For your WAY too early consideration: MLB Rookie of the Year

With one month of the season complete, who have been the most impressive MLB rookies to cause conversation for best in their league?

Rookies. They bring such energy to MLB, right? It’s a youthful presence, the beginning of a new chapter for many teams and the start of what you hope to be a long career for the new member.

Remember how excited you were when Kris Bryant dazzled in Spring Training and the impact he made with the Cubs when he got the big league call? Where were you when Ichiro traveled from Japan to play in the United States? And even last year when we saw the two-way phenom in Shohei Ohtani?

There have been many MLB rookies throughout history who have caught our attention early, and this year has probably been more attention-grabbing than most.

It is the generational year with the likes of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. headlining this year’s class, but there are plenty of other performers jockeying for their place at the top of the mantle.

Here are the WAY too early candidates for best rookie in each league.

Brandon Lowe

Tampa Bay Rays – Second Baseman

It has been a rather weak start for American League rookies, and maybe that is because Guerrero Jr. was only called up this past week. But if there is one true standout, it has to be the Rays’ second baseman.

Lowe has been one of many productive pieces in Tampa Bay’s batting order and is one of the top offensive rookies so far this MLB season.

Lowe is currently slashing a .289/.350/.567 line with six home runs, 17 RBI and 17 runs scored.

Lowe has been under the radar for most of the league because of how easily overshadowed he was playing in the same division as Guerrero Jr. but also because the media attention is not always directed at Tampa Bay. But how does Lowe compare to other rookies in his league and other second basemen?

Well, in comparison to other rookies with nearly as many at-bats, Lowe has the best hitting numbers in all the major categories. He is fighting off the power stats of Rowdy Tellez but he has Tellez beat in every other offensive category.

Among all second basemen, he sits behind Jose Altuve in the power categories and is third in batting average behind Dee Gordon and DJ LeMahieu. This could also carry Lowe to a possible all-star appearance when the break rolls around.

John Means

Baltimore Orioles – Pitcher

This is who I was referring to on the previous slide. Here is another guy on a less than great team who is showing strong ability at the start of the MLB season.

Means is giving the Orioles some promise as well as someone to talk about other than Chris Davis not having had a hit in 60+ at-bats.

Means, in 25.2 innings, currently holds onto a 2.81 ERA, 25 strikeouts and a 1.17 WHIP. Means has been the bright spot on a… well, expected, Orioles team.

While there hasn’t been much to be excited for in Baltimore, Means provides a glimmer of future hope. Sure, right now he is just another unfamiliar face on a very young roster, but this is what is supposed to be the future right? That’s how teams are playing now right?

For now, Means is just another young hopeful, but one who provides more promise on paper as well.

Pete Alonso

New York Mets – First Baseman

Alonso may not even be in the big leagues right now if not for an injury to Todd Frazier to start the year. But surely the Mets are more than pleased to have him on their active roster.

Alonso has blown past the rookie competition, let alone many of his first base counterparts. Alonso is slashing a .292/.382/.642 line, which is best or near best of National League rookies. With that he has totaled nine home runs and 26 RBI – also most among rookies – and 20 runs scored.

Imagine that, a guy who may have been a subject of service time has already started hot and could help push the Mets to the playoffs for years and years to come.

Alonso does have a lot of competition among him in the league, but his hot start is surely more than enough to help put some of the other teams on notice.

It just so happens that the other two candidates for WAY too early Rookie of the Year, are teammates.

Fernando Taits Jr.

San Diego Padres – Shortstop

Surprised? Well, you shouldn’t be.

Tatis has held strong to expectations, and boy were those expectations ever high.

Not only trying to live in the shadow of his father but with all the high praise and scouting on him before he reached the age of 20.

He too may have also fallen victim to service time restraints if not for the convincing of his teammates, who were more than ecstatic about his arrival.

Well, he has certainly held to expectations. He is currently slashing .300/.360/.550 with six home runs and 13 RBI. Additionally, he’s scored 14 runs and stolen six bases.

One of his greatest assets to the Padres, however, is his fielding. He has some great teachers too in that of Manny Machado to his right and Ian Kinsler to his left.

Even consider that Machado, who wanted to be a shortstop last season, agreed to stay at third to allow Tatis and Luis Urias opportunities at the position; plus it keeps Wil Myers in the outfield.

But Tatis is just one of two Padres rookies who have dazzled this month. The other…

Chris Paddack

San Diego Padres – Pitcher

Surprised? This one you should be.

What a gem Paddack has produced in just a month.

It wasn’t so long ago that Paddack was just hoping to make the rotation out of Spring Training, and now he is easily the Padres best starter.

In 33 innings, Paddack has compiled 35 strikeouts, a WHIP of 0.70, and an ERA of 1.91.

That is Cy Young award numbers and he’s doing that in his first month of the MLB season. And he didn’t just get lucky with weaker teams either.

Paddack threw seven shutout innings against the Mariners and six quality innings against the Braves. Though it was a short outing for him against the Cardinals, he would not surrender an earned run in 3.2 innings.

So yes, not only did he earn his rotational spot, but he is backing up the decision by his manager to do so.

Should he keep it up, Paddack could be the future leader of a rotation that had been relatively weak for the past few seasons.

Alex Verdugo & Christian Walker

Dodgers Outfielder & Diamondbacks First Baseman

No the American League didn’t have any honorable mentions because it has to be honorable to be mentioned right?

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Well, to make up for it, here is two National League studs.

Verdugo hasn’t had as many at-bats as Walker, but he is certainly making noise in a crowded outfield.

In 69 at-bats, Verdugo is slashing .333/.361/.623 with four home runs and 16 RBI. Verdugo had been highly touted for years leading up to this season, and now finally has found room on the roster with Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig having been traded.

Now he has plenty of opportunity with the extra room and variety of different ways that Dave Roberts can use him in the batting order.

Walker has been carrying over from a hot spring into the first month of the MLB season.

Currently with a .307/.381/.614 slash line and seven home runs and 15 RBI. Walker is currently filling in for an injured Jake Lamb but he is making the most of it for certain.

He has been known to be even better later in the game; a factor that has helped the Diamondbacks with late-game victories against the likes of the Braves already this season.

Walker is certainly playing well enough to keep his job, and he may even become a hot commodity upon Lamb’s return should he continue to contribute at such a pace.