Early this week, we saw the announcement of MLB’s 2020 Jackie Robinson Rookies of the Year. Congratulations to Mariners’ multi-tool CF Kyle Lewis (the unanimous AL choice) and Brewers’ lights-out reliever Devin Williams (the first reliever to win the ROY Award since Craig Kimbrel in 2011 and the first reliever ever to win ROY without recording a single save). You’ll read more on these two players later in this post, as Baseball Roundtable presents its 2020 All-Rookie lineup. Note: If you would like a look at BBRT’s All-Time, All-Rookie of the Year lineup, click here after finishing this post.
—-BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE 2020 ALL-ROOKIE LINEUP —-
Catcher – Sean Murphy, Oakland A’s
Sean Murphy was drafted by the A’s in the third round of the 2016 MLB draft (out of Wright State University, where he was a two-time All-Horizon League player). He showed solid defensive skills and hit .309-14-105 in 155 games at Wright State. Murphy got a taste of the majors in 2019 – hitting .245-4-8 in 20 games – and came into the 2020 season as the A’s number-three prospect. Retaining his rookie status in 2020, the 25-year-old hit .233 with seven home runs and 14 RBI in 43 games. Murphy’s 27 hits, seven home runs, 14 RBI and 21 runs scored led all MLB rookie catchers. His seven home runs and 21 runs scored each ranked eighth among MLB rookies. The 26-year-old is also considered a potential Gold Glove defender.
First Base – Jared Walsh, Los Angeles Angels
Okay, he’s not Shohei Ohtani, but Jared Walsh is another Angels’ two-way player. Walsh was drafted in the 39th round of the 2015 MLB draft (yes, the 39th round). In his final season at the University of Georgia, Walsh hit .306, with three home runs and 22 RBI in 66 games and also put up a 5-2, 2.60 record in 14 mound appearances.
Walsh showed his power potential in 2019, when he hit .325-36-86 at Triple-A Sale Lake City – and put up a 1-0, 4.15 record in 13 mound appearance. (In 2019, Walsh hit .203-1-5 in 31 games with the Angels; while also recording a 1.80 earned run average in five relief appearances.) In 2020, still retaining hie rookie status, Walsh hit .293-9-26 for the Halos – and struck out only 15 times in 108 plate appearances. The 27-year-old Walsh is looking like an ongoing power source for the Angels, although his days on the mound may be numbered. (Walsh did not appear on the mound in 2020. ) Side note: After making the Opening Day Roster, Walsh got off to a slow start. In his July and August, he was zero-for-13 in ten games. Then in September he hit .337, with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 22 games.
Jared Walsh’s nine homers led all MLB rookie first sackers and were third overall among rookies – as were his 26 RBI.
2B – Nick Madrigal, Chicago White Sox
Nick Madrigal did not get the publicity of some of the other 2020 rookies (or even some of his young ChiSox teammates), but he had a rookie campaign worthy of recognition.
Madrigal was selected fourth overall in the 2018 MLB draft – after a stellar three seasons at Oregon State University. Over his three NCAA campaigns (151 games), he hit .361, with eight home runs, 103 RBI, 126 runs scored and 39 steals. In his first two minor-league seasons, Madrigal hit a combined .309-4-71, with 43 stolen bases.
While his 2020 MLB rookie campaign was interrupted by injury (separated shoulder), he hit .340 in 29 games, with four walks and just seven strikeouts. At just 23-years-old, he appears to have a bright future as an MLB middle infielder – with solid defensive skills and the ability to make contact at the plate.
Nick Madrigal’s .340 average ranked third among 2020 rookies with at least 50 at bats.
3B – (Tie) Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies & Ke’Bryan Hayes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Alec Bohm. Bohm surprisingly, was not drafted out of high school (Roncalli Catholic High School in Omaha, Nebraska), despite hitting over .500 as both a junior and senior. He went on to Wichita State University, where he was named a First-Team Freshman All-American after a .303-6-30 2017 season. I won’t go into the numbers, but Bohm was selected to the First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference team as a sophomore and First-Team All-American as a Junior. He also starred in both the collegiate Coastal Plain League and Cape Cod League.
Bohm was the third-overall pick (Phillies) in the 2018 MLB draft and had two solid minor-league seasons (.293-21-97 in 165 games) before playing in 44 games for the Phillies in 2020. Bohm hit .338-4-23 in his first taste of the big leagues and certainly appears ready to stay.
Alec Bohm’s 23 RBI were seventh among MLB 2020 rookies and led all rookie third sackers. His 24 runs scored topped all rookie third baseman and were sixth overall among 2020 rookies.
