Today, MLB will announce its 2022 Rookie of the Year finalists, so this seems an appropriate time to unveil Baseball Roundtable’s 2022 All-Rookie Lineup. Coming soon will be the Roundtable’s All-Time, All-Rookie Lineup.) Side note: If I had to make a prediction on the final 2022 ROY results, it would be Julio Rodriguez in the AL and Spencer Strider in the NL – with the finalists splitting the vote more evenly in the AL than the NL.
Now to The Roundtable’s 2022 All-Rookie Lineup.
Catcher – Adley Rutschman, Orioles
Photo: Keith Allison: Flickr, e-mail, Twitter, Instagram, website, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Adley Rutschman was a first-round pick (out of Oregon State University, by the Orioles) in the 2019 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut, as a 24-year-old, on May 21, in a season that also saw him play at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.
Rutschman showed superior defensive skills behind the plate, as well as sound offensive skills. He had the sixth-most runs scored by a 2022 rookie, 10thmost hits and 15th-most RBI.
In three seasons at Oregon State University, Adley Rutschman hit .353-28-174 (185 games). In 2019, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper named him the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year – after a .411-17-58 season (57 games).
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First Base – Joey Meneses, Nationals
Good things come to those who wait – or, more accurately, to those who persevere. Joey Meneses made his MLB debut August 2 – at the age of 30, more than a decade after his professional debut as a 19-year-old in the Braves’ minor-league system. In between his pro debut and his MLB debut, Meneses played in more than 1,300 games – in the Braves’, Phillies’, Red Sox’ and Nationals’ minor-league systems, as well as in Mexico and Japan. At the time the call up finally came, he was hitting .296-20-64 for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.
Joey Meneses was selected as the 2018 International League (Triple-A) Most Valuable Player after a .311-23-82 season.
In his first 13 MLB games, Joey Meneses was held hitless just once – hitting .347 with five home runs.
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Second Base – Vaughn Grissom Braves
21-year-old Vaughn Grissom was called up from Double-A in early August, when Orlando Arcia (who was filling in for the injured Ozzie Albies) went on the IL. At the time, Grissom was hitting .363 at Double-A Mississippi. Grissom, who was selected in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, had put up a .315-24-133 line in three minor-league seasons before making the jump from Double-A to the majors. He responded well, hitting .291-5-18 in 41 games for the Braves.
In his first 14 MLB games, Vaughn Grissom recorded eight multi-hit games.
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Special Recognition – Brendan Donovan, Utility, Cardinals
Brendan Donovan of the Cardinals deserve special recognition here. Not only did the 25-year-old rookie put up a solid .281-5-45 stat line in 126 games, he picked up a Gold Glove (utility), while starting ten or more games each at 2B, 3B, RF and LF (as well as six game each at SS and 1B and 11 at DH).
Donovan was selected in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB draft (out of the University of South Alabama, where he hit .311 over three seasons). In four minor-league seasons, he hit .285-21-127 (in 242 games), while taking the fields in RF, LF and at 1B, 2B, 3B and SS. Donovan finished seventh in base hits and runs scored among 2022 rookies.
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Shortstop – Jeremy Pena, Astros
Like enough already hasn’t been said and written about the 24-year-old 2022 World Series MVP. The fact is, Jeremy Pena had some mighty big cleats to full – replacing departing two-time All Star, 2015 Rookie of the Year and 2021 Gold Glover Carlos Correa. I think it’s pretty safe to say he exceeded the Astros’ expectations.
Pena finished second among 2022 MLB rookies in home runs, fourth in base hits, fifth in RBI, fifth in runs scored and ninth in stolen bases – and also won a Gold Glove at shortstop.
Pena was selected in the third round of the 2018 MLB draft (by the Astros, out of the University of Maine). Over three college seasons, he hit .305-12-75, with 30 steals (163 games). In three minor-league campaigns, he went .291-18-85, with 29 steals, in 182 games. – while delivering Gold Glove-caliber defense.
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Third Base – Bobby Witt, Jr., Royals
Photo: Notorious4life (talk) (Uploads), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The 22-year-old Witt, a first-round (fifth overall) pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, could be slotted in at shortstop (where he played 98 games) or 3B (55 games). Witt earned his spot on the 2022 Royals’ roster after a 2021 season, during which he hit .290-33-97, with 29 steals at Double-A and Triple-A.
Witt’s 80 RBI led all MLB rookies in 2022, as did his 30 stolen bases. His 20 home runs were third, his 150 hits second and his 82 runs third.
As a High School Senior, Bobby Witt, Jr. was named the Gatorade National (High School) Player of the Year, after putting up a .515-15-54 line.
