A Pair of MLB Late Bloomers
It took these two Major Leaguers an extra few years to become regulars, and that's fine by me.
Not every Major Leaguer can be Juan Soto or Bryce Harper, hitting the scene during their teen years and immediately making an impact from the jump.
Baseball is a rugged sport, no two players who have consistently found themselves in MLB lineups have carved out the same path. No two ever will.
For this piece, I categorize “late bloomer” as a player who needed a few seasons to get their MLB career off and running. To make things a little more fun, I won’t dive into any superstars, but a couple of regulars who were almost written off as has-beens.
Let’s take a gander:
Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics
Brent Rooker made his MLB debut during the shortened COVID-19 season of 2020, where he appeared in just 7 games for the Minnesota Twins. The Mississippi State product didn’t reach rookie status until a year later when he played in 58 games yet hit just .201 with an OPS+ of 89.
Considering he was already in his age-27 season in 2022, people were quick to write him off after appearing in just 16 total games between the Padres and Royals. He was heading toward baseball’s version of the “Land of Misfit Toys”.
Now, what club is notorious for rummaging through the bargain bin during the offseason? Of course, Rooker was claimed on outright waivers by the Athletics in September of 2022.
After a solid Spring Training, Rooker got his chance to be a full-time MLB contributor and has been plugged into Mark Kotsay’s lineup ever since.
On May 1, 2023, the Germantown, TN native won AL Player of the Week honors after going 10-for-24 with 5 HR and 11 RBI. He had put the league on notice.
Over 137 games last year, Rooker finished with 30 HR, while driving in 69, and boasting an OPS+ of 127. He even represented Oakland in the All-Star game.
Rooker is building off his strong inaugural season with the A’s by clubbing 13 HR, 41 RBI, and a 147 OPS+ in 2024 — possessing great batted ball data in the process.
The outfielder has 3 more years of club control at the ripe age of 29, causing him to be a popular name circulating trade rumors.
How’s that for a baseball misfit?
Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins
Don’t fret Twins fans. After missing out on Rooker’s late blossoming, Ryan Jeffers fell right into the Twins lap.
Give Minnesota some credit. They used a second-round draft pick on Jeffers out of UNC Wilmington back in 2018. Unlike Rooker who was drafted in the 38th round, Jeffers had some pedigree and expectations. And the Twins stuck with it.
Like our counterpart, Jeffers also made his MLB debut during the 2020 MLB season, he appeared in 26 games and even boasted an above-average OPS+ of 119.
One of Jeffers biggest concerns coming out of college was his K-rates. Instead of building off his first season in the Bigs, he took a step back. The catcher struck out in 37% of his at-bats in 2021 and was 17 points below the league average in OPS.
To make matters even worse, Jeffers lost out on the starting catching job by (now) World Series hero Mitch Garver. In 2021, Garver posted a 139 OPS+ and hit 13 bombs. He also had a silver slugger under his belt.
At age 25, 2022 wasn’t kinder to Jeffers either. Once again he was below league average when it came to slugging and getting on base — he couldn’t grasp the starting job even after Garver was traded to Texas. Jeffers broke his thumb that season in July. Things looked bleak.
Again, similar to Rooker, Jeffers finally had his fair shot in the spring of 2023. He made the most of it.
The backstop played in 96 games for the Twins and served as the team’s primary catcher. He hit 14 home runs, drove in 43, and collected an outstanding OPS of .858 while cutting his K% down. Jeffers fully broke out that August, where he slugged .538 and smashed 5 of his 14 bombs that season.
At the age of 27, Jeffers is currently Minnesota’s full-time signal caller. His 22% k-rate is the lowest of his career, and the native of Raleigh, NC has already hit 12 balls over the fence. He is en route to his first career All-Star appearance and is finally a household name.