May 31, 2004  

The DMBL's coveted Rookie of the Year Award is named after Pat Listach, who hit .315 with 212 hits as a rookie with the Columbia Crusaders in 1993, but was tragically killed that off-season in a car accident. But despite being named after a batter, just two position players have won the award in its five-year existence: Phoenix's Nomar Garciaparra in 1998, and Vancouver's Homer Bush in 2000. The award went to Arkansas RP John Rocker in 1999 and has gone to starters for three straight years: Carolina's Barry Zito in 2001, Hoboken's Joel Pineiro in 2002 and Phoenix's John Lackey last year. Will one of this year's freshman pitchers be able to keep up the streak?

What is a rookie? By league rule, a rookie is a player in his first year of DMBL eligibility (for pitchers, that's 10 starts for a starting pitcher, or 30 appearances, with at least 10 in relief, for relief pitchers). That can produce some unusual results. For example, 35-year-old middle reliever Brian Shouse has been in the majors since 1993, but he's a DMBL rookie this season because 2003 was the first in which he was eligible for an active roster. By the same token, Rafael Soriano is a rookie -- even though the Sharks drafted him last year. Honolulu protected the young reliever after drafting him in the 9th round (#120 overall) of the 2003 draft, but this is his first season where he's eligible for DMBL play. On the other hand, Hoboken starter Darrell May is not a rookie, even though he's never pitched in the DMBL before this season. May was eligible for DMBL play last year, but spent the year with the Cutters' farm team.

There are 64 rookie pitchers this season. Thirty-two are currently on rosters, and 32 are free agents, including one who was released after a handful of appearances, and five others who were drafted or signed as free agents but released without seeing any DMBL action.

Phoenix has the most rookie hurlers, with five. Westwood is next with four, followed by Tijuana with three. Harrison, Hillsborough, Hoboken, Honolulu, Newark, Philly and Vancouver have two rookie pitchers each and Arkansas, Carolina and Columbia each have one. Stanhope is the only team without a rookie pitcher.

Combining those numbers with the ones compiled in our issue about this year's rookie batters, we can look at the overall rookie numbers. (The only change since that edition is that Arkansas signed another rookie in 1B Ken Harvey.) Overall, there are 56 rookie batters and 64 rookie pitchers, for a total freshman class of 120. Sixty-nine rookies (37 batters and 32 pitchers) are currently on DMBL rosters. Phoenix has the most rookies, with nine (four batters, five pitchers); Stanhope is the only team without a rookie. The rest of the teams: Arkansas has seven rookies (six batters, one pitcher); Carolina has four (three batters, one pitcher); Columbia has three (two batters, one pitcher); Harrison has four (two of each); Hillsborough has three (one batter, two pitchers); Hoboken has five (three batters, two pitchers); Honolulu has five (three batters, two pitchers); Newark has six (four batters, two pitchers); Philly has three (one batter, three pitchers); Tijuana has six (three of each); Vancouver has seven (five batters, two pitchers); Westwood has five (one batter, four pitchers).

The Cream of the Crop

These five rookies have established themselves as key contributors to their squads and have to be considered the early favorites for the Listach. Note that the leaders in earned run average and other statistical categories are based on a minimum of 64.0 IP (as of May 31), the minimum required for the DMBL leader board.

Rookie starting pitchers usually have to battle just to survive their first year in the DMBL, and most 22-year-old rookie starting pitchers thrown into the fray usually end the season on the D.L., in Triple-A or in an insane asylum. But Harrison's Jerome Williams is thriving, leading all rookies with 9 wins, which is tied for 2nd overall among all DMBL pitchers! His .692 W% is all the more impressive when you consider his team is 3 games under .500, though they do score him a very healthy 6.2 RPG. Williams, taken in the first round (#12 overall) by the Rats, also leads all rookie starters in lowing batting average against (.230), ranking 6th overall; complete games (4), 3rd overall; and innings pitched (90.2), 9th overall. However, he's in the middle of the pack when it comes to ERA (4.37), walks per 9 (3.2), runners per 9 (11.5), strikeouts per 9 (5.4) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.69).

