Trout highlights rookie hitters

“It ain’t easy being green,” bemoaned Kermit the Frog. While this assertion referred to the color of Kermit’s complexion, the world’s preeminent puppet could have easily been speculating on the arduous nature of inexperience. Nowhere is this disposition more evident than the baseball diamond, where the untested are chewed up and spit out like sunflower seeds.

Rookies will emerge at various times in the season, seemingly ready to deliver fantasy fruition to astute owners who have monitored their march through the minors. Highly-touted hitter Eric Hosmer (.293, 19 homers, 78 RBI, 66 runs) produced a power jolt with his arrival in May, and the long-awaited advent of the Desmond Jennings Era served as a much-needed second-half stimulus for Tampa Bay. Jennings wasn’t the only greenhorn that prospered for the Rays, as Jeremy Hellickson’s fantastic freshman foray equated to Rookie of the Year honors.

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However, sustained success from these prodigies is rare; for every Hosmer and Hellickson, there are a dozen disappointments like Mike Moustakas and Tyler Chatwood. Not that I don’t like the forecast for the latter duo, but in their initial spell in the majors, their bite didn’t live up to their bark. Unfortunately, their appraisal is more in line with the historical output from rookies. (That sound you just heard was Justin Smoak owners sighing in agreement).

Yet one can’t totally dismiss the contributions of beginners in “the bigs” in the fantasy realm. As long as proprietors of prospects don’t rely too heavily on the fulfillment of rookies and avoid reaching for their attainment in drafts, fledgling ballplayers can serve a purpose on your squad. Today we present a list of hitting newcomers who could make a difference in the 2012 season, with a focus on pitchers later in the week:

1B: Yonder Alonso, Padres
The centerpiece acquisition for San Diego in the Mat Latos trade, Alonso posted a sound stat line of .296/.374/.486 in 358 at bats in Triple-A Louisville and didn’t disappoint in an abbreviated appearance in the Show, hitting .330 with five homers and 15 RBI in less than 90 at bats with the Reds. A line-drive machine (22.4 line-drive percentage in the majors last year), the former first-rounder may be one of the few hitters that thrive in the pitcher’s paradise of Petco Park, as the Yellowstone-like dimensions of the field will be conducive to Alonso’s array of frozen ropes. Alonso has lost the baby fat that many hardball pundits believed was hampering his value, which should correlate to improved speed and durability. The Padre will additionally hold outfielder eligibility in a majority of leagues, giving owners the asset of versatility.
Projected Position Rank: 21
Projected Draft Round: 16-18

C/DH: Jesus Montero, Mariners
Montero’s stock took a hit after leaving the friendly confines of Yankee Stadium. Worse, the top-rated Pinstripe prospect now calls Safeco Field, a park unkindly known as Hades for hitters, home. Oh, and there’s that little matter of transferring from one of baseball’s best lineups (the Bronx Bombers’ 867 runs were second-most in the majors in 2011) to its’ worst (the Mariners crossed home plate only 556 times).

Still, there’s a lot to like about Montero, who was ranked the No. 3 overall prospect by Baseball America heading into 2011. Just 22, Montero is in the minority of backstop bashers, hitting 39 bombs in 873 at bats in Triple-A. Granted, this forte may be hindered with his new environment; however, in his short stint with the Yanks in 2011, Montero wielded an impressive 27.3 line-drive percentage, and owned a .308/.366./.501 line in five seasons in the minors. With just a handful of viable hitting catchers, Montero could go as high as the eighth or ninth player at the position.
Projected Position Rank: 11
Projected Draft Round: 9-10

C: Devin Mesoraco, Reds
Ramon Hernandez will set up shop in Coors Field for 2012, opening the door for Mesoraco to win the Cincinnati starting job. Mesoraco has competition in Ryan Hanigan for backstop duties, and Dusty Baker is prone to platooning his catchers (in 2011, Hernandez logged 328 plate appearances, Hanigan 304). But Hanigan is better suited for the substitute role, and Mesoraco’s bat (.289/.371/.484, 15 home runs, 71 RBI, 60 runs, 436 at bats in Triple-A Louisville) will be hard to keep out of the lineup. Providing a susceptible defense doesn’t submarine his chances, the Reds rookie has a chance to be a solid sleeper pick.
Projected Position Rank: 14
Projected Draft Round: 14-16

OF: Mike Trout, Angels
I’m sure you, the astute owner, are calling shenanigans, as Trout accumulated 55 non-September days on the active roster with the Angels last season. However, in an unusual showing of benevolence, Major League Baseball reinstated Trout’s rookie status, as only 38 of those days were spent with Anaheim, with the other 17 logged in a demotion stint.

Not turning 21 until August, expect Trout to experience growing pains, and to say the Halos have an overabundance of outfielders is an understatement. Yet manager Mike Scioscia will be pressured to play the heralded Trout, who turned in a line of .326/.414/.544 with 11 homers, 82 runs and 33 stolen bases in 91 games in Double-A last season, especially if Vernon Wells continues his rapid decline.
Projected Position Rank: 54
Projected Draft Round: 17-19

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SS: Zack Cozart, Reds
As my buddy Mitch pointed out, “If Cozart’s 11-game audition taught us anything, it’s he’ll win the NL Rookie of the Year going away.” The Cincinnati shortstop was impressive in his short spell in the majors before succumbing to injury in 2011, hitting .324 with two homers and six runs. For those Doubting Thomases that desire a bigger sample size, Cozart hit a commendable .310 with 57 runs and 32 RBI in 323 at bats in the minors. Cozart will need to improve his patience at the plate (an uninspiring .357 OBP in Triple-A), but with no legitimate threat to siphon playing time, he should present everyday status for owners in need of a dependable shortstop.
Projected Position Rank: 20
Projected Draft Round: 20-23

OF: Brett Jackson, Cubs
The highest-slotted Cub on MLB.com’s Prospect Watch, Jackson hit 20 long balls and swiped 21 bags in 115 games down on the farm in 2011. The outfielder did have a high-whiff rate (138 strikeouts) but balanced it out with a respectable OBP of .379. Unless he has a remarkable display in the desert during spring training, Jackson is anticipated to begin the year in Triple-A Iowa. But with his rare fusion of power and speed, as well as the average age of Chicago’s three starting outfielders (Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd, David DeJesus) an elderly 34, envision Jackson roaming Wrigley Field sooner rather than later.
Projected Position Rank: Unranked
Projected Draft Round: Unranked

To provide owners with a better expectation of production from their upstarts, listed below is the output from the top eight rookie performers at the plate:

While the results certainly wouldn’t be classified as stunning, the rookies more than held their own in their opening campaign. It’s unlikely the 2012 class will duplicate the same amount of power production as their 2011 brethren, but foresee this year’s crop to be steadfast suppliers of OBP, average and runs.

Coming later this week: Part 2 of our rookie preview, highlighting principal pitching prospects for 2012.