Although Reid Detmers made his MLB debut at the tail end of the 2021 season, his 2022 campaign was considered his rookie year. The Los Angeles Angels first-round pick in 2020 went into the season with a specific goal of limiting home runs and increasing bad contact, while hopefully maintaining the high strike out numbers he saw in the Minors.
What ensued was — by just about any metric — a successful rookie campaign. Detmers tossed 129.0 innings, third-highest on the Angels, over 25 starts. He improved in almost every way from the 20.2 innings he pitched in 2021, becoming a core piece of the Angels rotation in the process.
He amassed a 3.77 ERA — 3.79 FIP — with a 1.209 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts. Detmers also tossed a no-hitter on May 10 against the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that would go on to make the postseason. His 8.5 K-per-9, 3.2 BB-per-9, 0.9 HR-per-9, and 7.7 H-per-9 were all significant improvements from 2021, and MLB Pipeline recognized the leap.
Announced on Sunday, Detmers was named to the MLB Pipeline All-Rookie First Team. Pipeline recognizes the best rookies at each position with a first and second team that includes five starting pitchers and two relievers each.
According to Pipeline, Detmers was one of the five best rookie starting pitchers in 2022, alongside Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves, Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins, George Kirby of the Seattle Mariners, and Nick Lodolo of the Cincinnati Reds.
Below are the full MLB Pipeline All-Rookie first and second teams, with Detmers being the only Angels player to make either list. The Kansas City Royals and Reds led the way with four selections each between the two All-Rookie teams.
This rookie class was also statistically one of the best in MLB history, compiling the second-highest fWAR behind the 2015 rookie class that featured Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, and Francisco Lindor.
MLB Pipeline All-Rookie First Team
C: Adley Rutschman, Orioles
113 G, .254/.362/.445, 13 HR, 1 3B, 35 2B, 42 RBI, 70 R, 4 SB
1B: Joey Meneses, Nationals
56 G, .324/.367/.563, 13 HR, 14 2B, 34 RBI, 33 R, 1 SB
2B: Brendan Donovan, Cardinals
126 G, .281/.394/.379, 5 HR, 1 3B, 21 2B, 45 RBI, 64 R, 2 SB
3B: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
150 G, .254/.294/.428, 20 HR, 6 3B, 31 2B, 80 RBI, 82 R, 30 SB
SS: Jeremy Peña, Astros
136 G, .253/.289/.426, 22 HR, 2 3B, 20 2B, 63 RBI, 72 R, 11 SB
OF: Julio Rodríguez, Mariners
132 G, .284/.345/.509, 28 HR, 3 3B, 25 2B, 75 RBI, 84 R, 25 SB
OF: Michael Harris II, Braves
114 G, .297/.339/.514, 19 HR, 3 3B, 27 2B, 64 RBI, 75 R, 20 SB
OF: Steven Kwan, Guardians
147 G, .298/.373/.400, 6 HR, 7 3B, 25 2B, 52 RBI, 89 R, 19 SB
DH: Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals
72 G, .295/.383/.450, 10 HR, 10 2B, 26 RBI, 25 R, 1 SB
Starting Pitchers:
Spencer Strider, Braves
131 2/3 IP, 11-5, 2.67 ERA, 45 BB, 202 K, 1.00 WHIP, .180 BAA
Joe Ryan, Twins
147 IP, 12-8, 3.55 ERA, 47 BB, 151 K, 1.10 WHIP, .211 BAA
Nick Lodolo, Reds
103 1/3 IP, 4-7, 3.66 ERA, 39 BB, 131 K, 1.25 WHIP, .235 BAA
Reid Detmers, Angels
129 IP, 7-6, 3.77 ERA, 46 BB, 122 K, 1.21 WHIP, .231 BAA
George Kirby, Mariners
130 IP, 8-5, 3.39 ERA, 22 BB, 133 K, 1.21 WHIP, .264 BAA
RP: Alexis Díaz, Reds
63 2/3 IP, 7-3, 10 SV, 1.84 ERA, 33 BB, 83 K, 0.96 WHIP, .131 BAA
RP: Félix Bautista, Orioles
65 2/3 IP, 4-4, 15 SV, 2.19 ERA, 23 BB, 88 K, 0.93 WHIP, .167 BAA
MLB Pipeline All-Rookie Second Team
C: MJ Melendez, Royals
129 G, .217/.313/.393, 18 HR, 3 3B, 21 2B, 62 RBI, 57 R, 2 SB
1B: Jose Miranda, Twins
125 G, .268/.325/.426, 15 HR, 25 2B, 66 RBI, 45 R, 1 SB
2B: Christopher Morel, Cubs
113 G, .235/.308/.433, 16 HR, 4 3B, 19 2B, 47 RBI, 55 R, 10 SB
3B: Emmanuel Rivera, D-backs/Royals
102 G, .233/.292/.409, 12 HR, 3 3B, 16 2B, 40 RBI, 46 R, 1 SB
SS: Oneil Cruz, Pirates
87 G, .233/.294/.450, 17 HR, 4 3B, 13 2B, 54 RBI, 45 R, 11 SB
OF: Jake McCarthy, D-backs
99 G, .283/.342/.427, 8 HR, 3 3B, 16 2B, 43 RBI, 53 R, 23 SB
OF: Oscar Gonzalez, Guardians
91 G, .296/.327/.461, 11 HR, 27 2B, 43 RBI, 39 R, 1 SB
OF: Seiya Suzuki, Cubs
111 G, .262/.336/.433, 14 HR, 2 3B, 22 2B, 46 RBI, 54 R, 9 SB
DH: Bryson Stott, Phillies
127 G, .234/.295/.358, 10 HR, 2 3B, 19 2B, 49 RBI, 58 R, 12 SB
SP: Hunter Greene, Reds
125 2/3 IP, 5-13, 4.44 ERA, 48 BB, 164 K, 1.21 WHIP, .222 BAA
SP: Edward Cabrera, Marlins
71 2/3 IP, 6-4, 3.01 ERA, 33 BB, 75 K, 1.07 WHIP, .177 BAA
SP: Roansy Contreras, Pirates
95 IP, 5-5, 3.79 ERA, 39 BB, 86 K, 1.27 WHIP, .225 BAA
SP: Braxton Garrett, Marlins
88 IP, 3-7, 3.58 ERA, 24 BB, 90 K, 1.25 WHIP, .254 BAA
SP: Graham Ashcraft, Reds
105 IP, 5-6, 4.89 ERA, 30 BB, 71 K, 1.42 WHIP, .281 BAA
RP: Jhoan Duran, Twins
67 2/3 IP, 2-4, 8 SV, 1.86 ERA, 16 BB, 89 K, 0.98 WHIP, .207 BAA
RP: Brock Burke, Rangers
82 1/3 IP, 7-5, 0 SV, 1.97 ERA, 24 BB, 90 K, 1.06 WHIP, .211 BAA