NL Rookie of the Year

Rookie of the Year

National League

Contenders

J.A. Happ: Philadelphia Phillies; SP/RP

166 IP in 22 starts and 12 relief appearances

12-4, 2.93 era, 119 K, 1.23 WHIP

Happ joined the Phillies’ rotation on May 8th and proceeded to earn a 10-2 record as a starter. He proved to be a key cog in Philadelphia’s defense of their NL East title with his versatility to start and come in for relief duty. The Northwestern product was a hot commodity at the trade deadline but was made unavailable by Philles’ GM Ruben Amaro Jr. in his talks to acquire Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. The organization showed great faith in the kid who had not pitched in more than 30 major league innings prior to this season and he proved his worth. While he may not have the best stats of this rookie class --- they aren’t too shabby mind you --- he played an important role on a winning team. That alone may clinch him the award.

Tommy Hanson: Atlanta Braves; SP

127.2 IP in 21 starts

11-4, 2.89 era, 116 K, 1.18 WHIP

Hanson exploded onto the scene June 7th and helped get the Braves back into the Wildcard hunt. Being Atlanta’s number-one rated prospect could have put a lot of pressure on the 23 year old but he was able to keep his wits about him. When comparing stats against the other top contenders he comes out on top in era, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), at an outrageous 8.18. The problem for Hanson is that unless the writers are avid watchers of Braves’ Baseball on Peachtree, they probably didn’t get to see the young hurler in action. He has the greatest potential of any rookie going forward but this year he’s getting the CHOP!!!

Andrew McCutchen: Pittsburgh Pirates; OF

108 games, 433 AB

.286, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 9 3B, 74 R, 22 SB

Playing for the dreadful Pirates all but kills his chance to claim the award but it doesn’t mean that he should be overlooked so quickly. Called up on June 4th, the 23 year old McCutchen filled the spot of the departed Nate McLouth and hit the ground running, literally. He provided a spark from the lead off spot and finished in the top three of runs, home runs, RBI, average, and stolen bases among rookies. All this offensive production, on top of his sterling defensive play, definitely places him in the conversation. With a little more exposure this could have been his award to lose.

Longshots

Randy Wells: Chicago Cubs; SP

165.1 IP in 27 Starts

12-10, 3.05 era, 104 K, 1.28 WHIP

The Cubs needed some backend rotation help in early May and turned the ball over to Randy Wells who took the job and kept it all year. The former South West Illinois Saluqi and 38th round draft pick in 2002 draft is a true underdog story. His record is not indicative of the quality of his pitching; he tended to suffer from minimal run support. Take out the record and his stats compete with any other rookie but he will be lamentably dismissed from awards talk because of it.

Colby Rasmus: St. Louis Cardinals; OF

147 games, 474 AB

.251, 16 HR, 52 RBI, 72 R, 3 SB

Rasmus started the year as the odd man out in the St. Louis outfield and finished as a vital member of a playoff squad. While his stats don’t blow you away, he was as consistent as it gets for a team that was desperate for production at the bottom of the line up. Durability is an overlooked attribute for rookies -and probably will continue to be- but sometimes just being there is half the battle.

Dexter Fowler: Colorado Rockies; OF

135 games, 433 AB

.266, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 73 R, 27 SB

The speedster Fowler ended up playing a supporting role by seasons’ end but was able to contribute when called upon during the stretch run. Whether he was needed to steal base or come in as a defensive substitute late in a game, Fowler proved to be an excellent first man off the bench. While he got his starts along the way, he was eventually replaced at the top of the order by…

Carlos Gonzalez: Colorado Rockies; OF

89 games, 278 AB

.284, 13 HR, 29 RBI, 53 R, 16 SB

After being called up on June 5th, Gonzalez struggled at the plate, which left him struggling to find playing time. From June 5th to July 31st, King Carlos hit .223 with a home run and 4 RBI. Apparently the early season slumber left Gonzalez well rested for the stretch run, he was the Rockies’ MVP over their final 53 games despite starting in only 42 of them. In those 42 games, Gonzalez hit at a .328 clip with 12 HR, 25 RBI, 37 R, and 9 SB to lead the Rockies’ playoff charge. If the writers are looking to reward the rookie who was most valuable in his teams’ success, they’ll go with Gonzalez. Regrettably, he doesn’t have a full season’s body of work to compliment it.

Garrett Jones: Pittsburgh Pirates; OF/1B

82 games, 314 AB

.293, 21 HR, 44 RBI, 45 R, 10 SB

With their 14th round pick in the 1999 draft the Atlanta Braves selected Garrett Jones. He was subsequently released in 2002 and picked up by Twins, where he toiled in the minors until this year. When the Pirates rid themselves of Eric Hinske during their annual roster dump, it left a spot open for the journeyman Jones to finally get his chance. He hit 21 home runs in 82 games, a pace of 40 over a whole season, and finished one point ahead of Ryan Braun for 7th in the National League in OPS at .938. Once again, playing for the Pirates gets you massively overlooked basically by everyone outside the most astute of fantasy baseball players. Jones’ season is easily the most under the radar of all rookies, if not the majors, which doesn’t bode well for his ROY chances.

Should Win: Andrew McCutchen

Will Win: J. A. Happ

The writers will want to reward someone from the Pennant winning Phillies and Happ fits the bill. He put in a full season of work and helped lead his team to a division crown. He’s been all over the airwaves as the playoffs have gone on and that major exposure advantage will prove to be the clinching influence in giving him the award.