Rookie of the Year Race Heats Up

In what has been a remarkable season so far for rookies, there have been a host of first-year professionals who have put themselves in contention to end the campaign as the MLB’s Rookie of the Year. While Carlos Correa looks set to top the AL rankings after pulling away from his nearest rivals, the battle between the youngsters in the NL looks set to go down to the wire.

So, let’s have a closer look at the contenders for this season’s MLB Rookie of the Year award.

American League

Carlos Correa (Astros): After being drafted number one overall at the age of just 20, there were plenty of eyes of Correa this season and the youngster has absolutely flourished under the pressure. Currently third among all the MLB’s shortstops in home runs, the rookie has been the real star of the Houston season so far, making the move from the Double A into the majors without so much as a stumble. With more than 270 appearances at the plate this season, Correa currently leads in on-base as well as slugging percentage, with 10 steals from 12 attempts. And in the field it has been a similar story, with the Puerto Rican proving he has the ability to be one of the best rookies to have come through at Houston in recent times.

Nathan Karns (Rays): He might not have been hitting the heights of Correa this season but Karns has still done himself proud in his first season with the Rays. At 27, the pitcher is something of a late bloomer but has wasted little time in proving he deserves to be where he is. In a season where starting pitchers have struggled throughout, not to mention the lack of stand-out rookie’s in the AL, the fact Karns is posting above-average stats from the mound has seen him put himself in the mix for the league’s Rookie of the Year. With the Rays at the time of writing priced at 20/1 with betfair to top the AL, the emergence of Karns could end up being one of the rare positives Tampa Bay can take from this year.

Roberto Osuna (Blue Jays): Having made the jump from the Triple-A into the majors, Osuna has carved out a place in the Blue Jays roster as a very effective relief pitcher at the tender age of 20. After breaking into the Toronto bullpen, the Mexican pitched his way into the closer’s role by the mid-season point, going on an incredible run of 14-for-14 in save chances ever since. While Karns’ figures put him above Osuna in the Rookie standings, Blue Jays fans will be pleased to have seen how the rookie has handled the step up.

Devon Travis (Blue Jays): After bursting out of the traps this season, injury has put paid to any hope the Blue Jays star had of earning the Rookie of the Year award. Having posted figures of .357/.402/.488 in between his spells on the disabled list with a shoulder problem, it’s clear to anyone that Travis is the real deal. The question will be now whether we will see the infielder return this season and in what kind of shape.

National League

Matt Duffy (Giants): After breaking into the Giants team last season and going on to play a role in the franchise winning the World Series, Matt Duffy has been one of the stars of the show this season. Playing on a pitcher-friendly field for much of the year, Duffy’s form with the bat has been a real highlight in his first full season in the league. With 10 home runs, 59 RBIs and five stolen bases to his name this season, it’s looking as though it could come down to Duffy and Kris Bryant to top the NL Rookie standings, and it’s the Giants man who is leading the race at the moment.

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Kris Bryant (Cubs): Despite suffering a loss in form during the summer in which he hit just .165 during a 35-game period, Bryant is still near the front of the race in a National League that has a host of talented rookies competing in it. Even during that disappointing stretch with the bat, the third baseman showed just how improved his defense is and just why the Cubs have stuck with him. The 23-year-old’s form saw him receive a late call-up for the National League All Star game in Ohio, and Bryant won’t have given up on catching Duffy at the top of the NL Rookie standings.

Randal Grichuk (Cardinals): If he hadn’t suffered a strained ligament in his right elbow, Grichuk could be in with a real chance of challenging Duffy and Bryant at the top of the NL list. Leading all the rookies in the league with over 300 plate appearances this season with a 140 OPS+, the Cardinals outfield has seven triples, 21 doubles and 15 home runs to his name. With Bryant way ahead of him in plate appearances, Grichuk’s injury has all but killed any chance the 24-year-old had of competing for the award this year. But despite his injury, this has been a very promising campaign for the Texan, putting him in a great position to establish himself as one of the league’s best outfielders over the next couple of years.

Jung-ho Kang (Pirates): The South Korean has been under the spotlight ever since the Pirates won the race to sign him at the start of the year. With the eyes of an entire nation on him, the 28-year-old has slipped seamlessly into life in the MLB, hitting 10 home runs and recording a .285 batting average. While there are areas of his fielding that need improving for him to be a real top level shortstop, his batting prowess will do a lot to convince the Pirates to stick with him despite his deficiencies. A brilliant run of form between July and late August saw the Korean star hit .328/.401/.566 and put himself back into the running in the NL, as well as putting the Pirates in contention to reach the postseason.

via GIPHY