Thanks to Kris Bryant, Joc Pederson, and the newly promoted Joey Gallo, 2015 might soon be remembered as the season in which rookies reintroduced power hitters to baseball. And while the spotlight might be on those select players and that one skill, this has been a fascinating year for rookies of all sorts of skill sets. In particular, there have been several defensive standouts, both good and bad, who could affect -- and in some cases already have affected -- the direction a team takes with its roster.
Let's examine some of the best and worst defensive rookies this season based on their Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) totals. First, here are the best defensive rookies so far this season:
Randal Grichuk | OF | St. Louis Cardinals
Defensive Runs Saved: 6
The Cardinals clearly emphasized defense in the offseason with their acquisition of Jason Heyward, the best defensive right fielder in baseball. Heyward -- who saved 26 runs last season and won the Fielding Bible Award -- has saved St. Louis three runs so far this season, but he has surprisingly not been the defensive leader in its outfield. Rookie Randal Grichuk has that honor. In fact, Grichuk leads all rookies in Runs Saved this season. The 23-year-old has been a cog for the Cardinals because of his versatility; he has saved the team runs at all three outfield positions. In the long run, he figures to settle in as the team's center fielder, where his five career Runs Saved in less than 100 innings suggests he could be one of the best defenders in baseball.