Despite all his time in Japan, Masahiro Tanaka is technically a rookie this season. He’s eligible for the Rookie of the Year and all that. The rules are silly, but whatever. Matt Eddy of Baseball America put together a list of the top 20 rookies for the 2014 season, and Tanaka ranked second behind Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts. You don’t need a subscription to read the piece.
“Don’t expect Yu Darvish-level dominance, but international scouts project Tanaka, who signed for seven years and $155 million, to have a No. 2 starter’s ceiling. Also, the Yankees could get 60-plus starts from Japanese pitchers this season—Tanaka and Hiroki Kuroda—which would surpass the 44 starts the 2001 Red Sox got from Hideo Nomo and Tomo Ohka,” wrote Eddy. Dellin Betances, who didn’t make the list, is pretty much the only other rookie who could have impact for the Yankees in 2014.