The First Piece of Hardware
Rookie of the Year is always exciting. Top prospects that perform are always thefavorites, but some players can sneak up on you and have a huge year. We have had stars like Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Trout, and Aaron Judge win it in the past. And some names that may have surprised you like, Bobby Crosby and Geovany Soto. This season’s class has been extremely fun to watch. Let’s take a look at the favorites and I’ll give you my picks on who I think should be named this year's Rookie of the Year.
National League
Corbin Carroll: In 134 games for the Diamondbacks, the speedy Carroll has a slash line of .280/.360/.883 with 24 homers, 68 driven in and 41 stolen bases. He’s part of a young core coming out of Arizona that is making a playoff push when many did not believe they would be in this scenario.
James Outman: Another outfielder in the west, Outman has had a great year for the Dodgers. In 128 games, he is slashing .255/.363/.794 with 17 homers and 60 RBI all while playing great defense. I feel like Outman is flying under the radar this season given the two MVP candidates within the lineup.
Kodai Senga: After 11 seasons in Japan, Senga came over to the states and signed a deal with the Mets. The eldest of the group, Senga has been a bright spot in an otherwise underperforming Mets team. In 25 games started, he has a record of 10-7 with a 3.08 ERA. With that nasty Ghost Forkball, Senga has continued his dominance in Major League Baseball.
My Pick: Corbin Carroll. Carroll is a force at the plate and tears up the basepaths with elite speed. He can hit anywhere in the lineup and plays great defense out in the desert. He will be the centerpiece of the Arizona offense for years to come.
American League
Triston Casas: In 124 games for the Red Sox, Casas is slashing, .268/.370/.871 with 23 long balls and 60 driven in. Casas will be manning first base for the foreseeable future, and with time,he will be one of the top first baseman in the league.
Gunnar Henderson: In 127 games for the current first place Orioles, Henderson is one of many young and exciting players for Baltimore. With a slash line of .254/.329/.811, he plays elite defense at short, hits for power with 23 home runs, and has driven in 70.
Tanner Bibee: A name that might not sound familiar, Bibee is having an outstanding rookie campaign for the Guardians. The starter is 10-3 with a 3.05 ERA. Bibee has 129 strikeouts in 129 inning pitched. What really stands out in his stat line is his K/9 rate is 9.0 with a 3.1 BB/9. Guy pitches like a veteran at only 24 years old.
My Pick: Although he won’t win it, my pick is Tanner Bibee. We haven’t seen a starting pitcher win Rookie of the Year since Michael Fulmer back in 2016. Offense always seems the way to go when it comes to voters, but you cannot take for granted what Bibee is doing for Cleveland.
There you have it, my picks for the 2023 Rookie of the Year! These rookies have shown that they can handle the pressure of Major League Baseball and have lived up to the hype of their first year. Now, slumping is always inevitable in baseball, but look for these players listed to have long lasting and successful careers.
Article submitted by Brian Caprino