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World Baseball Network International All-Rookie Team

 David Polli - World Baseball Network  |    Oct 18th, 2024 8:00pm EDT

The 2024 MLB regular season has come and gone, and this year has been a great show of young international talent. Here is the 2024 World Baseball International All-Rookie Team.

Qualifications: All players must have been born internationally and have exceeded either 50 innings pitched or 130 at-bats this season.

Lineup:

Catcher: Pedro Pagés, STL. Maracay, Venezuela

Pagés was not very successful at the plate for the Cardinals, but he made up for his lack of offensive production with solid defense at the catcher position. In 542 2/3 innings behind the plate, he had a .994 fielding percentage for a Cardinals team that finished 83-79. Over 62 games, Pagés accumulated a 0.8 WAR and hit seven home runs. This positive WAR earns him the catcher spot on the International All-Rookie team at a position that prioritizes defense over offense in today’s game.

First Baseman: Jhonksey Noel, CLE. San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic

On June 26, 2024, Noel was called up for the Cleveland Guardians to plug in at right field and first base. He made the most of his opportunity and became a mainstay in Cleveland for the rest of the year. Noel has found success in the modern game as a high-slugging percentage first baseman in 2024. Through 179 at-bats, Noel had a 115 OPS+ and 13 home runs this season. He will be an important player for Cleveland as the Guardians compete in the ALCS.

Second Baseman: Otto Lopez, MIA. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Lopez made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays but could not find a spot on the MLB roster. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants on Feb 13, 2024, but was designated for assignment on April 1. The Marlins picked him up three days later on April 4, and he found a role there, filling many holes on the Miami roster throughout the season. He played third base, shortstop, and every outfield position but spent most of his time at second base. Over 117 games, he played to a 2.8 WAR, stole 20 bases, and batted to a .270 average.

Third Baseman: Jose Tena, WAS. San Cristobal, Dominican Republic

At this year’s deadline, Tena was a key piece in the Lane Thomas trade between the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Guardians. The Nationals brought him up full-time after the All-Star break, and he held down the hot corner. Tena had a positive war and showed great potential for the Nationals, so he earned the nod at the international third base position at a shallower pool of selections.

Shortstop: Junior Caminero, TBR. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Caminero was the top prospect in all of baseball earlier this season after the promotion of Jackson Holliday and enjoyed a very solid rookie season in Tampa Bay. While Caminero struggled in his first MLB action in 2023, he greatly improved in 2024. In his 165 at-bats, he obtained a 105 OPS+, .721 OPS, .424 slugging percentage, and 18 RBIs.

Left fielder: Jackson Chourio, Maracaibo, Venezuela

At just 20 years old, Chourio had a phenomenal rookie season for the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in 2024. The righty from Venezuela had 21 home runs and 22 stolen bases as a mainstay in the Brewers lineup and outfield. He played in 148 out of 162 games for the Brewers, and with both a .791 OPS and 3.8 WAR, he is a possible candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Center fielder: Andy Pages, LAD. Havana, Cuba

With the Dodgers dealing with a lot of injuries early on in the season, Pages got a chance to show his stuff. He was called up on May 10 and spent time in every outfield position, primarily center field. Pages enjoyed an awesome month of June, batting .356/.421/1.084 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs. Pages cooled down in the upcoming months and was sent down to Triple-A on August 19, but was recalled back up to the Majors on September 1. Overall, Pages had a .712 OPS in the year and has been a contributor to their postseason roster thus far.

Right fielder: Wilyer Abreu, BOS. Maracaibo, Venezuela

Abreu had a great offensive year for a surprise Boston Red Sox team. In his first full season, the lefty provided big extra-base hit potential with a .459 slugging percentage and a .781 OPS. Abreu is only 25 years old and looks to be a staple for the Red Sox in years to come.

Utility: Ceddane Rafaela, BOS. Willemstad, Curaçao

While not a huge factor at the plate, Rafaela was able to play a multitude of defensive positions for the Red Sox throughout the season. He was a positive WAR player with 2.8, with games played in center field, right field, second base, third base, and shortstop.

