They came into this season with wildly different levels of major league experience, but outfielder Randy Arozarena of the Tampa Bay Rays and second baseman Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds are leaving it the same way, with each being named the winner of his league’s Rookie of the Year Award on Monday.
The awards, which are given annually by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, hardly came as a surprise: Arozarena (4.1) and India (3.9) were the top rookies in the majors in wins above replacement and each played a central role in his team’s success this year.
Arozarena, who led American League rookies with hits (145), runs (94) and doubles (32), stolen bases (20), on base plus slugging percentage (0.815) received 22 first place votes. This beat his fellow finalists, shortstop Wander Franco of Rays and pitcher Luis Garcia from the Houston Astros. Each received two. Adolis García of the Texas Rangers got three first-place votes but was not a finalist because Garcia and Franco received more second-place votes.
India was the leader in National League rookies’ runs (98), doubles (44) and runs batted-in (69), walks (71) as well O.P.S. (.835) 29 of 30 first-place votes. He beat out Trevor Rogers, a pitcher for the Miami Marlins who received the other first place vote, and Dylan Carlson, an outfielder for St. Louis Cardinals who received 13 third-place and three second-place ballots.
The only thing that surprised Arozarena (26 years old) about the award was that he was still eligible for it. The dynamic outfielder had played a starring role in Tampa Bay’s run to the World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting .377 with 10 home runs in 20 postseason games. He was able to keep his rookie eligibility because he only played 84 regular-season innings in both the 2019-2020 seasons.
He was also a central figure of a team which won 100 games in 2021, confirming his postseason success. The Rays were eliminated in a division series by the Boston Red Sox. Franco and Arozarena showed their value in that series, with Franco executing a rare straight steal at home.
Franco, 20, was the youngest finalists and had the least amount of time in the majors. However, he produced 3.5 WAR in just 70 games, most of which were at shortstop. Franco reached base in 43 consecutive games, which was the longest streak in A.L. history. He tied Frank Robinson, a Hall of Famer. or N.L. History by a player younger than 20 years. Garcia, whose shimmying windup for the Astros made him stand out in the postseason, was the A.L.’s best rookie starter, with a 3.48 E.R.A. 2.6 WAR.
While India, 24, did not come into the season with Arozarena’s postseason résumé or hype, he was nearly as good, establishing himself as Cincinnati’s leadoff hitter and its most valuable position player in terms of WAR. India was the No. 5 pick in the 2018 draft, India rode a strong spring training to a spot on the Reds’ opening day roster. He became the Reds’ first rookie second baseman to do so in the first game since Pete Rose in 1963, when he made his major league debut at second base.
For the voters, that was enough to trump Carlson’s defensive versatility and 3.2 WAR and the solid pitching from Rogers, whose won-lost record of 7-8 for the Marlins obscured a terrific season in which he had a 2.64 E.R.A. and 3.5 WAR.
Although rookie classes can be varied, 2021 featured many promising players in addition to the six finalists. Among them were batters like García of the Rangers, who hit 31 homers and had 3.8 WAR, and Patrick Wisdom of the Chicago Cubs, who hit 28 homers with an .823 O.P.S.
Alek Manoah, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher (9-2, 3.22E.R.A.), was one of the top starting pitchers. Ian Anderson of Atlanta Braves was a solid regular pitcher (9-2, 3.22 E.R.A.). And flirted with a no hitter in the World Series.
Garrett Whitlock, a Rule 5 pick from Boston who was selected from New York Yankees, was the Boston Red Sox’s top rookie reliever. He had a 1.96 E.R.A. He had 81 strikeouts over 46 appearances.
Source: NY Times
