MLB rookies to keep an eye on in 2017

Alfaro got a taste of the majors last season and is expected to see significant playing time during the second half of this year. He hit .285-15-67 in 97 games at Double-A Reading last season.

Bell is expected to be Pittsburgh's opening day first baseman if he recovers in time from offseason knee surgery. He showed terrific plate discipline during his MLB debut last year, hitting .273 with 21/19 BB/K in 152 plate appearances.

Benintendi is slated to be Boston's left fielder and is the player many favor to be the AL Rookie of the Year. He hit .295-2-14 in 34 games with Boston last season after posting a .910 OPS between High-A and Double-A.

Cotton was dominant in five starts with the A's after being traded from L.A. for Rich Hill. He's shown strong strikeout rates in the minors due to his great change-up and also showed good control with Oakland.

Crawford's prospect stock has declined recently, but he's still a safe bet as Philadelphia's shortstop of the future. He hit just .250 between Double-A and Triple-A last season but had an impressive 72 walks to go along with his strong defense.

The Rays traded Logan Forsythe straight up for De Leon this offseason, which speaks well for De Leon's talent. He's been a dominant minor league pitcher, with 12.1 K/9 for his career, and has a chance to crack Tampa Bay's starting rotation to begin the year.

A former first-round pick, Dozier has a chance to win a bench spot this spring. He has impressive power, hitting .296-23-75 between Double-A and Triple-A last season.

An inexperienced former basketball player from St. John's, Garrett had a 2.55 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A last season. Garrett needs to work on his control, but it shouldn't be long before he's with the Reds with a very weak Cincinnati rotation in front of him.

Arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball, Glasnow had more than one strikeout per inning in his MLB debut. He has a career 2.03 ERA in the minors.

Glover struggled during his Nats debut last season, but he's in the competition for closer this spring. The team has reason to be confident in his ability after posting a 2.09 ERA and 6.50 K/BB ratio during his minor league career.

Gonsalves is likely to make his MLB debut this season. The lefty had a 2.06 ERA in 24 starts between High-A and Double-A last season and has routinely posted high strikeout rates.

Gsellman has an excellent opportunity to win the Mets' fifth starter job this spring. He posted a 2.42 ERA in 44.2 innings with the Mets last year.

Acquired from Arizona in the offseason, Haniger hit five home runs in 34 games during his MLB debut. He hit 25 home runs in the minors last season and is also acclaimed for his defense.

A former first-round pick by Toronto traded for Troy Tulowitzki, Hoffman is competing for Colorado's fifth starter job. He had a 4.88 ERA in 31.1 innings during his MLB debut last season.

Honeywell has pinpoint control and throws a screwball, a pitch rarely used now. He had a 2.34 ERA in 20 starts between High-A and Double-A last season and should make his debut near the All-Star break.

Mancini will have to hit his way into a roster spot as Baltimore's DH, and he's shown plenty of ability in the minors. He hit .282-20-68 between Double-A and Triple-A last season.

Margot is considered a future leadoff man and could crack the opening day roster for the rebuilding Padres. He hit .304 with 30 stolen bases at Triple-A El Paso last season.

Martes has the ability to pitch in any role and should make his debut this season. At age 20, he had a 3.30 ERA and more than one strikeout per inning at Double-A Corpus Christi last season.

Arguably the top prospect in baseball, Moncada is fighting for a roster spot after being traded for Chris Sale in the offseason. The Cuban is being moved back to second base by Chicago and has star offensive ability after hitting .294-15-62 with 45 steals between High-A and Double-A last season.

Renfroe is hoping to build on a great 2016 season in which he hit four home runs during his Padres debut and 30 home runs at Triple-A El Paso. He has a chance to be a strong middle-of-the-order hitter immediately.

Stewart fits in L.A.'s bullpen this season after making his MLB debut last year. He had a breakout season between three minor league levels last season, posting a 1.79 ERA in 21 starts.

The first overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Swanson continues to make the Diamondbacks regret trading him. He hit .302-3-17 in 38 games with Atlanta late last season.

Vogelbach has been a hitting machine in the minors, but there are questions about his defense. He will compete for Seattle's starting first base job after posting a .923 OPS at Triple-A last season.

Weaver's prospects to open the year in the St. Louis rotation grew after Alex Reyes underwent Tommy John surgery. While Weaver struggled in the majors last season, he had a 1.30 ERA in 13 starts between Double-A and Triple-A prior to his call-up.

The athletic Zimmer could be Cleveland's future leadoff man. He had 15 home runs and 38 steals between Double-A and Triple-A last season. If Michael Brantley is unable to fully rebound from his shoulder injury, Zimmer could play a big role for Cleveland this season.