Rookie of the Year
In the American League, there are several candidates. But one player is clearly at the top. Aaron Judge (OF-NYY) has completely exploded so far this season. He is hitting a .321 average, and carrying a .422 on-base percentage. To date, he has 16 long balls. While his offensive stats are phenomenal, don’t forget to look at what he can do on defense. Judge has a .978 fielding percentage. He looks good in the field. He looks good at the plate. Aaron Judge is so good, the Yankees have a whole section dedicated to him (a la Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez and the “The Kings Court”).
The National League is severely lacking in this category. The likes of Dansby Swanson, Josh Bell, and others have dropped off the radar significantly. But, not all hope is lost for the NL. Kyle Freeland (LHP-COL) is sitting pretty decent. So far this season, Freeland has a 3.43 ERA and carries a 1.370 WHIP. In his 57.2 innings pitched, Freeland has only given up five home runs. His 5.6 SO/9 isn’t terrible either. While the pickings seem slim, this pitcher stands out. The numbers may not be amazing thus far, but by the end of the year, he could be in another tier.