Feature photo courtesy of MBDChicago / Flickr.

American League:

Billy Burns – OF Oakland Athletics

Oakland A’s fans have not had much to cheer about this season, but Billy Burns has been one of the few bright spots in the A’s lineup. After recording only six at-bats in 2014, Burns has definitely made a mark in the at-bats he has had this season. He currently has a .303 batting average, a .340 on-base percentage, 17 stolen bases and has been great in the lead-off spot. Burns has phenomenal speed both on the basepath and in the outfield and has quickly become an Oakland fan favorite. It will be interesting to see if Burns can keep up his high level of play in the second half of the 2015 season.

Carlos Correa – SS Houston Astros It has only taken Carlos Correa 32 games to secure himself as one of the best players on the Astros in 2015. This is not the lowly 2013 51-win Astros we are talking about; this is the 2015 half-a-game-out-of-first-at-the-All-Star-break Astros. In 134 at-bats this season, Correa has a batting average of .276, seven home runs, 19 runs-batted-in and a slugging percentage north of .500. Correa has only shown us a small sample size so far, but from what he has shown us, it seems to me like he can be the best offensive shortstop in the MLB in a year or so. So for now, expect Correa to only get better as the 2015 season goes on.

Eduardo Rodriguez – P Boston Red Sox When Eduardo Rodriguez is good he is GOOD. Like giving up two runs or less in seven of his nine starts this season good. However, when Rodriguez is bad he is BAD. In his two losses, he lasted an average of just more than four innings and gave up an average of more than seven runs per start. Now luckily for the Red Sox, in Rodriguez’s case, the good outweighs the bad. At 22, Rodriguez has been the best pitcher in a rotation filled with veterans and has had his fair share of phenomenal performances. In games where he has not lost this season he has a 1.22 ERA; however, in games he has lost this season he has a 16.67 ERA. I believe that Rodriguez has a chance to win the AL Rookie of the Year if, and only if, he can minimize the damage in games that he loses.

Miguel Sano – DH Minnesota Twins Standing at 6 foot 3 inches and 262 pounds, Miguel Sano has found his place in the cleanup spot of the Twins lineup only 37 at-bats into his MLB career. Now, his size definitely helped guide the Twins management into making that decision, but the numbers he has put up in only 11 games this season also helped. Sano has a batting average of .378, two home runs, eight runs-batted-in, an on-base percentage of .489, and a slugging percentage of almost .650. Though it may be too early for fans to accept Sano as one of the young stars in today’s game, he has given us a reason to take notice. Sano has a long way to go before his name appears in any Rookie of the Year conversations, but his offensive potential is through the roof, and he is definitely deserving of keeping an eye on.

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Devon Travis – 2B Toronto Blue Jays In a lineup headlined by Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, Devon Travis has still found a way to impact the team and make a name for himself in his rookie season. Even though the first half of his season was shortened by injury, Travis still has a batting average of .304, seven home runs, 32 runs-batted-in, and a slugging percentage of nearly .500. Travis was on fire heading into the All-Star Break, and if he can keep pace with the numbers he put up earlier this season in the second half, don’t be surprised if his name starts to appear in AL Rookie of the Year talks.

National League:

Kris Bryant- 3B Chicago Cubs

For most rookies, success doesn’t come as quickly as it did for Kris Bryant. Bryant was named to the NL All-Star team this season due to his impressive first-season numbers. Bryant went into the All-Star break with 12 home runs, 51 runs-batted-in, an on-base percentage of .372, and a slugging percentage of .472. Although he has struggled defensively, Bryant more than makes up for it with his bat and he is making a serious name for himself for NL Rookie of the Year. If Bryant can keep producing at the same efficiency in the second half of the season he will have one of the best rookie years in recent memory.

Maikel Franco – 3B Philadelphia Phillies This rookie superstar made a name for himself after he hit three home runs and drove in 10 runs in two days against the Yankees in late June. Since then, Franco has continued his high level of play against the rest of the MLB. Franco went into the All-Star break with a batting average of .284, 10 home runs, 34 runs-batted-in, and a slugging percentage of .495 through only 55 games. It is very possible that if Franco played the entire first half of the season he would have been in Cincinnati representing the National League earlier this week. Franco is a very solid player with great potential and if he can keep producing he will make the NL Rookie of the Year race very interesting.

Chris Heston – P San Francisco Giants

Most pitchers will spend their entire career longing for the exhilarating feeling that is throwing a no-hitter only to never be able to experience it for themselves. Heston, however, was able to achieve this against the New York Mets in only his 13th career start. Heston’s rookie season has been historical, and not only because of his no-hitter. He went into the All-Star Break with a 3.39 ERA, 9-5 record, batting-average-against at .249, and of course, a no-hitter. These statistics in the first half of the season would be impressive for a seasoned veteran, let alone a rookie. In a Giants starting staff that has been shaky at times, Heston has provided his team with consistency and big wins when needed. Look for Heston to continue his success in the second half of the 2015 season, and even possibly make a run at the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Joc Pederson- OF Los Angeles Dodgers For a rookie, Joc Pederson has an insane amount of power. Actually, for any player, no matter how long they have been in the league, Joc Pederson has an insane amount of power. The rookie sensation hit 20 home runs in the first half of the 2015 season, with his average distance of home runs leading the league at 430.5 feet. He has hit a 480 foot bomb and even made a run at the Home Run Derby title. Pederson has been great, but his low batting average and runs-batted-in totals are a little concerning. His batting average has gone down every month of the season, and it seems like his only runs-batted-in come when he hits a homerun. Pederson won a starting position for the NL in the All-Star Game this year, but unless he can raise his offensive efficiency, I just don’t see him winning the NL Rookie of the Year. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Noah Syndergaard – P New York Mets

The 22-year-old rookie reminds me of Randy Johnson. Even though, Syndergaard is four inches shorter than the Big Unit, he is still a large presence on the mound standing at 6 foot 6 inches, and he throws a fireball for a fastball. Syndergaard had a lot of hype surrounding him coming into his MLB debut this season, and I think it is fair to say that he has done a good job of living up to it. In only 11 starts heading into the All-Star break, Syndergaard has an impressive 3.11 ERA, 4-4 record (if only the Mets could give him run support) and a batting-average-against at .237. In his most recent start, he went eight innings giving up one run, four hits and striking out 13, proving to me that he’s the real deal. Syndergaard should continue his early success in the second half of the season, and if the Mets can get him some wins he may even be able to follow in Jacob deGrom, his fellow teammate, footsteps and take a jab at the NL Rookie of the Year.

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Honorable Mentions:

Mark Canha – OF Oakland Athletics (.246 AVG, 8 HR, 33 RBI, .307 OBP)

Alex Guerrero – OF Los Angeles Dodgers (.244 AVG, 10 HR, 30 RBI, .494 SLG)

Jung Ho Kang – 3B Pittsburgh Pirates (.268 AVG, 4 HR, 29 RBI, .348 OBP)

Roberto Osuna – P Toronto Blue Jays (2.25 ERA, 44 SO, 4 SV, 0.93 WHIP)

Carson Smith – P Seattle Mariners (1.73 ERA, 47 SO, 6 SV, 0.77 WHIP)

Steven Souza Jr. – OF Tampa Bay Rays (.210 AVG, 15 HR, 33 RBI, 10 SB)

Yasamany Tomas – 3B Arizona Diamondbacks (.313 AVG, 5 HR, 35 RBI, .351 OBP)