MLB Awards Watch: Top 5 NL Rookie of the Year Candidates Through April

5. Kris Bryant – .304 BA, .458 OBP, 10 RBIs

Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) hits a single during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

So far, Kris Bryant has lived up to his Spring Training hype. In 13 games with the Chicago Cubs, he’s hitting .304 with a .458 OBP, 10 RBIs and two stolen bases. The Cubs are second in the NL Central standings, and Bryant’s play has been key to their success. Bryant is third on the team in WAR (0.9) but fourth on the team in strikeouts. Bryant has struck-out 14 times in 13 games, and hasn’t been great defensively but what he’s doing at the plate is making up for it. He’s putting the Cubs in a position to finally be relevant again. After that rough first game, Bryant really became a solid hitter. With Adam Wainwright out for the year, and Shelby Miller in Atlanta, the St. Louis Cardinals aren’t a lock for the NL Central title this season. The Cubs have the talent, and if Bryant keeps swinging the bat the way he has been, it could be the Cubs division to lose.

4.Jake Lamb – .414BA, .514 OBP,

Apr 6, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb hits a three RBI double in the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants during opening day at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks aren’t off to a great start, but they’re off to a decent start. At 10-11, they’re playing much better baseball than people thought they would, competitiveness is very important. Jake Lamb had a big April, and the NL West standings are tight already – just three games separate first and fourth place. Lamb is hitting .414 with an OBP of .514, in 29 at-bats, he’s drawn six walks. His patience at the plate is great, and he’s been playing well, in 12 games he has 10 hits and nine RBIs. Lamb is third on the team in WAR (0.7) and third on the team in RBIs, with a fraction of the at-bats as the previous two. He doesn’t strike out, and is becoming very reliable, which is important because the Diamondbacks have some very promising young talent. They aren’t very close to being a playoff team, but they’re building a team on solid young talent – there’s something to be said for that.

3. Alex Guerrero – .423 BA, 5 HRs, 13 RBIs

Apr 13, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Alex Guerrero (7) follows through on a bases-loaded walk-off single in the 10th inning against the Seattle Mariners in an interleague game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Mariners 6-5 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Guerrero has been fantastic for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 13 games this season he has 11 hits, of those hits, five of them have been home runs. Guerrero has displayed some great power, and a great eye. He’s only been walked once, so as expected, his OBP (.429) is very close to BA (.423.) What also needs to be noted, is that fact that he’s only struck out three times in 26 plate appearances. He needs to work on drawing walks, but other than that, he’s about as solid as they come. He’s second among rookies in RBIs with 13. Devon Travis has 19 RBIs, but in 80 at-bats, Guerrero has 13 in 26 at-bats, and he’s only going to get better.

2. Anthony DeSclafani, 26 IP, 1.04 ERA, 21 SO

Apr 20, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (28) pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. DeSclafani pitched 8 scoreless inning to help the Reds beat the Brewers 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony DeSclafani has been absolutely lights-out for the Cincinnati Reds. In four games, he’s gotten three decisions, two of which were wins. He has a 1.04 in the four games he’s started, to go along with 21 strikeouts and a K/9 of 7.27. DeSclafani has only allowed three earned runs all year, two of those three runs came on home runs – just goes to show, how talented he is. Since Homer Bailey needs Tommy John surgery, his responsibility will increase, if the Reds want to make the playoffs, the rotation will become a big factor, and DeSclafani will be a big factor in their rotation.

Next: Joc Pederson

1. Joc Pederson, .298 BA, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs

Apr 24, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson (31) hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. The Dodgers won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers has put together a very solid rookie campaign so far this season. Pederson has a batting line of .298/.461/.596 and continues to impress in the outfield. At 13-8, the Dodgers are first place in the NL West. Pederson is second on the team in WAR with 1.2 behind Adrian Gonzalez and has been the most dynamic all-around player on the team. He’s struck out 22 times so far this season, which is a good amount, but not to the point of being alarming, because overall, he has a great eye. He’s drawn 17 walks in 58 plate appearances; his patience at the plate is fantastic, so, it should be interesting to see how he progresses this season. He could be on his way to winning the ‘Rookie of the Year Award.’