As the MLB season officially opened for all 30 teams, just about every prognosticator’s list of Rookie of the Year favorites
included someone named “Jackson.”
That’s because the Baltimore Orioles’ Jackson Holliday, the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jackson Chourio and the San Diego Padres’ Jackson Merrill are the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 12 ranked MLB prospects, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline, and are expected to be
impact rookies in 2024.
Holliday is starting the season at Triple-A Norfolk, although the Orioles should promote him sometime after April 12 when they can ensure an extra year of service time before he becomes a free agent.
Meanwhile, Chourio and Merrill made their MLB debuts and
appear in the inaugural rookie ranking below. One thing to note: After only a
handful of games, more weight was given to players who played in at least
three games.
Also, apologies go out to the pitchers, who won’t be
included until next week’s rookie ranking due to the tiny sample size.
1. Jackson Chourio | RF | Milwaukee Brewers
At 20 years and 18 days old, Chourio became the youngest player to hit in the leadoff spot on Opening Day since1937, when Bobby Doerr of the Boston Red Sox was 19 years and 13 days old. He’s
also the fifth youngest to start an Opening Day game at any position since 1969. After only three games, the young Venezuelan hasn’t
disappointed, leading all rookies with at least 10 plate appearances in hits (five)
and on-base percentage (.462).