The most unpredictable and unreliable player in baseball: the rookie. We fall in love with them before ever setting foot on a Major League field and more times than not, they leave us heartbroken. We stick with them too long or give up on them too early. Among the many reasons as to why at 28 years old, my hair is grayer than the average male my age is the rookie. In my next few articles, we will try to predict the unpredictable. We will try to project the rookies for the remainder of the season. First up will be the breakout candidates.

Gordon Beckham- The White Sox’ prized prospect had trouble adjusting to the Majors after his recent call-up. However, he is starting to hit his stride. He has hit safely in six out of his last seven games. He is also driving the ball well and using the whole field. There is nobody to push Beckham for playing time so the job is his for the rest of the year, if he performs. His SLG is .314 despite a .196 BA and his K and BB numbers are both solid. Beckham is the real deal and a big second half should be expected from him. 

Dexter Fowler- Fowler has plugged away all season and his numbers might not be eye-popping, but they are somewhat deceptive. He has played almost everyday through the whole season, which can be tough on a rookie, but he has been able to maintain decent numbers throughout.   He has also been showing signs of improvement, with hits in five of his last six games, including two multi-hit games. Even if Fowler doesn’t get it done this season, look for an Adam Jones-like breakout next year.

Matt Wieters- After a slow start, Wieters is starting to show some pop and some multi-hit games as well. When he pops, it is going to be huge. He has his BA up to .260 from under .200 just under two weeks ago. By the end of the year Wieters will be right around .300 with nice power numbers. If you own him in a keeper league, you should be feeling pretty good about yourself.

Jordan Zimmermann- The young Nationals’ prize pitcher has shown flashes of brilliance but has battled with high pitch counts and early exits. This is not uncommon for young pitchers. What has been impressive is his 63 K in 61 IP. He has also shown some ability to battle out of jams, though he has occasionally had trouble escape from them as well. In all, Zimmermann has shown the promise that we have expected. Today, his ERA sits at 5.03, but he is improving with every outing. Buy low on this guy right now before he gets on a roll.

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