Odubel Herrera signed with the Texas Rangers as a 17-year-old from Venezuela in 2008. He hit in the minors; his career average in the minor leagues is .294. He didn’t walk a whole lot early in his career, though he has improved in that regard. After the 2014 season, he was left unprotected, and was selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft.
Most Rule 5 players are used sparingly in their rookie seasons, if they make the team at all. They have to stay on the Major League roster for the entire season, or they must be offered back to their original team for $25,000 (it costs $50,000 to acquire a Rule 5 player). Instead, Herrera, a middle infielder in the minor leagues, was playing CF and batting second on Opening Day of 2015. He went 0/4 that day with a couple of strikeouts, but quickly improved; his numbers for 2015 were solid but unspectacular: .297/.344/.418 with 8 HR, 41 RBI, 30 doubles, three triples, 64 runs scored, and 16 SB. He also played a very good CF, accumulating an additional 1.3 dWAR to go with his 2.7 oWAR, giving him 4.0 WAR for the season. The Phillies were awful in 2015, but Herrera was one of the bright spots.
Many players have had one good season and then fallen off. One example of this that comes to mind is a player named Mike Caruso. Caruso, as a 21-year-old, was the everyday SS for the White Sox in 1998. He hit .306 that year and stole 22 bases. After a disappointing 1999 season, Caruso didn’t appear in the big leagues again until 2002, when he hit .100 in 20 AB with the Kansas City Royals. He played independent ball after that, and his professional career was over at age 32. Chris Colabello looks like he might be another example. After playing independent ball for many years, Colabello made it to the big leagues in 2013, where he hit .214 over two seasons with the Twins. He had an outstanding 2015 for the Blue Jays at age 32, hitting .321 with 15 HR and an .886 OPS while playing 1B/LF/RF/DH. After starting the 2016 season with just two hits in 29 AB, Colabello was suspended for 80 games for a positive PED test. It remains to be seen whether he will regain his 2015 form.
Herrera, on the other hand, has followed up his great 2015 with an even better 2016. Herrera has become more patient at the plate, maintaining his consistent form at the plate to go along with his solid defense. Don’t sleep on Odubel Herrera. The secret is out.