Starting Rotation:

Luis Gil, RHP, NYY. Azua, Dominican Republic

Gil has been a topic of discussion for Yankee fans since his debut in 2021, and in his true rookie season, Gil got off to a great start. Filling in at the top of the rotation when Yankee ace Gerrit Cole missed some time with an injury, Gil threw 151.2 innings of work, blowing his previous high of 29.1 out of the water. With 15 wins, 171 strikeouts, and a 3.50 ERA, Gil’s talent was clearly present in his first full year in the Bronx.

Shota Imanaga, LHP, CHC. Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan

When Shota Imanaga was signed this past offseason by the Chicago Cubs from the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the NPB, it took a backseat in the news to the signing of another star Japanese pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, Imanaga surprised every baseball fan with the amount of success he had in his first MLB season. Imanaga was not only named an All-Star, but he also was a part of the Cubs’ combined no-hitter on Sep. 4, 2024. He went 15-2 with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts, firmly planting himself near the top of the NL Cy Young race.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP, LAD. Bizen, Okayama, Japan

As the premier international signing of this past offseason, massive expectations were placed on Yamamoto after signing his 12-year, 325 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yamamoto was solid in 90 innings of work this season, but injuries limited his time on the mound. Still, Yamamoto was 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA with a very impressive 10.5 K/9 and hopefully will stay healthy next year to expand on the success of his first season.

Valente Bellozo, RHP, MIA. Mexicali, Mexico

A bright spot for a Marlins team that struggled, Bellozo was able to provide 68.2 innings of work over the course of the season for Miami. While not a high strikeout pitcher, Bellozo held a respectable 3.67 ERA in 13 starts. He could slot in as a back-end rotation piece for the Marlins shortly.

Keider Montero, RHP, DET. Santa Teresa del Tuy, Venezuela

The high point of Montero’s season was a complete game shutout against the Rockies on Sep. 10 with only 96 pitches. Overall, the right-hander struggled a bit. He finished the season with a 4.76 ERA and a 6-6 record but was a key piece in the rotation for the miracle run that the Detroit Tigers went on in the second half of the season to qualify for the MLB postseason.

Bullpen:

Cade Smith, RHP, CLE. Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

The lone Canadian rookie on this list, Cade Smith, was a key contributor to the league’s best bullpen in Cleveland. Smith undertook a high workload in his debut season, throwing 75 1/3 innings out of the Guardian bullpen. With those high inning numbers in relief, Smith was dominant with a 6-1 record, 1.91 ERA, 0.903 WHIP, and a whopping 12.3 K/9.

Justin Martinez, RHP, ARI. Bonao, Dominican Republic

Another high-usage international arm, Martinez shoved 72.2 innings out of the bullpen for an 89-win Diamondbacks team that just narrowly missed the playoffs. Martinez had a 2.48 ERA and 11.3 K/9 for Arizona and did a great job in closing opportunities over the second half of the season after Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo pulled Paul Sewald from the closer role. The 23-year-old righty from Bonao possesses a high strikeout rate due to his 100+ mile per hour sinking fastball and his successful splitter.

Yuki Matsui, LHP, SDP. Aoba-ku, Yokohama, Kanagwa, Japan

Matsui played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for ten seasons and was named an NPB All-Star five times before he signed with the San Diego Padres in December of 2023 for 28 million dollars over five years. In his first MLB season, Matsui was great in a long relief role for a San Diego Padres squad that made the playoffs. He pitched to a winning record at 4-2, struck out 69 batters at a solid rate, and earned an ERA of 3.73 over 62 ⅔ innings out of the bullpen in a great debut year for the Padres.

Jose Butto, RHP, NYM. Cumana, Venezuela

In 2024, Jose Butto played multiple roles for a New York Mets team that overcame a terrible start and eventually made the NLCS. He started seven games but made 23 appearances out of the bullpen. Overall, the young righty had a 7-3 record with a 2.55 ERA over 74 innings and has been a solid piece for the Mets in the postseason as an arm that can handle multiple innings of work out of the bullpen.

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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/

Photo Credit: Shota Imanaga #18 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on September 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)

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David Polli - World Baseball Network
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