'27 Rookie of the Year candidates -- one from each team

Sometimes rookies can be seen a mile away and it's clear they will make a big splash once they hit the big leagues full time. Others can sneak up on you, flying under the radar until they're given the opportunity to show what they can do. A year ago, we picked a 2026 Rookie of the Year candidate for each team. We nailed four of the six finalists when we named Kevin McGonigle and Payton Tolle in the AL along with Sal Stewart and JJ Wetherholt in the NL. And in the case of the other two, Parker Messick and Carson Benge, our selections -- Chase DeLauter and Nolan McLean -- certainly held up. More from MLB Pipeline : • Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage So pay close attention to the 30 names listed below. Chances are good that there will be some 2027 award winners from this group. Jump to: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST Blue Jays: Nolan Perry, RHP ( No. 2 / MLB No. 90 ) A later-round high school pick in 2022 who had Tommy John surgery knock out his 2025 campaign, Perry has made just nine starts above A ball. But they were really good starts (2.32 ERA, .163 BAA, 1.03 WHIP) and he was much sharper overall post-TJ than expected. The gloves could come off and he could vault quickly into Toronto's rotation. Orioles: Joseph Dzierwa, LHP ( No. 3 / MLB No. 69 ) The Orioles have some serious pitching depth on the way, with a trio of Top 100 arms having thrown very well at Double-A this past season. Dzierwa is the most advanced of that trio, coming off a year in which he posted a 2.27 combined ERA, .186 BAA and 0.90 WHIP to go along with a 149/30 K/BB ratio in 131 innings. He could get a chance to make the big league rotation early, and don't be surprised to see Anthony Eyanson and Caden Hunter join him in Baltimore at some point. Rays: Caden Bodine, C ( No. 3 / MLB No. 46 ) The presence of Liam Hicks makes this a little tougher to lock down, but Bodine impressed everyone in the organization after coming over from the Orioles in the Shane Baz deal. The 2025 draftee went from Single-A to Triple-A in his first full season of pro ball, finishing with a combined .342/.410/.517 line. The Rays thought so highly of him that he was their emergency catcher on the taxi squad during their run to the World Series. Red Sox: Franklin Arias, SS ( No. 1 / MLB No. 2 ) Trevor Story may have another year remaining on his $140 million contract, but Arias is a better offensive and defensive option right now. He won the Double-A Eastern League MVP and top prospect awards, climbed to Triple-A at age 20 and batted .323/.400/.557 with 25 homers in 117 games between the two levels. And to think that when he signed for $525,000 out of Venezuela in 2023, his glove was more valued than his bat. Yankees: Carlos Lagrange, RHP ( No. 3 ) Elmer Rodriguez might have been the choice if there were openings in New York's rotation, but Lagrange will have an easier time finding a bullpen role if he's fully recovered from a shoulder strain that prevented him from helping the Yankees this summer. He made headlines by striking out Aaron Judge with a 103-mph fastball during live batting practice in Spring Training, and his power secondary pitches (cutter, sweeper and changeup) also can be nasty when they're on. Signed for just $10,000 from the Dominican Republic in 2022, he logged a 4.48 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 64 1/3 Triple-A innings before he was sidelined. AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL Guardians: Ralphy Velazquez, 1B/OF ( No. 1 / MLB No. 29 ) A 2023 first-rounder from a California high school who has blossomed into baseball's best first-base prospect, Velazquez can give Cleveland's offense a much-needed jolt with his ability to hit for average and power. He slashed .290/.379/.548 with 29 homers in 117 games between Double-A and Triple-A at age 21, leading the system in slugging. Royals: Lucas Braun, RHP ( No. 16 ) Braun's stuff is never going to wow anyone, but he's spent the past three years at the upper levels and is ready for a shot. He scuffled a bit after getting dealt from the Braves to the Royals at the Trade Deadline, but he’s been a very durable starter, topping 140 IP twice in the last two years (over 130 IP this past season) and could be a very solid inning-eating back-end starter in 2027. Get the latest from the Twins Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Twins and MLB delivered right to your inbox. Sign up Tigers: River Ryan, RHP ( No. 3 / MLB No. 64 ) Because Ryan has missed so much time with injuries, compiling just 69 1/3 combined innings over the past three years, making it exceedingly tricky to rank and project his future. But he finished the 2026 season with a healthy September, including a couple of big league outings, after coming to the Tigers from the Dodgers in Tarik Skubal deal. The stuff is still very real and he should have every chance to make a huge impact on Detroit's big league rotation out of the gate. Twins: Walker Jenkins, OF ( No. 1 / MLB No. 13 ) Whenever Jenkins has been on the field, he's produced, and 2026 was no different for the 2023 No. 5 overall pick. Though he's yet to play more than 100 games in a season because of a myriad of injuries, he still reached the big leagues this year at age 21 after slashing .323/.417/.559 in 73 Minor League games before getting his feet wet over 26 games with Minnesota. He should be in the lineup from Opening Day on. White Sox: Caleb Bonemer, 3B/SS ( No. 2 / MLB No. 27 ) Bonemer is on the verge of slugging his way into Chicago's lineup, and the White Sox had him play the outfield in the Arizona Fall League to give them more options to make that happen. A 2024 second-rounder from a Michigan high school, he topped the Minors with 69 extra-base hits and ranked fifth with 37 homers while hitting .251/.380/.550 with 17 steals in 132 games between High-A and Double-A at age 20. Besides his prowess at the plate, he also offers the ability to play shortstop, third base, the outfield corners and perhaps center field. AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST Angels: Tyler Bremner, RHP ( No. 2 / MLB No. 42 ) Outfielder Nelson Rada is on the cusp, and after seeing shortstop Arjun Nimmala in the Fall League, he could be an interesting candidate. But Bremner's stuff is so advanced and he was only slowed by illness and the ensuing fatigue during his first full season. He reached Double-A anyway, and a full offseason to work on strength could have him ready to jump into the Angels' rotation in a hurry. Astros: Bryce Mayer, RHP ( No. 8 ) A 16th-round pick out of Missouri in 2024, Mayer has won the Astros' Minor League pitcher of the year award in both of his two full seasons. He compiled a 3.53 ERA, .201 average-against and 140 strikeouts in 102 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2026, thanks mainly to 92-96 mph fastball with nifty carry and a low-80s slider with plenty of horizontal action. A's: Leo De Vries, SS/3B ( No. 1 / MLB No. 3 ) Surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder makes this a bit of a gamble, but it's hard to look past the talent and the fact the A's don't shy away from pushing guys to the big leagues. He'll be age 20 for all of 2027 after posting an OPS of .836 with 13 homers and 34 steals in 93 Double-A games in his first full season with the A's organization. If the A's are worried about his arm, they can slide him to second base and can even keep veteran Jeff McNeil as a super-utility type. Mariners: Kade Anderson, LHP ( No. 1 / MLB No. 5 ) It might be tougher to predict pitchers as ROY candidates, but Anderson is entering 2027 as a front-runner for the award. All the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 Draft did was turn in one of the best Minor League performances in recent memory this season, earning Pitching Prospect of the Year honors in the process. He jumped from Double-A to the big leagues and made seven starts th