MLB’s 5 Early Candidates for AL Rookie of the Year

Major League Baseball opens the regular season across the country on Thursday. The Triple-A season begins on Friday and it is time to introduce five of the American League’s best who are either starting the season on the big league roster or are expected to make their debut at some point during the season.

To make this list, players had to make a splash late last season or impress during spring training at the plate, in the field, on the mound, or a combination of.

Evan Carter, Texas Rangers

Evan Carter has to be considered an early favorite because of his postseason experience with the Texas Rangers last year. He was called up on Sept. 9 and played in 23 regular season games becoming a postseason legend. He had an OPS of .917 in the playoffs and became the youngest player since Mickey Mantle to hit third in Game 1 of the World Series.

He is ranked the No. 5 prospect in baseball and was drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft out of high school in Elizabethton, Tenn. He slashed .264/.344/.396 with a .740 OPS this spring with 14 hits including two home runs. He scored nine runs and drove in 10.

Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers selected Wyatt Langford with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 draft out of Florida where he led the Southeastern Conference with 26 home runs as a sophomore and led all of Division I with 28 doubles and 52 extra-base hits. In his first minor league season that ended in Triple-A, he slashed .360/.480/.677 with 10 homers and 12 stolen bases in 44 games.

This spring, the No. 6 overall prospect ranked in the top five across the Cactus and Grapefruit League in eight different offensive categories, including first in total bases (41) and RBIs (20) and third in home runs (six).

Colton Cowser, Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles No. 3 prospect and MLB’s No. 19 overall prospect made the big league roster out of spring training and is preparing for his first Opening Day when the Los Angeles Angels visit Camden Yards. He had two stints in Baltimore last season but had a disappointing 26-game stint slashing .115/.286/.148 with two doubles and four RBIs.

However, this spring was a different story. In 18 Grapefruit League games, he slashed .304/.418/.717 with one double, six homers, 13 RBIs, and 11 runs scored in 46 at-bats.

Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels

Nolan Schanuel, the Los Angeles Angels’ No. 1 prospect impressed during his call up reaching base safely in all 29 games last season. He was the No. 11 pick of the 2023 draft out of Florida Atlantic and made his major league debut 40 days after he was drafted. He went on to slash .275/.402/.330 with three doubles, one home run, six RBIs and 19 runs scored in 109 at-bats.

Schanuel is expected to open the season as the No. 2 hitter in the club’s lineup and be the everyday first baseman. He had a strong spring batting .250, slugging .417, and reaching base about one-third of the time (.333). He had 12 hits in 48 at-bats across 19 games with a triple, two homers, eight RBIs and four runs scored. He also walked more (six) than he struck out (five).

Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles led many to believe that the league’s top prospect would break camp with the big league club however, that’s not the case. The Orioles reassigned him to minor league camp last week and he will begin the season in Triple-A.

He hit .311/.354/.600 with two homers this spring and if he makes his debut in Baltimore this season then he would immediately become a favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year.