Texas Rangers Phenom Could Win AL Top Rookie Award Next Season

Evan Carter may play like he's been in the Majors for years, but he's technically still a rookie.

Evan Carter had such a good postseason for the Texas Rangers that one has to remember he is still, technically, a rookie.

By MLB service time, Carter has less than a month in the Majors. His postseason play doesn’t count toward it.

So, when the 2024 season starts, Carter will remain a rookie, which means that he can qualify for the American League Rookie of the Year award.

Texas Rangers outfielder Evan Carter heads into 2024 as one of the Rookie of the Year favorites / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Recently, MLB Pipeline provided several predictions for MLB prospects for the 2024 season. One was which prospects would win the Rookie of the Year award in each league.

One of the experts selected Carter. The other selected Baltimore Orioles’ top prospect Jackson Holliday.

For now, Carter is one up on Holliday with MLB experience and his likely role as the Rangers’ starting left fielder. Holliday hasn’t played an MLB game, but is the game’s No. 1 prospect and played at every level of the Orioles system in 2023.

If Holliday gets the call, he could be stiff competition. But Carter gave everyone a taste of what could coming in 2024, per MLB Pipeline:

"After watching [Carter] in September and October, I’m not worried about him being able to prove himself and handle the big moment -- he did that; I don’t think they make the playoffs without him. I think he provided a huge spark, and then he played great in the postseason, not just hitting but defensively."

In 23 regular-season games, Carter slashed .306/.413/.645/1.058 with four doubles, one triple, five home runs and 12 RBI. He was called up after the injury to Adolis García, which put him on the 10-day injured list. Carter’s play kept him with the Rangers after García returned and earned the starting job in left field for the postseason.

His play didn’t drop off in the playoffs, as he slashed .300/.417/.500/.917 with nine doubles, one home run and six RBI. By the end of the postseason, he earned manager Bruce Bochy’s trust against left-handed pitching and he even batted third in a couple of playoff games.

If Carter is able to produce like that for an entire season, that could make him the Rangers’ first Rookie of the Year since Neftali Feliz in 2010.

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