Are Rookies Valuable to Major League Teams?

Every July, baseball fans sit eagerly on the edge of their seats. Why would this occur? The MLB draft is underway, allowing teams to recruit new players. During the All-Star Break, 30 teams prepare to add players to their team through rounds. Since 2019, there have been 20 rounds of this draft plus compensation for awards such as Rookie of The Year. These recruits must climb through the minor leagues, learning valuable skills while trying to impress the bigger leagues. With this in mind, are rookies valuable to major league teams?

Yes

The draft is a way to get young talent to stay with the team long-term. The recruits are cheap and must remain with the team for at least six years if not traded before that. This is opposed to when one buys a team; those players are only around for a short period. Furthermore, according to Forbes, “with the average 2022 salary at $4.41 million, according to The Associated Press, clubs can play seven freshmen for the cost of a typical veteran.” 

One such example is the Baltimore Orioles. They include primarily young players such as Rookie Of the Year, Gunnar Henderson, and Rookie Of the Year finalist Adley Rutschman. These people and other team members accumulated 101 wins for the Orioles. This team won the most competitive division while maintaining one of the best offenses and pitching staffs in the league. They did this all while consisting of primarily homegrown talent. 

In addition to helping succeed, teams value recruits for their capacity to trade them for other players. The trade of Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres allowed the Padres already, who already had great talent in the minor leagues to trade in their players for one of the best hitters. 

No

The inexperience shown by the rookies has always been around, especially in the postseason, the tournament that dictates who the best baseball team that year is. It takes adjusting to learn the skills needed for the major league level. For example, Steven Kwan, an outfielder for the Cleveland Guardians, was outstanding for the first few months of his rookie year, but then pitchers realized his issues with fastballs. When they figured that out, it was all downhill for Kwan. 

Rookies and young players have a more challenging time in the postseason as they are not used to the pressure. According to FanGraphs, one of the leading groups in interpreting and creating stats, “If a player can’t make a team younger, and he can’t make a team cheaper, he has to fulfill a third purpose — helping his team win games. That last task seems like it should be of considerably more importance to someone who’s putting together an MLB roster.” 

Take, for example, the recent World Series. The Arizona Diamondbacks is a team with a young core. The rookies got off to a good start, but star player Corbin Carroll began to falter when the Championship Series came around. On the other hand, the Texas Rangers, comprised of primarily free agents and older players, were able to win. When one spends money on free agents, they can buy a team that wins championships now rather than waiting for rookies to learn.

Written by Jack Loveday of Sligo Middle School

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons