No real argument on Monday’s announcement of the National League and American League rookies of the year. Craig Kimbrel, a reliever for the Braves, and Jeremy Hellickson, a starting pitcher for the Rays, proved worthy this season. But of the players who were in the mix, which ones are ready to take another leap forward in 2012 and which will regress? It happens every year. Look out for Eric Hosmer next season. The Royals first baseman had 19 home runs and a .799 OPS. If Hosmer, 22, can cut his strikeout rate, he should get on base more often and push that OPS closer to .900. He walked just 34 times in 2011 while adjusting to big league pitching.
Want a sophomore slump? Let’s go with Vance Worley. The Phillies rookie went 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA. But advanced stats say he pitched closer to a 3.66 when you consider the things under Worley’s control — home runs allowed, walks, strikeouts, hit batters — and he’s likely to regress even from that number. Still a nice asset, but Worley isn’t a star.
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– Brian McNally
