Could Caglianone’s Rookie Break Propel a Team to an Unthinkable Postseason Run?
Can Jac Caglianone do the same for the Royals?
Kyle Schwarber, Cubs
- MLB Debut: June 16, 2016
- Cubs Before: 34-27 (.557), third place in NL Central (7.0 games back)
- Cubs After: 63-38 (.624), finished 3.0 back
- Schwarber’s Season Stats: 69 games, 16 home runs, 43 RBIs, .842 OPS
- Notable: Schwarber, who had a .430 on-base percentage and 16 homers in the minors at the time of his call-up, made a pretty immediate impact; he went 4 for 5 in his first start, popped two homers in his 11th career MLB game, and was batting .330 with eight homers, 25 RBIs and a 1.042 OPS through his first 31 games (the Cubs were 20-11 in those contests). He was the left-handed power source the lineup needed (sound familiar, Royals fans?). Oh, and he hit five homers in the postseason as the Cubs made a run all the way to the NLCS, a preamble to their 2016 World Series title.
Yordan Alvarez, Astros
- MLB Debut: June 9, 2019
- Astros Before: 44-22 (.667), first place in AL West
- Astros After: 63-33 (.656), won AL West
- Alvarez’s Season Stats: 87 games, 27 home runs, 78 RBIs, .313/.412/.655, 1.067 OPS
- Notable: Unlike some of the call-ups on this list, Alvarez didn’t exactly join a team that was scuffling; these Astros were already a dynamic World Series contender. Adding Alvarez to the mix – he had 23 homers in 56 games in Triple-A, then homered in four of his first five MLB games – was more of an “embarrassment of riches” type of situation.
Tommy Edman, Cardinals
- MLB Debut: June 8, 2019
- Cardinals Before: 31-30 (.508), third place in NL Central (3.5 games back)
- Cardinals After: 60-41 (.594), won NL Central
- Edman’s Season Stats: 92 games, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, 15 SBs, .304 average, .850 OPS
- Notable: One day before Alvarez, here came Edman to MLB. Obviously, he isn’t a slugger like Caglianone, but the Royals would love to see a similar impact on the team’s win-loss record. A versatile defender, Edman mostly came off the bench early that season, but he worked his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis, primarily at second or third base. With Edman playing every day – he hit .350 with a .997 OPS from Aug. 16 to the end of the season – the Cardinals found their stride and won the division title by two games over the Brewers.
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The post Jac Out of the Box: Will Caglianone Become the Latest Rookie to Help a Team Reach the Postseason? appeared first on Opta Analyst.
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