Rookie of the Year rankings: New faces emerge, Carroll pulling away

Welcome to the second edition of theScore's 2023 Rookie of the Year rankings, where we pick five top candidates from each league. Odds courtesy Barstool Sportsbook and theScore Bet.

American League

5. Esteury Ruiz, Athletics

Ruiz leads the majors in steals in his first season. He's also swiped more than twice as many bags as Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, who's second among rookies with 13. The 24-year-old speedster is on pace to steal 70-plus bases, which would be the first time that's happened since Jacoby Ellsbury in 2009. Unfortunately, Ruiz doesn't offer much offensively outside of his blazing speed.

4. Yennier Cano, Orioles

Cano's sensational campaign continues to fuel a surprising Orioles club led by a dominant bullpen. Baltimore's relievers collectively own the best fWAR in baseball (3.6) thanks in large part to the right-hander's contributions. The 29-year-old leads all freshman relievers (min. 15 innings pitched) in ERA, WHIP, and holds, and he's limiting opponents to an incredible .165 AVG. He's only walked two batters all year and has yet to surrender a homer.

3. Hunter Brown, Astros

Brown had the No. 1 spot in the first edition of the rankings in early May. However, the 24-year-old has seen his ERA go up by over a full run over the last month. His only two quality starts came against the lowly Athletics, and he allowed a season-high five earned runs against the Twins in his last start. Despite the recent inconsistency, Brown leads all rookie hurlers in innings pitched and strikeouts.

2. Masataka Yoshida, Red Sox

Some wondered how Yoshida's game would translate to the majors after spending his entire career in Japan. Well, he's certainly proving the naysayers wrong. The 29-year-old leads all qualified freshmen in batting average, he's second in on-base percentage, and he's third in slugging percentage. Perhaps most impressively, though, he's walked as many times as he's struck out. The top spot in the AL was a toss-up between Yoshida and Josh Jung. However, Yoshida continues to be plagued by his play in the outfield as made evident by a minus-6.0 defensive rating, according to FanGraphs.

1. Josh Jung, Rangers

Jung has been named the AL Rookie of the Month in April and May. He's been an integral part of a Rangers' offense putting up historic numbers en route to amassing the best run differential in the majors. The slugging third baseman leads all first-year players in hits, runs, homers, and RBIs. He's also third among qualified rookies with a 136 wRC+. The 25-year-old has recorded three three-hit games over his last 10 contests.

National League

5. Francisco Alvarez, Mets

The former top prospect has entered the Rookie of the Year conversation following a torrid stretch that saw him hit five round-trippers with 13 RBIs over nine games at the end of May. The 21-year-old catcher has been so good with his bat that the Mets decided to designate defensive specialist Tomas Nido for assignment. Alvarez will be given every opportunity to prove that he's the No. 1 backstop in New York.

4. Kodai Senga, Mets

Senga is another new entry to the rankings. The Mets right-hander had a strong May before the shortest start of his brief major-league career last time out against the Blue Jays. The 30-year-old allowed just one earned run with 12 strikeouts over six innings against the Rays in mid-May and then tossed seven-shutout innings with nine strikeouts versus the Phillies last week. Senga's 73 punchouts are second to only Brown among rookies. However, his command has been an issue as he's currently allowing 5.6 walks per nine.

3. James Outman, Dodgers

Outman looked like he'd be battling with Corbin Carroll for NL Rookie of the Year honors after a terrific start. However, the last month hasn't been kind to the 26-year-old. He's gone deep just twice over his last 36 games, which includes a run of 21 contests without a hit. Outman still leads all freshmen with three triples and is fourth in homers and RBIs, but he's also tops with 74 strikeouts. The outfielder is trending in the wrong direction and his rookie teammate Miguel Vargas is starting to take some attention.

2. Spencer Steer, Reds

Steer debuts at No. 2 after a sizzling May for the improving Reds. The 25-year-old had 10 multi-hit contests, including nine hits over a three-game span at the end of the month. He ranks third among rookies in the NL in batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. Steer will have a tough time producing a competitive fWAR because he plays first base often. He currently owns a minus-1 in defensive runs saved and minus-6 by outs above average.

1. Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks

It's Carroll's world, and we're all just living in it. It's early June, but the young D-Backs star looks like he's primed to run away with the award. He's already the heartbeat of an Arizona club that's surprisingly challenging the Dodgers for the top spot in the division. Carroll is at or near the top in almost every significant offensive category in the NL and easily has the highest fWAR. The 22-year-old has a chance to become only the second rookie ever to record a 30-30 campaign outside of Mike Trout in 2012.