THE YOUNG ONES
Orioles’ Henderson, D-backs’ Carroll among top MLB rookies
A year after Julio Rodríguez and Michael Harris II delivered a pair of breakout performances, another group of prospects is searching for big league success.
Here is a closer look at some of the majors’ most intriguing rookies this year:
INF Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles: The 21-year-old Henderson made his major league debut last summer, batting .259 with four homers and 18 RBIs in 34 games. The Alabama native and second-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft is expected to play a prominent role this year as the Orioles try to build on their surprising finish last season.
OF Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks: With the speedy Carroll in the fold, Arizona could have one of baseball’s most athletic lineups. The 22-yearold Carroll hit 24 homers and swiped 31 bases in the minors last year and then was promoted by Arizona in August and hit .260 in 32 games in the majors. He was selected by the Diamondbacks with the No. 16 pick in the 2019 draft.
C Francisco Álvarez and RHP Kodai Senga, New York Mets: There are questions about Álvarez’s defensive ability, and New York has Omar Narváez and Tomás Nido behind the plate. But
Álvarez can swing the bat. He hit .260 with 27 homers and 78 RBIs in 112 games over two minor league stops last year. The 30-year-old Senga was 11-6 with a 1.94 ERA in 22 starts for the Pacific League’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks last season. He finalized a $75 million, five-year contract with New York in December.
OF Oscar Colás, Chicago White Sox: The sweet-swinging Colás could be in right field for Chicago on opening day, making his big league debut. He hit .314 with 23 homers and 79 RBIs in 2022 in his first year in the minors.
RHP Hunter Brown, Houston Astros: A fifthround pick in the 2019 draft out of Wayne State University, Brown had an impressive big league debut last year. He went 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA in seven appearances for the AL West champions, including two starts. Then he pitched 3
scoreless innings over three postseason games.
INF/OF Miguel Vargas, Los Angeles Dodgers: The reigning NL West champions plan to start Vargas at second base, creating a promising double-play duo with shortstop Gavin Lux. The 23-year-old Vargas made his major league debut with Los Angeles in August. He batted .304 with 17 homers, 82 RBIs and 16 steals for Triple-A Oklahoma City last year.