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KSR's 2023 MLB Rookie Report Halfway Through the Season

On3 imageby:Brady Byrdwell•07/09/23•

BbyrdwellKSR

ksr-2023-mlb-rookie-report-halfway-through-season
Photo by Jamie Squire | Getty Images

With the 2023 MLB All-Star break approaching quickly, KSR has you covered on what has happened so far this season.

Kentuckians have started to flock toward their TVs as the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves have enjoyed great seasons. With their heightened success (and lack of MLB games for small markets), most fans have gotten lost in the shuffle of the season. However, KSR has you covered on a 2023 MLB Rookie Report as we approach the midway point of the season.

Baseball has recently had trouble marketing its young talent, but this season has changed. Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks) and Josh Jung (Rangers) headline the laundry list of rookies contributing at a high level in the majors this year. Let’s look at some rookies whose names you need to know (or to use to impress your friends). We have also included current FanDuel odds on each player’s Rookie of the Year campaign. 

NL Rookies

CF Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks (-280)

Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll has set the MLB ablaze this season. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the 22-year-old “is the first rookie in MLB history with 15 HR & 25 SB before the All-Star break.”

As the former No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, Carroll entered the season with high expectations. He was drafted in the first round by the D-Backs out of high school and was seen as a true five-tool prospect. He has not only taken over the ROTY race, he has put himself into the NL MVP conversation on the year. Carroll will start for the National League in the All-Star game, the only rookie in the starting lineup.

3B/SS Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds (+270)

It is a two-horse race in the national league for the Rookie of the Year crown. Opposing Carroll is Mr. Electricity, Elly De La Cruz. Cincinnati’s 21-year-old infielder has turned eyes towards the TV, even from non-baseball fans. He has ignited the Cincinnati Reds into a 49-40 record and atop the NL Central. De La Cruz is batting .325 with four home runs and 13 stolen bases in 28 games. He has taken a fanbase by storm and given swagger back to the Reds. Baseball evaluators have said the power will come, but De La Cruz has impacted the game in many ways. In the next few years, Elly could be the next player to join the 40 homers and 40 stolen base club.

SS Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds (+2500)

In the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, the Reds were looking toward middle infield for their pick. Shortstops Trey Sweeney and Colson Montgomery were still on the board and seen as huge upside players. However, the Reds went with a proven college bat and underrated prospect, Matt McLain. The former UCLA second baseman rose through the ranks and has flourished in the MLB. McLain is batting .294 with 29 RBIs and seven homers this season. He has only recorded one error between shortstop and second base this season, good for a .993 fielding percentage. The 23-year-old may have locked down the sought-after Reds shortstop position for the foreseeable future.

1B Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds (+3500)

Spencer Steer was the centerpiece in the Reds’ 2022 trade with the Minnesota Twins. Steer was the seventh-ranked prospect in the Twins organization, and they decided to move him for former Reds starter Tyler Male. This year, he has looked far from an organization’s seventh-best prospect, more like an organization’s main prospect. Steer earned the starting third base spot in spring training and moved to first after the aforementioned McLain and De La Cruz call-ups. No matter where he has lined up, Steer has produced. Steer is batting .284 with 14 homers on the season and might be the Reds’ best hitter.

SP Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds (+3500)

Abbott has solidified himself as a big-league starter with an ERA of 2.38 and a record of 4-1 in seven starts. The former Virginia Cavalier was pushed through the Reds organization after injuries to Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo, and Hunter Greene, yet he produced. The 24-year-old second-round pick dominated his first six starts before finally getting rocked by the Brewers on Friday. Look for Abbott to bounce back and challenge for the title of the best rookie pitcher in the National League.

C Francisco Álvarez, New York Mets (+4000)

Consensus top-10 prospect and No. 1 catcher Francisco Álvarez is seen as the backstop of the future in New York. He has not been great at the plate thus far for the Mets, only batting a shade over .240 on the season. However, Álvarez has shown the power to match up with the best, knocking 16 home runs on the year. He has continued to develop defensively and sports a great arm behind the plate. With the Mets having an up-and-down season, Álvarez has been a welcome addition to the lineup.

SP Kodai Senga, New York Mets (+3500)

Kodai Senga was announced as an All-Star reserve and was added to the roster replacing Cubs’ pitcher Marcus Stroman. The 30-year-old rookie tore up the Japanese league for the past decade and can finally show the MLB what they’ve been missing. Senga has a 3.31 ERA and 113 strikeouts this season. He was highly sought after between MLB clubs before making the jump. It took the Mets $75 million over the next five years to lock up Senga. All signs point to that deal being a good one for the Metropolitans.

AL Rookies

3B Josh Jung, Texas Rangers (+170)

In any other year, Josh Jung would be the talk of the major league. A rookie hitting .274 with 17 homers, 54 RBIs, and a .810 OPS is absurd. Jung is batting fifth on a 52-37 Texas Rangers squad and has been one of the focal points of their offense. He will start at third base in the All-Star Game for the American League, yet casual baseball fans may struggle to name the 25-year-old. Being the 8th pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the former Texas Tech Red Raider was a top 50 prospect in baseball. Look for Jung to take over the prestigious third base spot in Texas, which used to be occupied by the legendary Adrián Beltré.

LF Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox (+280)

Another player that tore up the Japanese baseball league is now tearing up the MLB. Masataka Yoshida was signed by the Boston Red Sox last season to a five-year, over $100 million contract. His rookie year has been fantastic for Boston, as he is batting .312 with 42 RBIs and a .860 slugging percentage. Yoshida has been batting in the three-hole for the storied franchise, which is beyond impressive for a rookie. Boston sits at 46-43 on the season, which is only good enough for last in the AL East.

SS Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles (+280)

Gunnar Henderson was the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball entering the season. After a slow start to the year, let’s check in with the New York Post to see how Henderson is doing today… “Henderson collected four hits, including a pair of home runs in the first four innings, and five RBIs in a 14-1 thrashing of the Yankees on Thursday night in The Bronx.” Well, that sounds successful for the shortstop. He has exceptionally raw power and a plus glove at shortstop. Henderson is my pick for the AL Rookie of the Year, as he will have a monster second half of the season with an excellent Orioles ball club. 

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2025-04-14