Handicapping the AL Rookie of the Year Race

The 2016 American League rookie class was a solid one.  It may not have provided the same star power of last year with the likes of Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor, but the 2016 class provided us with some excitement. Who will win this year’s AL Rookie of the Year?

The AL Rookie of the Year award can sometimes be tough to predict as rookies often only play a fraction of the full season.  Does a guy who played a half season with excellent numbers deserve the nod over someone who played a full season with lesser numbers?  This year I think it does.  That is why Gary Sanchez is my Rookie of the Year.

A Closer Look at Gary Sanchez

• Besides one start in May, Sanchez was called up by the Yankees full time on August 3.  In just 201 at bats, Sanchez slashed .299/.376/.657 with 20 home runs.  If averaged over a 162-game span, Sanchez would have finished the season with 62 home runs and 129 RBI.  Now that probably would not have happened, but it shows just how impressive Sanchez was in his short time.
• Gary Sanchez plays catcher.  When he wasn’t hitting a home run every tenth at bat, Sanchez was busy throwing out 41% of base stealers.  That would have been top five in the AL over a full season.
• After selling at the trade deadline, the Yankees threw the towel in trading away key players like Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman, Carlos Beltran, and Ivan Nova.  Instead of sinking fast, the Gary Sanchez led Yankees floated in the Wild Card race until near the end of the season.  They finished five games back of a playoff spot.

So who will finish 2-5?

2.) Michael Fulmer

• Fulmer may very well win this award.  After Jordan Zimmerman put together a sub-par, injury plagued season, Michael Fulmer filled in beautifully.  Over 159 innings pitched, Fulmer went 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA.
• Fulmer led AL rookies with 132 strikeouts while walking just 42.  The 23 year old righty leaned heavily on his fastball, which averaged at 95.5 mph.  The league average is 93 mph.  Going into next season, Fulmer and Justin Verlander will provide the Tigers with a formidable 1-2 punch.

3.) Nomar Mazara

• The right fielder logged 516 at bats slashing a line of .266/.320/.419.  Mazara had 315 more at bats than Gary Sanchez and yet they both finished the season with 20 home runs.
• Mazara led all rookies in games played (145), at bats, hits (137), and RBIs (64).  At 21 years old, Mazara should provide the Rangers with some power from the left side for many years to come.

4.) Tim Anderson

• After Jimmy Rollins won the shortstop job for the White Sox out of Spring Training, it soon became clear that he would not hold down the position all season.  Tim Anderson made his debut on June 10 and never looked back.
• In 410 at bats, Anderson slashed .283/.306/.432 with nine home runs.  Anderson finished second among AL rookies in doubles (22), triples (6), steals (10), and was third in hits with 116.  Anderson looks to be the shortstop of the future for the South Siders.

5.) Sean Manaea

• The 24 year old lefty went 7-9 with a 3.86 ERA over 144.2 innings for the Athletics.  He struck out 124 while walking 37.  Although the low number of walks is nice, Manaea did give up 20 home runs in 2016, most among AL rookies.
• Manaea got off to a rocky start giving up 33 runs over his first 49.1 innings pitched.  That’s an ERA of 6.02. His final 16 appearances (15 starts) faired much better.  Over 95.1 innings, Manaea gave up just 29 earned runs good for a 2.74 ERA.

Honorable Mentions

• Cheslor Cuthbert – the 23 year old Royal third baseman slashed .274/.318/.413 over 475 at bats.  He hit 12 home runs and led AL rookies with 28 doubles. He also finished second among AL rookies with 130 hits.
• Tyler Naquin – over 321 at bats, Naquin slashed .296/.372/.514 with 14 home runs.  He was a solid hitter for the Indians giving them a spark with his bat when needed.
• Tony Barnette – the 32 year old righty was excellent out of the bullpen for the Rangers registering a 2.09 ERA over 60.1 innings pitched.  His finesse cutter only averaged 88 mph but was deceptive enough to make hitters look foolish.

Featured Photo Credit – Arturo Pardavila – Flickr Creative Commons