Ke’Bryan Hayes. When you look at Bohm’s credential,s you may wonder why there is a tie at third base. Well the Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes’ .376 average topped all rookies with at least 50 at bats. Hayes was drafted 32nd overall in the 2015 MLB draft – right out of Concordia Lutheran High School (Tomball, Texas); choosing to decline a scholarship offer to the University of Tennessee. (In his senior year in high school, Hayes hit .436, with 16 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 27 RBI and 12 stolen bases.)
N0 surprise that the Pirates drafted him, not only did he show his potential on the field, he comes from good genes. Hayes is the son of Charlie Hayes, who enjoyed a 14-season MLB career (.262-144-740) and, in 1993, hit .305-25-98 for the Rockies, while leading the NL in doubles with 45.
Ke’Bryan Hayes hit .279-25-202, with 66 steals in five minor-league seasons (461 games). He made his MLB debut September 1, 2020
The 23-year-old Ke’Bryan Hayes was held hitless in only four of 24 games in his rookie MLB season and finished the campaign on an eight-game hitting streak, during which he hit .516 (16-for-31) with four doubles and three home runs.
SS – Willi Castro. Detroit Tigers
The Puerto Rican-born Willi Castro signed with the Indians as an international free agent in July of 2014 and was traded to the Tigers (for Leonys Martin and Kyle Dowdy) in late July, 2018. Castro made his MLB debut in August of 2019 (age 22) and hit .230-1-8 in 30 games. He retained his rookie status in 2020, when he hit .349, with six home runs, 24 RBI, and 21 runs scored in 36 games – and also proved his versatility, primarily playing shortstop, but also appearing at third base and second base. The Tigers seem confident that Castro’s at will keep him in the lineup somewhere.
Willi Castro’s .349 average was second among 2020 rookies with at least 50 at bats and his six home runs topped all rookie shortstops. His 24 RBI were fifth overall among rookies and tops among rookie shortstops,
LF – Nick Solak, Texas Rangers
Nick Solak was signed by the Yankees in the second round of the 2016 MLB June draft (out of the University of Louisville). In three seasons at Louisville, Solak hit .346, with 10 home runs, 94 RBI and 36 steals in 159 games. He was named a College Freshman All-American in 2014 and a College All-American in 2016.
He continued to show offensive firepower and speed in the minor leagues’ hitting .294, with 61 homers and 48 steals over four minor-league campaigns. (Note: Solak was traded from the Yankees to the Rays as part of a three-team trade in February of 2018 and then moved from the Rays to the Rangers in July of 2019.) Solak made his MLB debut with the Rangers in August of 2019 and hit .293-5-17 over 33 games. Retaining his rookie status, he earned a regular spot in the Rangers’ lineup for 2020 (appearing in 58 games), hitting .268 with two home runs, 23 RBI, 27 runs scored and seven steals. Solak started 23 games in LF, 13 in CF, 16 at 2B and 5 at DH.
Among 2020 MLB eligible rookies, Nick Solak finished first in base hits; fourth in doubles; fourth in runs scored; f0urth in stolen bases; and seventh in RBI.
CF – Kyle Lewis, Seattle Mariners
Kyle Lewis was MLB’s unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year, but I’m pretty sure he took the honor in stride – Lewis has a lot of experience with recognition. As a freshman at Mercer University (2014), he hit .294-1-17 in 41 games. Then in his sophomore season he was named Southern Conference Player of the Year, as well as co-winner of the Gregg Olson Award (college baseball Breakout Player of the Year), after going .367-17-56 n 54 games. He kept right on rolling as a junior, going .395-20-72 in 61 games – again being named Southwest Conference Player of the Year and also earning All-American honors, as well as Baseball America’s College Player of the Year, the American Association of Baseball Coaches Association Division 1 Player of the Year and the Golden Spikes Award.
All of this earned him the 11th overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft. By September 2019, he was in the major leagues – hitting .268 with six home runs and 13 RBI in 18 games for Mariners. For Seattle in 2020, Lewis played in 58 games, going .262, with 11 home runs, 37 runs scored and 28 RBI – and providing plus defense in CF.
Kyle Lewis’ 11 home runs tied the White Sox’ Luis Robert for the most by a rookie in 2020. His 28 RBI were second only to Robert and his 37 runs scored led all MLB rookies.
RF – Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles
Austin Hays played college ball at Seminole State College and Jacksonville University. In two seasons at Jacksonville (2015 and 2016), Hays hit .310-19-78, with 24 steals (110 games). After being drafted in the third round of the 2016 MLB draft, he played 38 2016 games with the A-Level Aberdeen Ironbirds, hitting .336-4-21, with four steals. Hays hit .329-32-95 at A and Double-A in 2017, earning a late-season call up to the Orioles, where he hit .217-1-8 in 20 games (as a 21-year-old).
