for right field with Shane Victorino, and a healthy Victorino won the competition. Castillo will start the season in Triple-A, but he figures to return sooner rather than later.

NEW YORK YANKEES: LHP Jacob Lindgren was the Yankees’ first pick (55th overall) last season out of Mississippi State and ascended quickly through the farm system. By the end of last season, Lindgren rose from the rookie league to Double-A Trenton by striking out 48 hitters in 24 2/3 innings. In eight exhibition appearances, Lindgren had 10 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings and was among the last cuts in spring training. While ticketed for the minors, if Lindgren pitches as well as last season or even better, he could make his major league debut this season.

TAMPA BAY RAYS: RF Steven Souza has just 23 at-bats in the major leagues but already has a highlight for the ages. His spectacular catch with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning preserved a no-hitter for Washington Nationals RHP Jordan Zimmermann last year on the final day of the season against the Miami Marlins. The Rays acquired Souza in an offseason trade and believe the 25-year-old’s career is ready to take off after he hit .350 with 18 home runs and 26 stolen bases in just 96 games with Triple-A Syracuse last season.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS: CF Dalton Pompey leads an array of rookies. After a rapid rise through the system last year, the 22-year-old showed enough in a September trial to earn a shot at the regular center fielder’s job this season, replacing CF Colby Rasmus, who signed with the Houston Astros. Pompey is a superb defensive player who also has a solid approach at the plate. He was batting .333/.390/.519 after 19 Grapefruit League games. Last season, he batted .317/.392/.469 at Class A Dunedin, Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo. That earned him a September trial at Toronto, where he hit .231/.302/.436 in 17 games.

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