Pete Alonso Named NL Rookie of the Year
New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has won his first career postseason award. Alonso was named National League Rookie of the Year on Monday, earning 29 out of a possible 30 first place votes. One ballot had him second behind Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Soroka.
Alonso had one of the best rookie seasons in MLB history, and was one of the most feared hitters in either league regardless of age or service time. He slashed .260/.358/.583 across 161 games, and led all of MLB with 53 home runs. Alonso was a run producer all year long, driving in 120. He also led all MLB rookie-position-players with a 5.0 WAR, good for tenth among all NL-position-players.
Alonso also put on a show at the Home Run Derby, when he showed off his power to a national audience. He became the second rookie to win the event (Aaron Judge won as a rookie in 2017) and blasted 57 home runs, third in Derby history.
National League Results
- Alonso
- Soroka
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Bryan Reynolds
- Dakota Hudson
Yordan Alvarez Named AL Rookie of the Year
The best rookie in the American League was also a big-power bat in Yordan Alvarez. The Houston Astros designated hitter was every bit as good as Alonso on a per game basis.
While he played in just 87 games, he slashed an incredible .313/.412/.655. His 27 home runs and 78 RBI are even more impressive when you consider his limited number of games. Looking at the advanced metrics, his 173 OPS+ shows that he was 73% better offensively than the average MLB player.
According to MLB.com, the only rookie with over 300 plate appearances to post better statistics was “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in 1911. Alvarez earned all 30 first place votes, more than doubling the point total for any other AL rookie.
American League Results
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
