15 Rookies to watch in the National League

A number of rookies are making a case to bump a veteran off the rosters in the National League.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant should be in that list, but after tearing the cover off the ball this spring, will begin the season in the minors, presumably for financial reasons. New York Mets right hander Noah Syndergaard falls into that category as well. Both have the makings to be stars for a long time when their time does officially come.

In the meantime, the Los Angeles Dodgers will aim to fill the void left in the outfield by treading Matt Kemp by plugging in the defensively savvy Joc Pederson. The Pittsburgh Pirates hope utility infielder Jung Ho Kang’s MVP form in the Korean Baseball Organization last season transfers to MLB, and the Atlanta Braves are confident 23-year-old catcher Christian Bethancourt can step in and make a difference right away.

Below is a look at the top rookies for each team in the National League, according to The Sports Xchange’s network of baseball correspondents.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS: INF Nick Ahmed made a strong push for the starting shortstop job in spring training, and the D-backs had not made a decision entering the final week of camp. “(Ahmed) has impressed us,” D-backs manager Chip Hale said. “We are very excited about his play at shortstop, and with the bat.” The D-backs have changed the position of Ahmed’s hands at the plate, shortening his swing, and he has six doubles and three RBIs this spring.

COLORADO ROCKIES: RHP Jon Gray suffered shoulder fatigue last year at Double-A Tulsa in his first full professional season and was shut down Aug. 20. His velocity dipped last year, but he has repeatedly reached 97 mph this spring and has plus command for someone who throws that hard. Gray now knows what to expect as far as the rigors of a full season. His alignment suffered last year, which affected his slider more than his changeup. But with an on-line delivery this spring, Gray’s slider is again a weapon and both offspeed offerings have a chance to be above average pitches.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS: The Dodgers’ December trade of Matt Kemp cleared the way for Joc Pederson to become the team’s everyday center fielder in 2015. Coming off the first 30-30 season in the Pacific Coast League since 1934, Pederson is expected to stabilize the Dodgers’ defense and help lengthen the lineup offensively. He did nothing in spring training to cast doubts on that. With a handful of exhibition games left, Pederson was batting .373 (19-for-51) in Cactus League play with five home runs, tied with Yasiel Puig for the team lead.

SAN DIEGO PADRES: The Padres didn’t have a rookie who figured to make the Opening Day roster until they claimed RHP Jandel Gustave off waivers during the penultimate week of spring training. Gustave, 22, is a Rule 5 player who has a triple-digit fastball, but he has never appeared in a game above the Class A level. Do the Padres have room on a playoff-hopeful roster for a Rule 5 player? The odds of Gandel making the roster are long.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS: RHP Chris Heston will not be in the Giants’ rotation to begin the season. He is not even likely to be first or second in line if there are early issues with the aging quintet. But the 26-year-old, who did beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in a late-spring game, almost surely will be the club’s most dependable pitcher at Triple-A (he went 12-9 there with a 3.38 ERA last season), which means it is close to a lock he will get a shot with the big club at some point.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

CHICAGO CUBS: Bonanza High product 3B Kris Bryant was left off the 25-man Opening Day roster despite his .425 spring average along with nine homers and 15 RBIs in 40 at-bats. Club president Theo Epstein telegraphed this development throughout spring, but said it was a baseball decision. Another theory is that by delaying Bryant’s major league debut he won’t be eligible for free agency as early as he would by being with the Cubs to start. Still, when Bryant arrives in late April, he’s expected to step in and is seen as a long-term fixture.

CINCINNATI REDS: RHP Raisel Iglesias is the Reds’ latest Cuban pitching prospect. The other one, left-handed flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman, panned out pretty well. Iglesias has impressed teammates and members of the organization with how he’s adapted to a new country and the rigors of spring training. He struck out 14 and walked 5 in 14 2/3 innings in the spring, going 0-3 with a respectable 3.68 ERA. The best news for Iglesias, who signed a seven-year, $27 million deal in June, is that with the injury to Homer Bailey and offseason trades of Alfredo Simon and Mat Latos, a window of opportunity has opened for the 25-year-old.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS: RHP Taylor Jungmann progressed much slower than the Brewers envisioned when they selected him 12th overall in the 2011 draft, but he appears to be on track to join the Brewers soon. Jungmann, 25, began the 2014 season at Double-A Huntsville and earned a midseason promotion to Triple-A Nashville. His spring training numbers (11.81 ERA, four appearances) were inflated by one bad outing, but he made an impression on the coaching staff before he was assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. With starting-pitching depth thin at the major league level, Jungmann has a good chance to make his big league debut this season.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES: INF Jung Ho Kang is going to be fascinating to watch this season as he will become the first native Korean to make the transition from the Korean Baseball Organization to the major leagues. Kang was the Most Valuable Player of the KBO last season when he hit .356 with 40 home runs in 117 games with the Nexen Heroes. The Pirates spent just over $16 million to acquire his rights from Nexen and sign him to a four-year contract. He will begin the season as a utility infielder.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS: OF Randal Grichuk appeared headed for Triple-A Memphis, but he swatted four homers this spring and forced the Cardinals to bring him north for Opening Night. Grichuk, 23, can play all three outfield positions and rates as a plus defender, but the question is whether he get enough at-bats to be effective at the major league level. Grichuk will have to gain more control of the strike zone, as he walked just five times against 31 strikeouts last year in 110 St. Louis at-bats.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

ATLANTA BRAVES: C Christian Bethancourt showed this spring that he is more than ready to take over regular duty behind the plate after getting an extended look late last season. The 23-year-old native of Panama is maturing as a hitter and his arm will keep opposing base runners from taking the liberties that they did against Evan Gattis and Gerald Laird in 2014. He hit .283 with eight homers and 48 RBIs in 91 games with Triple-A Gwinnett before finishing last season with the Braves.

MIAMI MARLINS: C J.T. Realmuto is a contact hitter with the power to eventually hit 10 to 15 homers a season in the majors. He is also strong defensively. Realmuto, who turned 24 on March 18, will start this season in Triple-A. Realmuto is solidly built at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, and he has put up solid numbers in the minors: a .267 batting average, a .334 on-base percentage and a .394 slugging percentage. He is averaging slightly better than 11 homers per 600 at-bats.

NEW YORK METS: RHP Noah Syndergaard won’t see the majors until the unofficial Super 2 arbitration deadline passes in late May or early June. Once he joins the Mets, he should be there for the long haul. Syndergaard posted a 4.60 ERA and 1.48 WHIP at hitter-happy Triple-A Las Vegas last summer and his fastball was regularly clocked in the upper 90s during his Grapefruit League appearances. Syndergaard won’t turn 23 until August, and by then should be a permanent member of the Mets’ rotation and a huge weapon for a team that expects to be contending for a playoff berth.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: INF/OF Odubel Herrera, who was selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December, was a second baseman in the Texas Rangers’ organization. However, he showed such good instincts when the Phillies tried him in the outfield this spring that they made him the starting center fielder and bumped Ben Revere from center field to left field. Herrera, 23, was 19-for-58 (.328) with a double and a home run in 18 exhibition games through March 31. Last season, he hit a combined .315 with two home runs and 21 stolen bases in 125 games with high Class A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS: OF Michael A. Taylor, 24, figured to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse, but injuries mean he is slated to start in center for the first few weeks of the season. Taylor made his big league debut in August and hit a homer in his first game against the Mets in New York. But he hit just .205 in 39 at-bats with Washington last year. Taylor has a nice blend of speed and power and he hit .313 with 22 homers and 34 steals with Double-A Harrisburg last season and also played in 12 games with Triple-A Syracuse.

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