The Sugar Bears have three of the leading Listach Award candidates among batters, and they have two more shots at the award with rookie starters Eric DuBose and Scot Shields. The latter was Newark's first pick, taken in the second round (#27) of this year's draft, and has lived up to expectations by leading rookie starters in ERA (3.41), ranking 8th among all DMBL pitchers; runners per 9 (10.9), tied for 5th overall; walks per 9 (2.2), tied for 8th overall. He also leads rookies in quality start percentage (.545) and is tied for 2nd among rookies (and tied for 7th overall) in complete games, with 2. On the season, Shields is 5-2 (.714 W%) with 60 K against 18 walks in 74 IP, the best K:BB ratio among rookie starters. DuBose, the next player Newark selected (3rd round, #41 overall), also has great ROY credentials, ranking second in wins (7-2), winning percentage (.778), ERA (3.80) and tied for second in quality start percentage (.538) among rookie starters.

Arkansas's Rocker is the only reliever to ever win the Listach Award, but there are several leading candidates this season. One of the most dominant has been Philly's 21-year-old sensation, Francisco Rodriguez. "K-Rod" actually was drafted as a prospect -- taken in the 2nd round (#21 overall) by Columbia last year -- but he was released in May. The Endzone Animals made him a 2nd round pick again this year (#20 overall) and immediately made him a cornerstone of the bullpen. Rodriguez is 1-2 with 2 saves (0 blown saves) and 1 hold, with a 2.35 ERA, 8.2 R/9 and 10.8 K/9 (46 K, 21 BB in 38.1 IP). But Francisco has made many friends among the Animals' starters with this statistic: Just 1 out of 16 inherited runners have scored this season, an astounding .063 IR% percentage, which leads all rookie relievers and ranks third among all relievers in baseball... Another rookie who's been throwing smoke this year is Honolulu's Rafael Soriano, drafted in the 9th round (#120 overall) last year and protected by the Sharks. The 23-year-old setup man has 4 wins and 2 saves, against no losses and no blown saves, for 12 relief points (second best among rookies); he also has four holds. His 2.25 ERA is second-best among rookie relievers with at least 20 IP, and he leads all rookies with a 6.5 R/9 (4.5 H/9, 1.5 BB/9). But most impressive are his 50 Ks and just 6 BB in 36 IP, an astounding 8.33:1 K:BB ratio. His 12.5 K/9 also leads rookie relievers.

Next Best

These guys are still in the running, but they're going to have to kick it up a notch to figure in the ROY balloting this autumn.

Phoenix's Brandon Webb, the second pick of this year's draft, hasn't been quite as sharp as the top three rookie starters but is certainly still in the running for the Listach. Webb is 6-3 (.667 W%) with a 3.83 ERA and a .538 QS%, and has allowed just 7 HRs in 89.1 IP for a 0.7 HR/9, which leads all rookie hurlers and is tied for 10th among all pitchers. He also leads rookies in lowest slugging percentage allowed (.356), also tied for 10th among all pitchers; and leads rookies by having induced 13 double plays (tied for 5th overall). But all those double plays are a result of a lot of baserunners: Webb has allowed 41 walks for a 4.1 BB/9 average (plus 8 HBP, which is tops among rookies and 4th in the DMBL), so even with a solid 8.6 H/9 he's still allowing an unacceptable 13.5 R/9. Teammate Rafael Betancourt, drafted in the 6th round (#74), has been a nice addition, posting a 2.41 ERA and struck out 27 in 33.2 IP, with a 12.3 R/9. He's picked up a win and four holds, but has blown two saves.