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Outfield – Steven Kwan, Guardians
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Steven Kwan was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB drat (by the Guardians, out of Oregon State University). In three minor-league seasons, he hit .301-15-88, with 20 steals in 217 games – including a .328-12-44 season at Double-A and Triple-A in 2021. The 24-year-old slashed at a .298-6-52 pace for the Guardians in 2022.
Kwan led all 2022 MLB rookies in hits and run scored and had the highest batting average of any rookie qualifying for the batting title. Over his first four MLB games, Kwan got on base 18 times in 24 plate appearances (ten hits, seven walks, one hit by pitch), with no strikeouts.
In three seasons at Oregon State University, Steven Kwan hit .329-3-66 in 156 games.
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Outfield – Julio Rodriguez, Mariners
Julio Rodriguez was signed by the Mariners as an International Free Agent in 2017 (at the age of 16). Between 2018 and 2021, he played in 217 minor-league games, hitting .331-30-152, with 32 steals. In 2021, at High-A and Double-A, he raked at a .347-13-47 pace (74 games).
Julio Rodriguez’ MLB career got off to a slow start. In his first five games, he went 1-for-21 (.056 average), with ten strikeouts; and he ended April with a .206 average, with no home runs and just six RBI (in 20 games). He had his first multi-hit game on May first and, from that point on, went .297-28-69.
Rodriguez was first among all MLB 2022 rookies in home runs (28) and second among all MLB rookies in 2022 RBI. His .284 average was second among rookies with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title.
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Outfield – Michael Harris, Braves
21-year-old Michael Harris made his MLB debut on May 28 – being called up after a strong start (.305-5-33, with 11 steals, in 43 games) at Double-A. Drafted in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Harris hit .292 over three minor-league seasons.
Harris recorded the fourth-most RBI among 2022 rookies, the fourth-most home runs, fourth-most runs scored and fifth-most base hits.
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Designated Hitter – Oscar Gonzalez, Guardians
PHOTO: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Oscar Gonzalez signed with the Indians (now Guardians) as an International Free Agent in 2014 (at 16-years-old). He made his MLB debut on May 26 of last season at age 24. In seven minor-league seasons, Gonzalez hit .280-77-337 in 572 games. In 2021, Gonzalez hit .293-31-83 in 121 games at Double-A and Triple-A.
Gonzalez had the eighth-most hits Among 2022 rookies. His .296 batting average was the fourth-best among MLB rookies with at least 100 2022 at bats.
Oscar Gonzalez hit .417 (25-for-6) in his first 15 MLB games.
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Starting pitcher – Spencer Strider, Braves
Righty Spencer Strider was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft (out of Clemson University, by the Braves). After a solid freshman season for Clemson, he missed the 2019 season following Tommy John Surgery. He came back in 2020, but pitched just 12 innings for Clemson that season.
In 2021, fully recovered, Strider worked his way up, through A-ball, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, to the major leagues (where he went 1-0, 3.86 for the Braves in two appearances totaling 2 1/3 innings). His minor-league numbers were 3-7, 4.71, with 153 strikeouts in 94 innings pitched.
The 23-year-old opened the 2022 season on the Braves’ roster and on May 30 – after putting up a 2.22 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 24 1/3 relief innings pitched – was moved into the starting rotation. As a starter, he went 10-4, 2.77 with 165 whiffs in 107 1/3 innings pitched.
In 2018, Spencer Strider was a college Freshman All American, as well as an All Atlantic Coast (ACC) Freshman in baseball and an ACC Academic Honor Roll member.
Strider led all 2022 MLB rookies in strikeouts and was second only to the Twins’ Joe Ryan in wins.
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Relief Pitcher – Felix Bautista, Orioles
Felix Bautista, like Joey Meneses (see 1B in this all-rookie lineup), had a long road to the major leagues. He was signed an International Free Agent by the Miami Marlins as a 17-year-old in 2012. Released by the Marlins in January 2015, he did not play professionally that season – before signing with the Orioles in August of 2016. Between 2016 and 2019, he rose no higher than Class-A in the Orioles’ system. After the Covid-cancellation of the 2021 minor-league season, Bautista really came into his own. In 2021, he put up a 1.54 ERA, with 77 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.
Bautista made 65 2022 appearances for the Orioles and led all rookie relievers in saves with 15.
Side note (to Reds’ fans): I could easily have selected Alexis Diaz for this spot. He went 7-3, 1.84 with ten saves. Bautista got a slim edge due to fewer walks and five more strikeouts (in two more innings).
Primary Resource: Baseball-Reference.com
COMING SOON: Baseball Roundtable’s All-Time, All-Rookie Lineup.
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