2022 MLB All Rookie Dream Team
Julio Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, Michael Harris, and Spencer Strider are obvious... but who else would make a 2022 All Rookie Dream Team?
Issue #42
We knew coming into the 2022 season that the rookie class was loaded with talent. Of course not all pre-season predictions came true (ahem… looking at you Spencer Torkelson and Joey Bart). And some rookies were called up later than some expected (e.g., Oneil Cruz) or were slowed by injuries.
But there were plenty of highlights from the 2022 rookie class, perhaps most notably Julio Rodriguez’ performance in the All-Star Weekend HR Derby. While no one had massive rookie-season numbers, some standout numbers from the regular season included:
Julio Rodriguez putting up a 25/25 season, with 28 HR and 25 SB, with a 147 OPS+ and .284/.345/.509 slash line
Bobby Witt putting up a 20/20 season, with 20 HR and 30 SB, though with a less impressive 102 OPS+ and .254/.294/.428
Michael Harris nearly making that mark, with 19 HR and 20 SB, but with a solid 135 OPS+ and .297/.339/.514
Adley Rutschman, mostly as a catcher, posting a 128 OPS+ with 13 HR and an impressive 35 doubles in only 113 games played
Oneil Cruz posting 17 HR and 11 SB in only 87 games, along with some highlight-reel throws from SS
Brendan Donovan didn’t display much power or speed , but did have a 126 OPS+, .281 average, and .394 OBP, all while playing six different positions
Joey Meneses was great after Washington traded Josh Bell with Juan Soto to San Diego, hitting 13 HR in only 56 games, with a 165 OPS+ and .324/.367/.563
Spencer Strider was lights-out at times, going 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA, a super-impressive 1.83 FIP, and 202 K in only 131.2 IP
Joe Ryan was as promised for the Twins, posting a 13-8 record, with a 3.55 ERA and 151 strikeouts over 27 starts
Hunter Greene racked up strikeouts as expected to the tune of 164 in 125.2 IP, but was otherwise inconsistent posting a 4.44 ERA (4.37 FIP) and a 5-13 record in 24 starts for the Reds. And don’t forget that one of those losses was a combined no-hitter that the Reds managed to lose to the equally woeful Pirates on May 15.
And speaking of no-hitters, Reid Detmers tossed one for the Angels against the Rays on May 10, and then finished the season with a respectable 3.77 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 25 starts.
Clearly all of the above were deserving of spots in my 2022 All Rookie Dream Team. But who else made the cut?
In the depth chart above I generally listed players at their primary position from the 2022 season. SS was full of strong candidates so I shifted Bobby Witt over to 3B, and Bryson Stott over to 2B. CF also had several good candidates, with a few that didn’t quite make the cut including Riley Greene, Alek Thomas, and Jose Siri.
You could certainly debate the order of the two pitching lists, such as Kirby and Ryan behind Strider as SP, or the ranking of some of the others farther down the list. And for relievers I included three who spent some time as closers getting saves, and then three to represent the many other outstanding rookie relievers. Other relievers that deserve honorable mention include: Bryan Baker (MIN), Penn Murfee (SEA), A.J. Puk (OAK), Dylan Coleman (KCR), Brandon Hughes (CHC), Zach Jackson (OAK), Scott Effross (NYY), Dylan Lee (ATL), Domingo Acevedo (OAK), Ron Marinaccio (NYY), Clark Schmidt (NYY), Jovani Moran (MIN), and Stephen Wilson (SDP).
Looking at only the players I included on the roster, 18 out of the 30 teams are represented. The team with the most players was the Royals at four — but only if you include Emmanuel Rivera who split his season with Arizona. Teams with three players include the Twins, Pirates, and Reds.
All data is from Baseball-Reference.com, and also their subscription service Stathead.com. If you are a big sports fan, be sure to check out the latest features at Stathead and the Sports Reference family of sites.