The only rookie anointed a closer so far this season is Hillsborough's Luis Ayala, drafted in the 5th round (#65). Ayala leads rookies in saves (9) and relief points (17), but he also leads them in blown saves, with 5. His other numbers are rather ordinary (3.45 ERA, 12.4 R/9, .350 IR% in 31.1 IP)... Philly's Ron Mahay, a 32-year-old southpaw finally making his debut this season, has been one of the biggest rookie bargains this season. Drafted in the 9th round (#118 overall), Mahay has 3 wins and 3 holds (but with 2 blown saves, both for losses), posting a 2.29 ERA, 7.8 R/9 and .192 IR%. Mahay has fanned 40 while allowing just 11 walks in 51.0 IP... Oscar Villarreal, drafted in the 3rd round (#35 overall) by Westwood, leads rookie relievers with at least 20 IP in ERA (1.56), and is 2-0 with 1 save and 4 holds, despite a pretty ordinary 10.6 R/9, 4.2 K/9, 1.45 K:BB. But he hasn't allowed a HR in 34.2 IP this season. Fellow Deduction Jason Kershner, drafted in the 6th round (#77) by Westwood, leads all rookies with 6 holds (and also has 2 wins, 4 losses, and 2 blown saves). His other numbers are solid, with a 3.59 ERA, 11.2 R/9 and .273 IR% in 57.2 IP... Jose Valverde (4-1, 2 holds, 2 blown saves, 3.63 ERA, 9.1 R/9, .355 IR% in 39.2 IP), drafted in the 2nd round (#15) by Tijuana, and Julio Mateo (3-1, 3 holds, 4.11 ERA, 12.7 R/9, .182 IR% in 46.0 IP), taken in the 7th round (#92) by Vancouver, also have been good, but not great, so far this season.

Busts

Before the start of the season, prognosticators were arguing over which of these phenoms would be taking home the Listach. Now they're trying to just survive their first season in The Show.

The first player selected in this year's draft, Tijuana's Dontrelle Willis, is a 21-year-old lefty with the competitive fire and the electric stuff needed to one day develop into a Ben McDonald Award winner. But his debut DMBL season has to be a disappointment, especially when compared to the campaigns being put together by Williams, Shields, DuBose and Webb. Willis is 1-5 with a 4.91 ERA and a 14.9 R/9, with just 3 quality starts in his first 10 games. But he's fanned 52 batters in 51.1 IP, and he's allowed just 7 HR this season (1.2 HR/9), so the potential for a huge second half is certainly there.

It's hard enough for a rookie starting pitcher to live up to all the hype, especially when Peter Gammons is comparing you to Jim Palmer before your 21st birthday. But while we can forgive Rich Harden for not being a Hall of Famer yet, we have to include him in the "busts" category after his disappointing first time around the league. Harden, Vancouver's 2nd round pick (#22 overall), can thank his offense (5.2 RPG) and bullpen (.143 IR%) for his 4-3 record, because he certainly hasn't earned it. He's given up a ridiculous 80 H and 46 BB (19.2 R/9) in 62.1 IP! It's amazing that he "only" has a 5.63 ERA, mostly thanks to the fact that he's given up just 6 HRs. Still, with just 2 quality starts in his first 13 games (.154 QS%), Harden's got a long way to go.

Drafted nine spots ahead of fellow rookie southpaw DuBose, third-rounder Horacio Ramirez (#32 overall) has been a tremendous disappointment for the Dragons. The 24-year-old has been bombed for 98 hits, including 24 2B, 5 3B and 13 HRs, in his first 68.1 IP. That translates to a jaw-dropping 7.90 ERA and 17.0 R/9 -- and a 3-7 record with just 3 quality starts -- in 13 games. The most damning stat of all: Ramirez actually has allowed more walks (29) than strikeouts (28) this season... Hoboken selected 26-year-old Jae Weong Seo with the second of three fourth-round picks (#52 overall). Four rounds later, they took another rookie starter in 25-year-old Kurt Ainsworth (#103). Both look like they could do with some more seasoning at Triple-A: Seo is 2-7 with a 6.22 ERA and a 14.9 R/9, with just 25 Ks in 59.1 IP; Ainsworth is 3-2 with a 7.67 ERA and a 15.7 R/9, and has allowed an incredible 8 HRs in just 27.0 IP.

Others enduring rough rookie campaigns: Phoenix reliever Scott Linebrink (drafted #200) is 2-1 with 4 holds, but has 3 blown saves and a 6.85 ERA, 19.3 R/9 and has allowed 21 BB against 30 K in 44.2 IP. Meanwhile, teammate Javier Lopez -- the reliever, not the catcher, but Phoenix has both of them -- has a nice 3-1 record with 1 save, 3 holds and no blown saves. But the lefty, drafted #144 overall, hasn't pitched nearly as well as that record, with a 6.97 ERA, 18.0 R/9 and just 11 Ks against 10 BB in 31.0 IP. Javier's biggest problem, other than getting his teammate's fan mail, is his inability to get out lefties: The southpaw has allowed a .414 BA and a .882 OPS against his own kind this season... Another lefty, Honolulu's Erasmo Ramirez (#122) is 0-1 with a 6.40 ERA and a 13.1 R/9, but he does rank 4th among all DMBL relievers with an impressive .077 IR%, having allowed just 1 out of 13 inherited runners to score.  

