For those of you who are regular readers of this blog, you know this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. It's the week in which the BBWAA announces the winners of the four major awards in both the American and National League. And, as usual, we get started with the rookies, which happens to be the award that's most up-for-grabs in each league.
There seems to be a pretty clear favorite in the Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP races. But for Rookie of the Year, it's really anybody's guess. All six finalists are deserving, although I think it's really a two-man race for each award. In the AL, it's Miguel Andujar vs. Shohei Ohtani, while it's Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. Juan Soto in the NL.
Ohtani was one of the most buzzed-about rookies in recent memory with what he was trying to do...pitching and hitting regularly in the Major Leagues. And for two months, he did it beyond anybody's expectations. His elbow eventually gave out, requiring Tommy John surgery and limiting exclusively to DH duty late in the season (and all of next year). But, all in all, the two-way thing was an overwhelming success. He had several brilliant starts and joined some guy named Babe Ruth as the only two players in Major League history to pitch 50 innings and hit 20 homers in the same season.
Because of the dual role, he ended up with a WAR of 3.8, the highest of any Rookie of the Year finalist. Now, I've made my case against WAR for years, and this is a prime example of it. His WAR is going to automatically be higher by the very nature of what he was doing. It theoretically would take two guys to "replace" him, because you're not gonna find anybody else who's a starting pitcher and also your starting DH!
Then there are the two "Baby Bombers" who helped the Yankees win 100 games and the wild card. After Gary Sanchez in 2016 and Aaron Judge last year, Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres will give the Yankees four top-three Rookie of the Year finishers in the past three seasons.
Andujar wasn't even on the Opening Day roster, but when Brandon Drury went on the DL in mid-April, he got an opportunity. And he ran with it. Andujar was so good that they couldn't take him out, and Drury, who the Yankees traded for to be their third baseman, ended up making the Triple A All-Star Team before being traded to Toronto. For his part, Andjuar hit either a double or a homer in seemingly every at-bat. He broke Joe DiMaggio's franchise rookie record for doubles and led all Major League rookies in pretty much every offensive category.
And, believe it or not, he wasn't even the Yankees' top Rookie of the Year candidate until August. That's because Gleyber Torres took the Major Leagues by storm after his call-up in late April. It became immediately obvious why the Yankees wanted Torres so badly. They were 17-3 in his first 20 games, and Gleyber ended up making the All-Star Team. He ended up with 24 home runs (some of which weren't three-run shots) while primarily batting ninth!
Ultimately, I think Ohtani is likely going to win. The two Yankees will probably split votes (even though Andujar should have the clear edge), and Ohtani's had all the buzz surrounding him all season. And, seeing as the writers are obsessed with Mike Trout, I can see them rewarding another guy who helped the Angels finish fourth.
My vote would be 1. Andujar, 2. Ohtani, 3. Torres. The actual result will probably be 1. Ohtani, 2. Andujar, 3. Torres.
As good as the three AL finalists were, if there's any rookie that took the Majors by storm this season, it was Washington's Juan Soto. The dude is only 19! (What is it about the Nationals and teenage outfielders?) Yet he proved he belonged and then some. He actually did something really cool and technically hit his first Major League home run before he made his Major League debut (it came at the end of a suspended game against the Yankees). He ended up hitting 22 home runs, and he hit one off the roof of the Tokyo Dome the other day in the Japan All-Star Series! If Bryce Harper leaves Washington (which I'm still not convinced he will), Soto is poised to become the Nationals' next star outfielder.
The Yankees have gotten a lot of praise for their player development system that has generated four Rookie of the Year finalists in the last three years. The Braves might be the National League equivalent. Because one year after they gave us Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr. burst onto the scene. Like Torres, he wasn't called up until the end of April. Like Andujar, he didn't stop raking once he got to the Majors. He had an absolutely monster second half and ended up with a .293 average, 26 homers and 26 doubles while helping Atlanta win its first NL East title in five years. Did I mention he's only 20 (which is still a year older than Soto)?
Let's not forget about Walker Buehler, the only full-time pitcher among the six finalists. What he did wasn't easy, stepping into the rotation of a team that made the World Series last season and expected to get back (which they did). But he sure held his own in a rotation that needed a right-hander. Buehler was the starter when the Dodgers no-hit San Diego in Mexico (in like his third career start), and he was outstanding down the stretch. He posted a 1.58 ERA over the final two months and started--and won--Game 163 against Colorado. And, I know it doesn't count for Rookie of the Year voting, but let's not forget his performance in the World Series. He was brilliant over seven innings in Game 3, but took a no-decision in the 18-inning marathon that would turn out to be the Dodgers' only win of the series.
This really is a tough one to call. Because the case can be made for Soto and the case can be made for Acuna. (You could also really make a case for Buehler, the only one of the three who was in the Majors all season.) So it'll really come down to preference. Soto's definitely flashier and had the glove to go with his crazy power. But Acuna was a key contributor to a division winner that probably doesn't win the division without him.
Acuna's second half likely generated him some MVP votes, and that's why I think he'll ultimately end up being named NL Rookie of the Year. The differences between him and Soto are very slight, and their numbers were remarkably similar. But the Braves' division title and his role in winning it are what should put Acuna on top. It'll be a close vote, though. If anything, the three-year run of unanimous NL Rookies of the Year seems almost certain to end.
I absolutely love Juan Soto. The Nationals have another blossoming superstar on their hands. But I can't bring myself to say he should be the Rookie of the Year over Ronald Acuna Jr. If I had a vote, it'd go to Acuna, with Soto second and Buehler third. Which is exactly the order that I think the writers went with.
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