The top two prospects, on our annual TOP 50 Prospects List, lived up to expectations. Both showed their capable impact on the field....... that may reap benefits in the years to come.

The Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuna showcased his five-tool performance to earn him National League Rookie Of The Year honors. The future face of the franchise made his presence known immediately. Even spending time away from the lineup due to injury, Acuna was able to pickup where he left off to finish strong to close out the regular season. His postseason debut was a grand slam success, despite the Braves bowing out in the division series.

There was curiosity in how Japanese import, Shohei Ohtani, would adjust to American baseball. He was billed as the next great foreign player to come from the land of the rising sun. The Los Angeles Angels knew who they were getting as he was both a pitcher and a hitter. The American League Rookie Of The Year showed he can hit big league pitching, and, strikeout hitters (before falling victim to Tommy John). Ohtani will continue to make noise at the plate this upcoming season.

There were other rookies from both leagues who made statement presence throughout the season. In the AL: two New York Yankee rookies expanded their power on an already powerful lineup: Gleyber Torres showed all-around flashes before going down with a season-ending injury; Miguel Andujar showed his power bat to extend the cause.Both expect to be fixtures in the years to come. In the NL: the Washington Nationals Juan Soto displayed across-the-board numbers that makes wonders what kind of numbers he would have had in a full season; two pitchers made tremendous noise as the Los Angeles Dodgers Walker Buehler and the St. Louis Cardinals Jack Flaherty displayed ace-like stuff on the mound. 

The Next Awaits

The next batch of rookies await, headlined by: the Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the White Sox Eloy Jimenez and the Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. These players show franchise altering potential. 

The new season awaits so watch for our annual list coming out soon.  

​

​