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2019 MLB Season: the top five rookies in baseball

By Edward Lennon

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 20: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 20, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 20: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 20, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2019 MLB Season: Top Five Rookies

Dakota Hudson, SP, STL

The St. Louis Cardinals clinched a playoff berth and are most likely going to win the National League Central Division, and Dakota Hudson is a big reason why.

Hudson started 31 games for the Cardinals, 17 of them being quality starts. He is currently third in the National League in wins with 16. He has tossed 169.2 innings, posting a 3.45 ERA. Hudson was a valuable part of St. Louis’ rotation.

The 24-year-old had an impressive, first full season. He is looking to continue his improvement and have an even better campaign in 2020.

Vlad Guerrero Jr., 3B, TOR

Vlad Guerrero Jr., one of the players following in their father’s footsteps, had an impressive campaign. The 20-year-old busted onto the scene when he debuted at the end of April.

Through 119 games, he has 123 hits, 15 home runs, and 68 RBI, while batting .276. These stats are beyond impressive for somebody this young.

It was highly speculated that Guerrero Jr. would win the Rookie of the Year, but that is unlikely at this point. Even though there are sky-high expectations for Jr. that he might not have necessarily met already, he is going to continue developing more power as he settles into the league.

The young third baseman was the most impressive rookie on the Toronto Blue jays, a team that seemed to be nothing but rookies. 2020 will be his first full season and everybody is looking forward to seeing what he can do at the age of 21.

Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, SDP

Another example of a son following in his father’s footsteps. Fernando Tatis Jr., son of former utility man Fernando Tatis, is one of the young shortstops with the brightest future ahead of them. He was the top prospected for a stacked San Diego Padres farm system.

Tatis Jr., who has not played since the beginning of August with back issues, was putting up crazy numbers for a rookie, let alone a 20-year-old. Through 84 games, the shortstop has 106 hits, 22 home runs, 53 RBI, and 16 stolen bases, while batting .317 with an OPS of .969.

He is 20.

These numbers are crazy for being just over half a season. If he did not get hurt, he would have been heavily in the conversation for the NL ROY.

Tatis Jr. was not even supposed to be on the opening day roster, but fellow Padres Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado said they wanted Tatis Jr. to be their starting shortstop because they wanted to be competitive.

As the Padres search for a new manager to coach their 2020 squad, they look forward to the return of Tatis Jr.

Guys like Chris Paddack and Kevin Newman were impressive this year too. Paddack would have had a better chance to win Rookie of the Year if the Padres did not limit his innings. Here are the top five rookies of the 2019 class.

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