Tanaka ranks second among Baseball America’s top rookies for 2014

March 19, 2014 by Mike Axisa 26 Comments

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.

Farewell Mo

I’ll eat Ben’s hat if Tanaka doesn’t have more of an impact than Xander Bogus. .
- Jorge Steinbrenner
  
  Tanaka will strike him out, shove the ball down his throat, and piss on him afterwards.
  
  He’ll only have to do it a few times before Bogaerts is optioned back down to Pawtucket.
  - Farewell Mo
    
    It would be awesome if Tanaka drilled Pedroia the first time he faces him.
    - Mr. Roth
      
      I’d prefer Ortiz getting drilled, but Pedroia would be good too.
      - http://RiverAve.Blues Josephj
        
        In my opinion we still owe those sons of bitches for Ryan Dumpster drilling ARod last year. Like Alex or not, he’s still a Yankee and we owe the bastards. BTW, I still get a warm fuzzy feeling thinking about ARod taking Dumpster deep into the centerfield bleachers the next AB. Also can’t help but chuckle about the Dumpster sitting out this year for some goddam reason unbeknownst to me.
willie w

most experts didn’t think much of Jeter when he was in the minors so what do they know
if experts could predict everything they would not:
1) sign bust contracts
2) know who to draft and sign

and we wouldn’t have to play since we could predict every result.
- willie w
  
  correction:
  
  they would know who to draft and sign
- Yankee$ (Formerly Pseudoyanks)
  
  Jeter was always rated a top prospect. In his last couple of years in the minors he was a Top 10 prospect in baseball. Not to say “experts” are always right. Ruben Rivera was rated right up there with Jeter.
  - Steve (different one)
    
    The knock on Rivera was that he didn’t have a glove.
    - And in merrie olde England
      
      Well played.
    - Jorge Steinbrenner
      
      Bravo.
    - Farewell Mo
      
      And we have a winner…
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  most experts didn’t think much of Jeter when he was in the minors
  
  wut
- jjyank
  
  Not sure what your point is. We’re Yankee fans. We get constantly reminded by a certain radio announcer that you can’t predict baseball. Everyone here is well aware of that.
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    Math fail.
  - willie w
    
    I didn’t present my case properly
    in 1995 Ruben Rivera was rated #2
    and Jeter was #4
    
    so to say that tanaka is not as good as darvish is stupid since tanaka hasn’t even played in MLB yet
    
    http://www.thebaseballcube.com/prospects/?Y=1995
    
    above is the list I refer to as proof that scouts etc aren’t perfect and that you need to play the game you can’t do it all on paper.
Jeff

Tanaka is no Yu Darvish.
- Ded
  
  He’s better.
  - Jorge Steinbrenner
    
    I’ll settle for “they’re both good.”
- TWTR
  
  Yu who?
  - CS Yankee
    
    Isn’t that Yogi’s drink?
adee

being on the red sox farm system automatically gives you a 5-6 slot advantage over similar player in a different farm system.
- Mr. Roth
  
  It’s because of the grit-factor.
Eselquetodolosabe

So, Mike….. A little devil’s advocate. Is it less ridiculous if the Japanese player has minimal experience in the NPBL ? I know they’re restricted from coming over, but for arguments sake, would a player with…… 1 year of NPBL experience be more in line to what you consider a rookie ? If so….. Then it’s really semantics at that point.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
  
  I haven’t really thought about it. Maybe the MLB rookie limits, 50 IP or 130 AB?
  - Eselquetodolosabe
    
    Hmm….. All except that it’s NPBL innings and not ML innings. I understand your argument, but have to agree with MLB as far as rookie parameters and NPBL. Too tough to mitigate / deliberate parallel’s between the two leagues. But I do get your argument. Seems a little unfair to the kids playing MiLB.