Hays got off to a slow start at Double-A in 2017 and later was hampered by an ankle injury. He did not return to the major leagues until September of 2019, when he went .309-4-13 in 21 games for the Orioles.
In 2019, Hays played for the Low-A Aberdeen Ironbirds; High-A Frederick Keys; Double-A Bowie Baysox; Triple-A Norfolk Tides; and Baltimore Orioles.
In 2020, despite some time on the disabled list (broken rib on a hit-by-pitch), Hays hit .279-4-9, with 20 runs scored in 33 games for the Orioles. In September, a healthy Hays played in 14 games for the Birds, hitting .377 with three home runs, four RBI and 12 runs scored.
DH – Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox
Luis Robert, who defected from Cuba in November of 2016, was considered a top (if not THE top) international prospect – and with good reason. Playing in the tough Cuba Serie Nacional during the 2016-17 season, the 18-year-old Robert hit .401-12-40, with 11 steals in 53 games. Once signed by the White Sox (2017), Robert delivered on his promise – hitting .312-35-12, with 63 stolen bases in 200 minor-league games (three seasons). This performance earned Roberts the starting CF job for the ChiSox in 2020 and he delivered again.
Luis Robert tied another CF (the Mariners’Kyle Lewis) for rookie home runs in 2020 with 11. Robert’s 31 RBI led all rookies (Lewis was second) and his 33 runs scored were second only to Lewis 37. In addition, Lewis’ nine steals led all 2020 rookies. Lewis edged out Robert for the CF spot by virtue of a 29-point edge in batting average (.262 to .233). So, in this lineup, when Lewis needs a break, I’d just switch him to DH and put Robert in CF. Side note: Robert fanned 73 times in 202 at bats in 2020 – as he cuts down on whiffs, we can expect some monster seasons.
SP – Tie … Christian Javier, Houston Astros and Josh Fleming, Tampa Bay Rays
Christian Javier. Astros’ right-hander Christian Javier signed with Houston as an international free agent (out of the Dominican Republic) – bringing a mid-90s fastball, solid slider and respectable curve to the fray. In his first pro (minor-league) season – as an 18-year-old – he went 4-0, 2.13 with 50 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings pitched. As he moved up through the minors, he added an effective change to his repertoire. (In 2019, Javier fanned 170 batters in 113 2/3 innings with three minor league clubs.) Over five minor-league seasons, Javier went 26-11, 2.22 with 512 whiffs in 377 innings. With the Astros in 2020, he continued to establish his reputation for putting batters away, going 5-2, 3.48 and fanning 54 batters in 54 1/3 innings pitched.
The Astros’ 23-year-old right-hander Christian Javier was 5-2, 3.48 in 12 games/ten starts). Javier’s 54 1/3 innings pitched were fifth among MLB 2020 rookies and his 54 strikeouts were third.
Josh Fleming. Southpaw Josh Fleming was signed by the Rays in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB draft – out of Webster University, where he went 12-2, 1.28 with 165 strikeouts in 127 innings pitched (over two seasons). In 2019, Josh Fleming was named MVP of the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits – after going 11-4, 3.31 in 21 games (17 starts).
For the Rays in 2020, the 24-year-old Fleming went 5-0, with a nifty 2.78 earned run average in seven games/five starts). He also had a 3.6 strikeouts-to-walks ratio (seven walks and 25 whiffs in 32 ½ innings). He relies on a pitching low in the zone with a heavy sinker, cutter and change up.
RP – Devin Williams, Milwaukee Brewers
No ties here. Righty Devin Williams – the NL Rookie of the Year – was clearly the most dominant rookie reliever in 2020. Williams had the lowest earned run average among rookies with at least ten innings pitched – a sparking 0.33. In 27 innings, he gave up just four runs – and only one earned – and fanned 53 batters (fourth-most among rookies); just one whiff shy of two per frame. He kind of walks away with this one.
Williams signed with the Brewers out of Hazelwood (Missouri) West High School in the 2013 MLB draft (54th overall selection). In his final high-school season, William went 6-2, 1.15, allowing only 19 hits and fanning 101 batters in 55 innings. In his first four pro season (minors), Williams went 15-24 ( 3 saves), 3.79 with 288 strikeouts in 287 1/3 innings pitched, He then missed the 2017 season (and pitched only 34 innings in 2018) after Tommy John surgery (torn ulnar collateral ligament). In 2018, he appeared fully recovered and, perhaps, stronger than ever – going 7-2, 2.36 in 31 minor-league appearances – fanning 82 batters in 57 innings (and earning a call up to the Brewers). He got roughed up a bit in his MLB-debut season (5.93 ERA in 13 2/3 innings), but came back with a vengeance in 2020.
Devin Williams refers to his high-movement circle change as the “Airbender.”
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference,.com; MLB.com
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