1. Andrew Benintendi, OF, Boston Red Sox
Arguably considered the crown jewel of the Chris Sale deal simply because he wasn’t included in it, Andrew Benintendi is the runaway favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year for 2017.
Only a rookie because of the knee sprain that caused him to miss a few weeks, Benintendi will be taking over the starting position in left field full time this summer. The 22-year-old also put on about twenty pounds in the offseason, to be able to withstand the rigors of an 162-game season.
Benintendi will also be sporting a new number, transitioning from the #40 assigned to him upon callup to #16, which, according to a tweet by the Cincinnati, Ohio native he wore in little league, at the University of Arkansas and now in a Red Sox uniform.
From little league, to @RazorbackBSB, and now the @RedSox, excited to be wearing my favorite number again! #RedSoxNation pic.twitter.com/kKhm0pfJ30
— Andrew Benintendi (@asben16) January 17, 2017
Last season, Benintendi remarkably handled the transition from AA to the Red Sox quite well, hitting .295 with two home runs and 14 batted in. Benintendi also hit a solo home run in the ALDS against Cleveland, a bright moment in what was undoubtedly a dreary end to the season for the Red Sox. That home run by Benintendi made him the youngest player to do so, at the age of 22 years and 95 days.
Looking forward, expect Benintendi to do damage at the top of lineup this year, predictably following leadoff Dustin Pedroia, using his gap-to-gap power to set up more scoring chances for Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez in the middle of the order.
Despite all the hype, Benintendi is solely focused on getting better and helping his team win, as he recently told CBS Boston upon arrival in Ft. Myers for spring training.
Next: Sale has matured from his mistakes
Sophomore regression is not uncommon amongst young players with the quality of video and scouting these days in professional baseball. I still anticipate Benintendi having an above average season, something like a .309 clip, 15-20 home runs and 70 RBIs — certainly enough to win American League Rookie of the Year.