Tonight, Major League Baseball will announce the 2023 Rookie of the Year Award recipients. Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll is predicted to win in the National League over Mets righty Kodai Senga and Dodgers outfielder James Outman, whilst Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson does the identical in the American League over Guardians righty Tanner Bibee and Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas. Carroll and Henderson, who entered the season ranked through CBS Sports as the top potentialities in the minors, completed Nos. 1 and a pair of in Wins Above Replacement amongst rookie gamers, in accordance to Baseball Reference.
Since each races seem to be foregone conclusions, we right here at CBS Sports determined we would glance ahead somewhat than again nowadays. That way understanding the 3 favorites to win those awards subsequent iciness — in addition to a couple of wild cards who may finally end up disrupting both/or each races. (Keep in thoughts that that is extra of an artwork than a science, particularly at this level in the offseason.)
Let’s get to it.
American League
1. Jackson Holliday, SS, Orioles
Could the Orioles win consecutive Rookie of the Year Awards? Maybe. We believe Holliday to be the top prospect in the minors. He’s confirmed to be a snappy learn about, torching skilled pitching all the manner up to Triple-A previous to his twentieth birthday. The possibility with Holliday is enjoying time. The Orioles have a slew of different gifted younger infielders, including the aforementioned Henderson, and that would consequence in them retaining Holliday in the minors for added seasoning. If Holliday does get an actual probability to crack the Opening Day roster, then we would believe him one of the favorites for the AL Award in spite of his excessive early life.
2. Evan Carter, OF, Rangers
It does not get a lot more effective than this. We already regarded as Carter to be one of the handful of perfect potentialities in the minors earlier than he made his big-league debut in September. He then confirmed off over a 40-game stretch that integrated the Rangers’ run to the World Series identify. He has a very good really feel for the strike zone and the barrel, and he is a top of the range athlete who may play heart if the Rangers wanted him to accomplish that. We await he is going to spend the complete season in the majors — how may he now not? — giving him an additional spice up.
3. Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers
Yes, the Rangers have some other gifted younger outfielder on the upward thrust. Langford, the No. 4 pick out in closing summer time’s draft, obliterated skilled pitching after his debut. In 44 video games throughout 4 ranges, the former University of Florida Gator batted .360/.480/.677 with 10 house runs and extra walks than strikeouts. We had Langford as the No. 2 participant in the draft, however it is truthful to write that he exceeded even our expectancies. He has a excellent basis of energy and self-discipline, and he possesses sneaky excellent velocity that are meant to permit him to supply high quality protection. Our most effective hesitation is whether or not or now not Langford gets to spend maximum of the season in the majors. The Rangers were competitive together with his construction up to now, suggesting that he’s going to proceed to upward thrust as briefly as his bat lets in.
National League
1. Paul Skenes, RHP, Pirates
Skenes, the No. 1 pick out in July’s draft, is predicted to arrive in the majors quicker than later come 2024. (Some scouts instructed to CBS Sports that he may’ve pitched in the majors this yr had the Pirates wanted him.) He has a top rate energy arsenal, whole with an upper-90s fastball and chase-inducing slider. He struck out just about 48% of the batters he confronted in SEC play, then fanned 10 of the 28 hitters he confronted as a certified. There are some issues about Skenes residing up to his top-end projections as a result of of his fastball form, however we would be foolish to exclude him on the ones grounds till they turn out to be a subject matter for him.
2. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF, Cubs
Crow-Armstrong is a defensive demon who will have to be in competition for Gold Glove Awards quicker than later. The key to his ROY candidacy will likely be his bat. He’s realized to raise the ball extra ceaselessly right through his skilled profession, albeit at the value of a swelling strikeout charge. It’s to be noticed if Crow-Armstrong will get a complete season in the majors. He debuted in September, however former Cubs supervisor David Ross did not play him a lot. Maybe Craig Counsell can have other plans.
3. Noelvi Marte, 3B, Reds
We’ll admit it: we have now almost certainly been too top on Marte right through his minor-league profession. It was once enjoyable, then, to see him achieve the majors in mid-August and therefore hit .316/.366/.456 with 3 house runs and 6 stolen bases. Even so, we do have some reservations about Marte heading ahead. While his most go out pace put him in corporate with Bryce Harper and Pete Alonso, his common release attitude would’ve been the second-lowest in the majors amongst certified hitters. We’d like to see Marte raise the ball extra steadily, thereby taking merit of his top-end power. If he does not, he’s going to have to take a look at to apply the paths of Yandy Díaz, William Contreras, and Christian Yelich. Maybe he is up for that activity. If so, Marte will have to be ready to make an actual run at the NL ROY honors subsequent yr.
Wild cards
1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP
It feels borderline insulting to describe Yamamoto — or another world veteran — as a “rookie” simply because they are new to MLB. Nevertheless, for so long as they are eligible for the award, we really feel obligated to come with them in this sort of research. Yamamoto, possessor of a profession 1.72 ERA over seven seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, is the top natural pitcher on the marketplace in our estimation. He has an unmatched aggregate of stuff and command, early life and monitor file. Yamamoto will want to alter to the MLB ball and workload, however there may be sufficient precedent of Japanese pitchers making the jump with out bother — including, clearly, Kodai Senga — that we await he’s going to pitch smartly out of the gate. As such, he will have to transform the favourite to win the ROY Award in whichever league he joins this iciness.
2. Jung Hoo Lee, CF
Lee, a fast heart fielder with top-notch touch talents, is predicted to make the leap from the Korea Baseball Organization after hitting .340/.407/.491 over portions of seven seasons. Former teammate Ha-Seong Kim has demonstrated that it is imaginable for a KBO hitter to switch to MLB and carry out at above-average ranges. Kim did require a buffer season, alternatively, and it is imaginable that the identical will turn out true for Lee, who ignored critical time this summer time as a result of of a damaged ankle. If Lee does make a smoother transition, his considerable secondary talents may put him in the operating for an ROY Award.