We’ve reached July, the midpoint of both the year and the MLB season. As team identities start to reveal themselves, player caliber follows as stats begin to surface.
Rookies in particular find themselves under a unique spotlight. Often cast right into key roles, the performance of big-name youngsters can strongly impact a team’s season and future.
However, not every big league transition is created equally, and it shows. A player like Samuel Basallo, catching for the Orioles alongside MLB regular Adley Rutschman, had a softer landing. Kevin McGonigle, winning everyday shortstop duties at 21 years old, is under a whole different pressure.
With that said, here are our grades for six rookies in the major roles at the midway point of 2026.
Kevin McGonigle • SS • Tigers
2026: .282 AVG, 7 HR, .424 SLG, 11 SB, .815 OPS
Grade: A
Many scouts believed that McGonigle’s gritty at-bats would translate from the minors— and they did. His .391 OBP ranks seventh in the American League, and he should tack on 15 homers by the end of the year.
Kevin McGonigle has reached base multiple times in 53 games this season.
Dating back to the first All-Star Game in 1933, that’s the most by any MLB rookie prior to the break.#DNMW pic.twitter.com/iaFEDKGoHg
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) July 8, 2026
Most rookies tend to struggle with chase out of the gate, yet Kevin McGonigle owns the second-lowest chase rate of all qualified hitters. That patience is fueling a near-15% walk rate that also lands near the top of the league.
Defensively, he’s been sound despite lacking natural range or arm strength. Paired with 11 stolen bags, McGonigle is proving Detroit right for making him their Opening Day shortstop.
Samuel Basallo • C/DH • Orioles
2026: .256 AVG, 12 HR, .450 SLG, 0 SB, .768 OPS
Grade: B+
Basallo’s integration into Baltimore as an everyday bat/platoon catcher has gone smoothly for manager Craig Albernaz. As mentioned earlier, the landing was designed to be softer with Adley Rutschman still in the mix.
Basallo’s bat, on the other hand, has been anything but soft. He owns the second-hardest average exit velocity of any rookie, and has mashed 12 homers as a result. From the catcher position, his extra-base pop is of extreme value for an Orioles lineup that is built to slug.
Basallo isn’t exactly a defensive plus at the moment, but he’s making strides. His blocks above average and pop time are both positives, and he could morph into more of an average defender down the line.
Travis Bazzana • 2B • Guardians
2026: .245 AVG, 7 HR, .412 SLG, 0 SB, .748 OPS
Grade: B-
As the 2024 first overall pick, Travis Bazzana’s expectations weighed heavily in a Guardians organization that scrapes and claws for major league talent. In the early stages of Bazzana’s career, we’re seeing his high floor in action more than his ceiling.
Like McGonigle to an extent, Bazzana’s contact and plate discipline is lifting him to .748 OPS, without much power coming around yet. He’s mashed 7 home runs despite a concerningly-slow bat speed of just 69.5 mph. Hard contact has been at a premium, but he’s getting the most out of it results-wise.
Lastly, Bazzana’s wheels have made a big impact, as he’s already up to 12 stolen bases in 55 games. It’s a complicated profile, but the bottom line is that he’ll always find his way on base, and try to take the next one, regardless of how his power comes along.
JJ Wetherholt • 2B • Cardinals
2026: .261 AVG, 12 HR, .405 SLG, 9 SB, .763 OPS
Grade: A+
Wetherholt is the most well-rounded rookie in baseball, and it’s powering the Cardinals to contention. He’s mashed double digit home runs while getting on base at a .358 clip.
Another polished young hitter, Wetherholt excels in the chase department as well. However, the differentiator is his above-average power that comes with his good swing decisions. Wetherholt’s hard-hit rate lands in the top 30% of the MLB, and his average exit velocity isn’t far behind.
INCLEMENT WETHERHOLT 🤘 pic.twitter.com/2G87XA3mrP
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 18, 2026
However, that’s not even his biggest strength. Wetherholt is the second-most valuable defender in baseball per Fielding Run Value, trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong. His elite glove is the likely cause of his recent lead in the NL Rookie of the Year polls.
Nolan McLean • RHP • Mets
2026: 5-5, 3.78 ERA, 95.1 IP, 113 K, 1.12 WHIP
Grade: B-
McLean is graded on a bit of a curve, as he entered 2026 as the betting favorite for NL Rookie of the Year. However, his ERA is roughly a run higher right now than most evaluators had envisioned before the season.
His stuff alone grades as an A, but the results have been closer to a C so far as his ERA has eclipsed four multiple times this season. A few blowup starts (27 ER in 4 bad outings) has accounted for 68% of the earned runs he’s allowed in 2026.
While it hasn’t been the dream breakout season to date, there’s plenty of time for McLean to turn his talent into favorable results. His shining 28.5% strikeout rate is elite for a starter, and his batted ball luck should improve in the second half.
Carson Benge • OF • Mets
2026: .257 AVG, 9 HR, .390 SLG, 11 SB, .706 OPS
Grade: B+
Thrown into right field on Opening Day, Benge is hitting well enough to keep his athletic tools in the lineup every day. By some indications, he’s looking like a potential star once he fills out his 6’1 frame.
There’s no real hole in Benge’s approach— all of his underlying metrics have been roughly average. The one area where he excels is launch angle, as he’s finding the sweet spot (8-32°) more often than 94% of the league. If he’s able to add any power, he should become a perennial 20-25 HR bat.
The bonus Benge brings is with his elite arm, and solid speed. Benge’s arm strength lands in the 97th percentile, as his sprint speed falls into the 84th. An excellent athlete, his presence on the field will always be positive as long as he continues to hit his weight.
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