In a tradition that has been around since 1947, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced finalists for four major awards on Monday. Among those awards includes the Rookie of the Year honors for both the American and National Leagues.
NL Finalists
Among the many rookies who bestowed the MLB world with their initial seasons, there were three who stood out the most. Those finalists for National League Rookie of the Year include Philadelphia Phillies‘ Alec Bohm, San Diego Padres‘ Jake Cronenworth, and Milwaukee Brewers‘ Devin Williams.
- Alec Bohm
If you want to be talking about exceeding expectations, then Philadelphia Phillies rookie Alex Bohm has to be in that conversation. The 2018 third overall pick, who made his debut on Aug. 13 made quite a big splash. Bohm struck a mark of .338/.400/.481 all while striking 23 RBI through his 44 games played.
- Jake Cronenworth
There was at one point a general consensus that Cronenworth would capture the honor outright. Prior to the month of September, the 26-year old held a slash line of .356/.411/.624. Of his 49 total hits, 22 of them went for extra bases. Conenworth was one of just five rookies in 2020 to produce a WAR of 1.4 or more. Despite a cooling period towards the end of the season, Conenworth still hit .285/.354/.477.
- Devin Williams
Very few rookie pitchers put up as good of a 2020 campaign as Williams. He wrapped up the season with a mark of 17.69 K/9. The 26-year old allowed just one run across 27 innings while striking out 53 batters. That included a WHIP of 0.630.
AL Finalists
The three Rookie of the Year finalists in the American League include Houston Astros‘ Cristian Javier, Seattle Mariners‘ Kyle Lewis, and Chicago White Sox‘s Luis Robert.
- Cristian Javier:
Javier had quite a season in Houston posting a 5-2 record with an ERA of 3.48, not to mention a WHIP of 0.994. With an average of 8.94 K/9, Javier was among the best pitchers at Houston’s disposal. His 54 strikeouts ranked third among rookie pitchers in MLB.
- Kyle Lewis:
The 2016 first-round selection from the Mariners had quite the season in 2020. He led all rookies in total bases (90) while tied for the rookie lead in home runs with 11. He tied for the league-best WAR among rookie hitters at 1.7.
- Luis Robert:
Many were surprised when Robert received a six-year, $50 million deal before stepping foot on a MLB field. The White Sox, however, were not and they were proven right after Robert posted a .960 OPS with ten home runs through 33 games in August. He led all rookie hitters with 31 RBI and tied for the rookie lead with 11 home runs. Robert was one of just 14 rookies to post an isolated power mark above .200.
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