In recent years, Topps has reserved six cards within Series 1 for the AL and NL award winners that are being announced this week (the 2013 set added two more cards to the subset, honoring the AL and NL Defensive Players of the Year). Once again, however, this year's preliminary checklist doesn't specify what numbers are being held for the them. But yesterday, we learned who was named the Rookies of the Year in both the National and American Leagues.
Congratulations to both Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins and Wil Myers of the Tampa Bay Rays for winning the National League and American League Rookies of the Year Awards. This year, MLB decided to announce the three finalists for each of the awards. While there certainly more players in the running, announcing the top three made for interesting debate.
Becoming the first rookie to win the award while playing fewer than 100 games during the season, Myers, who was acquired in the James Shields trade with KC, was everything the Rays had hoped for when he made his debut on June 18. Even with the late start, he led AL rookies in rbi's (53) while hitting for a .293 average and 13 home runs. Taking 23 of a possible 30 first place votes (131 total points), Myers beat out Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias (80 points, 5 first place votes), teammate Chris Archer (35, 1), and Dan Straily of the Athletics (15, 1), J. B. Shuck of the Angels (4), Cody Allen of the Indians (2), Martin Perez of the Rangers (2), and David Lough of the Royals (1).
As much as many would have (including ESPN) would have loved to see Yasiel Puig with the NL award (even on my ESPN alert, the headline did NOT lead with Fernandez winning the award, but Puig taking second), Fernandez was one of the few bright spots on a horrible Marlins team. Taking 26 of the 30 1st place votes (142 total points), Fernandez earned more points than runners-up Puig (95 votes, 4 first place votes), Shelby Miller of the Cardinals (12), Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Dodgers (10), Julio Teheran of the Braves (7), Jedd Gyorko of the Padres (2), Nolan Arenado of the Rockies (1), and Evan Gattis of the Braves (1).
So begins a wild week were debates will come fast and furious. Did your guy win???
Sincerely,
JayBee Anama
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