AL and NL Rookie of the Year Voting

Tommorow, the 14th of November, the American League will announce their rookie of the year. Jeremy Hellickson of the Tampa Rays is the absolute favorite to win the award. After posting a 13-10 record with a 2.95 ERA, and helping the Rays to a playoff birth, there is no player that can compete with his crudentials within his first full season. Over his first 225 innings of his career, he holds a 17-10 record with a 3.04 ERA and an opponent batting average of .214. At the age of 24, he carries excellent poise. It is very rare to see a young pitcher have such a devistating changeup.

In my vote for AL Rookie of the Year, I would chose Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels. As the Angels have struggled to find a consistant power bat since losing Vlad Guerrero, they may have finally have found a replacement. At the age of 25, Trumbo put up fantastic numbers for a rookie. Although he only batted .254, he did hit 29 home runs and drive in 87 runs in an otherwise feeble lineup. In the next year or so, assuming he avoids any sophomore slumps, you should expect Trumbo to have homerun totals upwards of 35 with consistancy.

Although I feel that Eric Hosmer falls short of both first and second in the Rookie of the Year voting, his talent cannot go unnoticed. At 22 years old, he batted .293 with 19 home runs and 78 runs batted in , while playing three quarters of the teams games. While playing stellar defense, Hosmer gave the Royals the oppertunity to shift Billy Butler to DH, something that has been long overdue. Hosmer's cool and calm confidence is something that cannot be taught. I am a strong believert that great players are born and not made. In a full season, you should expect Hosmer to hit over .300, hit 25 home runs, and drive in 100. But lets not cut him short. Although he does not walk a lot, he will delevope more patience over time. When he does, he will be a lethal part of the Royals lineup. Expect MVP type numbers once he hits his prime.