Rays OF Arozarena, Pirates 3B Hayes among MLB's top rookies

CHICAGO (AP) — A couple of postseason stars. The son of a former big leaguer. A versatile infielder from South Korea.

Here is a closer look at a handful of rookies who could play a starring role this year:

—OF Randy Arozarena and SS Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays: Arozarena helped power Tampa Bay to the World Series last year, batting .377 with 10 homers, 14 RBIs and a 1.273 OPS in 20 postseason games. The switch-hitting Franco, who just turned 20 on March 1, is widely regarded as baseball's top prospect.

—RHP Ian Anderson, Atlanta Braves: The 22-year-old Anderson was called up in August and went 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA in six starts, helping Atlanta win the NL East. He also shined in the postseason, allowing just two earned runs in 18 2/3 innings.

—INF Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pittsburgh Pirates: Hayes, 24, provided some hope for lowly Pittsburgh in September, batting .376 with five homers in 24 games. The slick-fielding son of former big league infielder Charlie Hayes was selected by the Pirates in the first round of the 2015 amateur draft.

—OF Dylan Carlson, St. Louis Cardinals: The athletic Carlson was promoted in August and helped St. Louis reach the playoffs for the second straight year. He batted .200 with 35 strikeouts in 35 games, but the switch-hitter just turned 22 in October, and the Cardinals think he could be a big part of their lineup for years to come.

—RHP Nate Pearson, Toronto Blue Jays: Armed with a fastball that gets into the upper 90s and a nasty slider, Pearson worked five scoreless innings in his first big league start at Washington on July 29. He went through some growing pains down the stretch last year, but that learning experience could pay off for Toronto in 2021.

—OF Jarred Kelenic, Seattle Mariners: Kelenic's future was in focus this...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Rays-OF-Arozarena-Pirates-3B-Hayes-among-MLB-s-16009708.php