Put Me In, Coach!

These rookies haven't had nearly enough playing time to warrant consideration for the Listach Award. Of course, there's still two-thirds of the season left to go...

Arkansas's Brad Lidge, a 7th-round pick (#98), has allowed just 1 run (0.50 ERA) this season, but he has just 18 IP as the mop-up man in the Golden Falcons' well-stocked bullpen. Lidge has allowed just 13 H and 8 BB (11.0 R/9) with 20 Ks, and has picked up 4 wins, 1 save and 1 hold, while allowing just 2 out of 12 inherited runners to score (.167 IR%). He could join K-Rod and Soriano as a long-shot middle-relief candidate for the ROY if he can get more action over the rest of the season... Carolina signed free-agent rookie starter Jake Westbrook on April 26 and they've given him two starts so far. The early results have been mixed: Both were quality starts (one win, one no-decision), allowing 9 H, 3 BB and 9 K in his first 12.1 IP. But he's also allowed 6 earned runs (4.38 ERA) and 3 HRs... The jury also is still out on Harrison southpaw reliever Mike Gallo (drafted #198), who has 1 save and 1 hold with a nice 2.38 ERA and a 3:1 K:BB ratio (6 K, 2 BB in 11.1 IP). But he's also given up 13 hits, and has allowed 5 out of 6 inherited runners to score... Starter Claudio Vargas, drafted in the 10th round (#130) by Phoenix but released in spring training, was signed April 13 by Tijuana. He has just one start, picking up a win despite allowing 8 H and 4 ER in 6 IP... Another 10th-rounder, Hillsborough's Jeriome Robertson (#135), also has been given one start so far this season, but he was handed a loss after getting bombed for 5 hits (2 HRs) and 7 ER in just 2.2 IP... Columbia's Zach Day, a 7th-round pick (#87), hasn't pitched yet this season but did go on the D.L. after catching the dreaded ebonic plague earlier this year... Two Westwood rookies, Jason Davis (#147) and Mike Neu (#175), are still waiting to make their DMBL debut.

Free Agents

Vancouver took 28-year-old middle reliever Aquilino Lopez in the 13th round (#176 overall) of this year's draft, needing a "righty specialist" to balance out a 'pen dominated by southpaws Eddie Guardado and Billy Wagner. But Lopez couldn't get righties out either, giving up a .296 BA (.424 OBP) to them -- and a 6.39 ERA, 17.1 R/9 overall -- before finally getting his release on May 25... Newark drafted Kyle Snyder (#230 overall), but cut him in spring training to sign fellow rookie Brian Shouse. But Shouse also got red tagged before the teams headed north. Also cut without seeing action: Carolina's Juan Rincon (drafted #218, cut in spring training); Harrison's Jeremy Bonderman (drafted #211, cut April 21); and Philly's R.A. Dickey (signed May 7, released May 11)... Other rookie free agents without any stats this year: Hector Almonte; Jung Bong; Dewon Brazelton; Nate Bump; D.J. Carrasco; Lance Carter; Aaron Cook; Leo Estrella; Jesse Foppert; Wayne Franklin; Rosman Garcia; Franklyn German; Andrew Good; Danny Haren; Aaron Heilman; Mark Hendrickson; Troy Hodges; Brooks Kieschnick; Gary Knotts; Wilfredo Ledezma; Colby Lewis; Wes Obermueller; Stephen Randolph; Brian Reith; Ricardo Rodriguez; Matt Roney; Chris Spurling; Billy Traber; and Dan Wheeler.

Phil Plantier, one of the top prospects of the last decade, was picked by baseball guru Bill James in 1991 as the player most likely to lead the majors in HRs during the 1990s. In 1994, at age 24, he hit 47 round-trippers with 118 RBIs for the Charleston Chiefs, his first and last DMBL season. He's currently an analyst for Fox Sports Net. Click Here for past articles.