Seattle Mariners: Yusei Kikuchi, SP
Kikuchi is different from every other player on this list because he isn’t a traditional rookie. Rather than growing in the Mariners farm system, Kikuchi is a 27-year-old free agent playing his first season since coming from Japan. Kikuchi was not hyped up as much as Shohei Ohtani or other top Japanese pitching prospects. Either way, that didn’t stop the Mariners from making a big free agency splash by inking the lefty to a 4-year deal (that can be uniquely stretched to 7 years).
Kikuchi wasn’t considered a potential ace by scouts, but most believed he could be a nice mid-rotation arm. Kikuchi throws a fastball in the mid-90s, has an above average curve and slider, and has reportedly been working on a 2-seamer this offseason. Kikuchi has a unique wind-up, reminiscent of Clayton Kershaw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILw0fZhWiBo
Kikuchi posted a 3.08 ERA in his final season in the NPB, with about 8.4 K/9 to go along with it. He did really well despite dealing with a shoulder injury that had been a question mark going into his free agency. Ultimately, Kikuchi will likely end up making his MLB debut sometime in the Opening Series for the Mariners, and although they plan on limiting the stress on his arm, Kikuchi is definitely going to play a large role on the upcoming Mariners season.
Texas Rangers: Taylor Hearn, SP
The Rangers aren’t expecting to end 2019 in playoff contention, but on the flip side, they likely won’t expect to have any prospects in the Rookie of the Year race. Of the prospects who actually have AAA playing experience, none of them have enough talent to make a huge impact, at least without an unexpected breakout. On the other hand, the Rangers’ top prospects are all a couple years away at the least. That leaves Taylor Hearn, who isn’t considered a top prospect and hasn’t played a AAA game. With a weak rotation full of veterans that may be dealt at the trade deadline, there’s at least a possibility that Hearn doesn’t spend a full season in AAA.
Even though it is expected that Hearn sees some major league action, it isn’t clear if he’ll only get a month or a half year. After joining the Rangers in a mid-season trade for Keone Kela, Hearn struggled in his 5 starts, posting a 5.04 ERA. Optimistically at least, Hearn struck out nearly 30% of batters last year and had an xFIP under 4 in both his Pirates and Rangers stint. If he manages to produce more ground balls and reduce home runs, Hearn definitely has the potential to move quickly to the MLB.
The tall lefty’s best pitch is his fastball, which was graded as a 70-grade by MLBPipeline.com due to its velocity being in the mid-to-high-90s with movement. His changeup and slider both clearly have potential as well, even if neither is a clear plus pitch right now. Some scouts are concerned that Hearn will end up in the bullpen, where he would be a great fit. He’s not quite developed yet which is why it is hard to project his rookie season to be great. If all goes well though, Hearn could profile as a mid-rotation starter who gets a ton of strikeouts.
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