ESPN

It's our first edition of the Rookie Report for the 2006 season, and to kick things off, let's take a look at the top 25 fantasy rookies for this year. Players are ranked by projected impact in 2006 alone -- we'll address long-term keepers later -- and listed next to each player is when he was drafted as well as his 2005 numbers at all minor-league levels (AVG-HR-RBI-SB, G, OPS for hitters, W-ERA-WHIP-K, IP for pitchers).

1. Jeremy Hermida, OF, Marlins -- 1st round (No. 11), 2002 -- .293-18-63-23, 118, .975 (Double-A): He's not only slated to start in right field, but also in the No. 3 lineup spot, ahead of Miguel Cabrera. Florida can afford to be patient with Hermida, so he has the best chance -- by far -- of this year's rookie class to be a solid, five-category contributor, especially with that kind of lineup protection. Projection: .272-23-72-22.

2. Matt Cain, SP, Giants -- 1st round (No. 25), 2002 -- 10-4.39-1.311-176, 145.2 (Triple-A): He was even better in a seven-start stint with the Giants (2.33 ERA, 0.928 WHIP) than for Triple-A Fresno, and in that spacious ballpark, Cain could more easily get away with the kinds of mistakes he made in Fresno (he served up 22 homers). He has huge strikeout potential, and if he has really put it all together, he could be a surprising top-25 fantasy starter in 2006. Projection: 11-3.81-1.271-165.

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