Franco, Herrera thriving; rookie class is stacked

PHOENIX - Before Maikel Franco took a fastball off his left wrist Tuesday, resulting in a not-as-bad-as-it-originally-looked injury that could keep him out only a few games, the National League rookie of the year chatter was beginning to heat up.

The night before, Franco belted a mammoth, 455-foot home run, the Phillies' longest in three seasons, and interim manager Pete Mackanin was asked afterward about his third baseman's candidacy for year-end honors. Mackanin endorsed Franco as a candidate and added that he wouldn't count centerfielder Odubel Herrera out of the conversation, either.

Franco and Herrera are putting together two of the Phillies' best rookie campaigns since Ryan Howard took home rookie honors in 2005. In most years, each would garner more notoriety around baseball. But despite impressive seasons, their chances to be rookie of the year are reduced by a stacked 2015 class.

While Houston Astros phenom Carlos Correa continues to run away with the American League award, the NL race remains open with seven weeks left in the regular season.

For much of the year, Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs (3.3 wins above replacement entering Thursday) and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Joc Pederson (2.4 WAR) were considered the front-runners. But Pittsburgh Pirates' Jung Ho Kang (3.9) and the St. Louis Cardinals' Randal Grichuk (2.7) have also emerged.

A host of others, including Franco and Herrera, can continue to stake their claim over the season's final two months. Matt Duffy of the San Francisco Giants went into Thursday with a rookie-best .304 batting average and 112 hits. Noah Syndergaard, the New York Mets' hard-throwing righthander, boasts a 3.07 ERA over his first 17 starts. Leftfielder Kyle Schwarber smoked two more home runs for the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Franco and Herrera have more than held their own, though.

The 22-year-old Franco has an .830 OPS, which going into Thursday was tied with Kang for best among rookies with at least 300 plate appearances. Three of the last four rookies to finish a season with an .830 OPS or better over at least 300 plate appearances were rookie of the year or placed second: Will Myers (.831) and Yasiel Puig (.925) in 2013, and Jose Abreu (.964) in 2014.

Herrera, meanwhile, has emerged as the biggest surprise of the Phillies season. A blistering 44 hits in his last 122 at-bats raised the Rule 5 draft pick's average to .285 in 361 plate appearances. Each of the last 15 rookies to finish a season of at least 450 plate appearances with an average .285 or better finished in the top five in voting in his league for rookie of the year. Five of them took top honors.

Both Franco and Herrera are worth 1.5 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference. That number would be higher if it were based on offense alone, but advanced defensive metrics aren't kind to either player, especially not Franco, who has displayed a cannon arm and a knack for the highlight-reel worthy play but has committed 10 errors and has a .942 fielding percentage.

"He already is a good player. I think he's going to get better and better," Mackanin said this week of Franco, who turns 23 on Aug. 26. "It's been fun to watch him progress."

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Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera have had impressive rookie campaigns, but a stacked class of first-year players weakens their chances to earn year-end honors. Here is their competition (in no particular order):

Jung Ho Kang (SS/3B, Pittsburgh Pirates): Kang entered Thursday with a rookie-leading 3.9 wins above replacement.

Randal Grichuk (OF, St. Louis Cardinals): Grichuk's .556 slugging percentage is the 10th best in baseball among players with 275 plate appearances.

Kris Bryant (3B, Chicago Cubs): The second overall draft pick in 2013 boasts an .807 OPS with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Noah Syndergaard (RHP, New York Mets): "Thor" has a 3.07 ERA through his first 17 major-league starts.

Matt Duffy (3B, San Francisco Giants): No rookie has more hits than Duffy's 112. His .304 average is 10th best in the National League.

Joc Pederson (CF, Los Angeles Dodgers): Pederson's play has dropped off considerably in July and August, but he still has 21 home runs to go with a .797 OPS, and he plays good defense.

- Jake Kaplan

(Statistics through Wednesday)

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@jakemkaplan