Where Do Seiya Suzuki, Steven Kwan Rank Among Best MLB Rookie Starts Since 2000?

Rocco Baldelli (5)DUANE BURLESON/Associated Press

Rocco Baldelli, Tampa Bay Rays, 2003
.364/.385/.509, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 2 SB (27 games)

There have been a ton of “if he could have just stayed healthy” players over the years, and Baldelli was one of the most tantalizing of the bunch. He did strike out quite a bit, but he had 13 multi-hit performances within his first 26 starts. The Rays were still half a decade away from becoming even remotely relevant, but Baldelli placed third in the AL ROY vote despite playing for a 99-loss squad.

Austin Jackson, Detroit Tigers, 2010
.364/.422/.495, 1 HR, 20 R, 5 SB (23 games)

Early in Jackson’s career, it looked like the Tigers had found a suitable replacement for Curtis Granderson. Through his first three seasons, he batted .280, stole 61 bases and knocked 146 extra-base hits. Five of those swipes and nine of the extra-base hits (six doubles, two triples and one home run) came in his first month of action. He ended the month with a 5-for-5 (all singles) performance.

Michael Pineda, Seattle Mariners, 2011
4-1, 2.01 ERA, 30 K (5 starts)

Pineda opened his career with five consecutive quality starts, winning four games in spite of minimal run support (a common problem for Mariners aces over the past two decades). He logged 31.1 innings without allowing a single home run and without hitting a single batter—the only time in his career that he had at least five consecutive performances of that ilk.

Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers, 2012
4-0, 2.18 ERA, 33 K (5 starts)

Darvish’s debut (5.2 IP, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) left much to be desired, but it didn’t take long for him to hit midseason form. Over his final two starts of April, Darvish went 15.1 innings with 19 strikeouts and allowed only one run, shutting down solid Yankees and Blue Jays lineups in back-to-back outings.

Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland A’s, 2012
.250/.333/.476, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 4 SB (23 games)

His batting average wasn’t great, but Cespedes quickly made his presence known in the majors with three home runs in his first four games. The biggest highlight came a little later in the month, though, when he went 3-for-5 at the plate and mashed a game-tying home run in the 14th inning against the White Sox. 

Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians, 2021
.354/.459/.500, 10 R, 7 RBI (15 games)

Kwan has gotten out to an impressive start, perhaps most notably in the “rarely swings and misses” department, as he leads the majors with a 94.6 contact percentage. He has also done an excellent job in left field with two assists and no errors. However, with no home runs and no stolen bases, it’s hard to put Kwan in the same tier with guys who made a bigger impact.