Immediate Reaction: Rookie of the Year

I don't think that the AL Rookie of the Year Award surprised anyone that has any sort of knowledge of baseball. The question wasn't really whether Mike Trout was the best rookie this year, but rather if he have the best season ever, in any sport. Now it is hard to compare cross-sport, to the seasons of Lawrence Taylor, Wilt Chamberlain, etc., so I will just compare it to the other great rookie seasons in baseball. One season that comes to mind is Ichiro, one of two players in MLB history to win MVP and ROY in the same season. This shouldn't have even happened though. To say that Ichiro was a rookie is a complete slap in the face to the NPB, because he played at the highest level available to him for a number of years, enduring the normal gruel of a regular season.

The only other player that really comes close is the other dual MVP/ROY ever, Fred Lynn. When it comes down to it, he really won the MVP because of a weak field that year. Nothing against Lynn's season, but it happened in a year where no one else was particularly spectacular. For me, Trout takes it. The level of talent he displayed at every facet of the game was incredible, and, in my mind, the best we have ever seen in a rookie year.

This season, though, Miguel Cabrera put on one of the most spectacular hitting displays ever seen in a single season. The vote that has yet to be tallied is whether the best hitting display, combined with average to above average displays in the other categories, outweighs a top-5 performance in every category imaginable.

The Rookie of the Year race in the NL was much more contested. Going into the unveiling, it was entirely conceivable that any of the three finalists could win the award. The final voting was close as well, but there were little signs that indicated it really wasn't. Bryce Harper was the only player named on all 32 ballots. He received the most 1st place votes, Wade Miley received the most 2nd place votes, and Todd Fraizer received the most 3rd place votes. Despite the hubbub around this race, the votes played out very normally. In the "disaster" scenario some were predicting, Harper might have received 20 first place votes, but only been named on 24 ballots. That, of course, did not happen, and justice was served. In my opinion, the best two rookies won their respective rookie of the year awards.