Red Sox: Ranking the early favorites for AL Rookie of the Year
A look at the early favorites for Rookie of the Year in the American League for the 2017 MLB season. Will the Boston Red Sox have a contender?
The Boston Red Sox didn’t have a strong candidate in the Rookie of the Year race last season, but this year should be a different story.
The 2016 season provided a fair amount of fireworks from players with rookie status in service time. AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer finished with an 11-7 record over 26 starts and an ERA of just over three (3.06). Fulmer also finished tenth in the Cy Young voting as a rookie.
Finishing second to Fulmer, New York Yankees backstop Gary Sanchez mashed in the small sample size he gave the American League. Although the 53 games Sanchez played eliminated him from being a rookie for the 2017 season, Sanchez was still able to amass 20 home runs, 42 runs batted in and an OPS of 1.032.
Had Sanchez been able to keep his rookie eligibility, he would have been a clear-cut favorite for rookie of the year to many voters in the American League and fans alike.
Given that Fulmer and Sanchez are no longer in their rookie seasons, I took a look at five early rookies who could receive votes following the conclusion of the 2017 season.
5. Yulieski Gurriel, 1B, Houston Astros
Hardly a rookie at the rising age of 32, Yulieski Gurriel will turn 33 in June. For all intents and purposes though, Gurriel still holds rookie status and is thus eligible for the award, and a solid candidate at that given his vast experience in professional leagues prior coming to the United States.
Across 15 international seasons, Gurriel had a .997 OPS with 250 home runs, 1,018 RBIs and over 1,500 hits.
After being one of the more premier players that had not defected from Cuba to the United States over the years, Gurriel played in 36 games with Houston at the end of the 2016 season. Hitting .262 to go along with three home runs and 15 runs batted in, Gurriel will man first base for the Astros, according to Rotowire MLB.
Yulieski Gurriel: Will play first base in 2017 - https://t.co/kJW13Laumf
— RotoWire⚾ (@RotoWireMLB) February 14, 2017
Gurriel enters a lineup that now has an infield capable of playing itself to be best in the AL West. His experience and reputation professionally before coming to the United States, along with his age in his rookie season, gives him an outside chance at being AL Rookie of the Year.
4. Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees
Much hoopla was raised in New York in the immediate aftermath of Aaron Judge’s major league debut last summer, and for acknowledgeable reasons. In his first major league at-bat, the 6-foot-7 behemoth sent a towering 446-foot home run just to the right of center at Yankee Stadium. Even better was that the home run went back to back following the first career home run of Yankee outfielder Tyler Austin as well.
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Though following that immediate rush of impact, Judge struggled the remaining of his opportunity in the Bronx, finishing with a .179 average. Even more glaring was that in 95 plate appearances, Judge struck out 42 of those trips.
Going forward, the prospects of Judge’s ability to play a solid right field in New York and improve on his hitting are good, though Judge must legitimately prove in spring training that he’ll be able to handle the job, as he does have internal competition and the spot is up for grabs.
This is not to say that the Yankees ownership does not have full confidence in their young prospect though, as according to Dan Martin of the New York Post, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has repeatedly stated that his expectation is that Judge will be the everyday right fielder for the 2017 season.
If Judge can translate the power and modest batting average to the majors that saw him hit 56 home runs and average .278 in three minor league seasons, Judge is a real sleeper possibility to steal AL Rookie of the Year.
3. Lucas Giolito, RHP, Chicago White Sox
Transitioning from the Nationals organization to the American League side of Chicago, young right-hander Lucas Giolito will have every chance to make the White Sox starting rotation out of spring training. The centerpiece of the haul brought in by the White Sox in trading OF Adam Eaton, Giolito is ranked the 25th overall prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America’s 2017 rankings.
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Though Giolito’s prospect stature is cemented and his stuff is still raved about widely, his sample size during the 2016 season was not pretty. In four of the six games Giolito started, he gave up four runs and his longest outing in a major league game was only five innings, August 28th against the Rockies. Because of those two stats, Giolito’s ERA ended at 6.75 and a record of 0-1.
Using a three pitch mix of fastball, curve and change-up, Giolito has the makings of being able to form a formidable trio of young pitching of Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and Giolito in the White Sox rotation. Whether that be at the beginning of the season or if Giolito has to polish himself at AAA for a month or two, the young righty still has a significant chance at making noise amongst rookies in the central division and the American League.
2. Yoan Moncada, IF, Chicago White Sox
The latter of two White Sox rooks to make this list, warranted scrutinization found both Yoan Moncada and the Red Sox following his September debut. To both their credit, though, Moncada appeared ready to contribute at the major league level and the Red Sox were certainly excited to have him be a spark plug at the third base position with the drop off of now-departed Travis Shaw
Instead, as is well known, Moncada looked overwhelmed, at one point striking out notably eight consecutive times. Finishing with a .211 batting average in eight games, Moncada was left off the postseason roster at which he was supposed to be a difference maker on, circa 2013 Xander Bogaerts-esque.
But, in the aftermath of the Chris Sale blockbuster, it’s in my opinion that the change of scenery will do Moncada well. He can develop in AAA for a few months, season himself with some more bus rides and obscure minor league promotional nights, while fine-tuning the tools that saw him rake in a $31 million signing bonus.
Expect Moncada to be called up around late May or in June sometime, where he could very well be a big second half positive to a White Sox team looking to trade assets for prospects, aiming for the future.
1. Andrew Benintendi, OF, Boston Red Sox
Arguably considered the crown jewel of the Chris Sale deal simply because he wasn’t included in it, Andrew Benintendi is the runaway favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year for 2017.
Only a rookie because of the knee sprain that caused him to miss a few weeks, Benintendi will be taking over the starting position in left field full time this summer. The 22-year-old also put on about twenty pounds in the offseason, to be able to withstand the rigors of an 162-game season.
Benintendi will also be sporting a new number, transitioning from the #40 assigned to him upon callup to #16, which, according to a tweet by the Cincinnati, Ohio native he wore in little league, at the University of Arkansas and now in a Red Sox uniform.
From little league, to @RazorbackBSB, and now the @RedSox, excited to be wearing my favorite number again! #RedSoxNation pic.twitter.com/kKhm0pfJ30
— Andrew Benintendi (@asben16) January 17, 2017
Last season, Benintendi remarkably handled the transition from AA to the Red Sox quite well, hitting .295 with two home runs and 14 batted in. Benintendi also hit a solo home run in the ALDS against Cleveland, a bright moment in what was undoubtedly a dreary end to the season for the Red Sox. That home run by Benintendi made him the youngest player to do so, at the age of 22 years and 95 days.
Looking forward, expect Benintendi to do damage at the top of lineup this year, predictably following leadoff Dustin Pedroia, using his gap-to-gap power to set up more scoring chances for Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez in the middle of the order.
Despite all the hype, Benintendi is solely focused on getting better and helping his team win, as he recently told CBS Boston upon arrival in Ft. Myers for spring training.
Next: Sale has matured from his mistakes
Sophomore regression is not uncommon amongst young players with the quality of video and scouting these days in professional baseball. I still anticipate Benintendi having an above average season, something like a .309 clip, 15-20 home runs and 70 RBIs — certainly enough to win American League Rookie of the Year.