Major League Baseball has been rejuvenated with an influx of young talent this year. Teams like the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros have been riding on the talent of their youth into playoff positions. Young and talented pitchers are very hard to come by but these American League rookie pitchers are beginning their ascent to prominence.
Carlos Rodon – Chicago White Sox: Rodon was the third overall pick in the 2014 draft and his rise to the majors has matched the lofty expectations. Rodon in his first full season has a 3-1 record and a 4.07 ERA in 12 appearances including nine starts. His most impressive stat however is his 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings. For a 22-year-old, the ability to punch out batters is important and he has effectively struck out batters throughout the league.
Eduardo Rodriguez – Boston Red Sox: Aside from one clunker against arguably the top offense in baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays, Rodriguez has sparkled since his call up from Triple-A Pawtucket. Rodriguez was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for current New York Yankees closer Andrew Miller. Rodriguez has a 3-2 record with a 4.33 ERA through six starts. In his first three appearances, he recorded seven strikeouts each game. Despite the higher ERA, he’s largely been the best pitcher for the Red Sox and has really only had two bad innings (One vs. Toronto and One vs. Baltimore).
Chi Chi Gonzalez – Texas Rangers: Gonzalez has been one of the most impressive youngsters to debut this year. Gonzalez has a 2.27 ERA in five starts, with a 2-2 record in those games. The most impressive result was a complete game shutout over the defending AL champion Kansas City Royals. He can’t be classified as a ground ball or fly ball pitcher as the splits are about even, but he manages to battle past every better he faces.
Lance McCullers – Houston Astros: McCullers has been great since he was called up to back up the high-flying youngsters in Houston. McCullers boasts a 3-2 record and a 2.33 ERA. His 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings is better than all three of the pitchers listed above and at 21 years old, he is just getting started. With Dallas Keuchel leading the charge, McCullers doesn’t need to be the headliner and can become the second man behind him with less pressure.
Be sure to check out Jovan Alford’s profile of National League rookie pitchers and enjoy the next wave of aces in the MLB.
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