Kyle Lewis is AL Rookie of the Year, the fourth Mariners player to win

As the 2020 Major League Baseball season reached its final days, and the competition grew one-sided in favor of Kyle Lewis, it became clear the Mariners’ young center fielder should win the 2020 Jackie Robinson American League Rookie of the Year award.

The only possible drama between the end of the season and the award announcement seemed to be the margin of his victory voting totals over the other two finalists — outfielder Luis Robert of the White Sox and Astros pitcher Cristian Javier.

The outcome was decisive.

In a televised ceremony on MLB Network, Lewis was officially announced as the American League rookie of the year Monday over his fellow finalists. He was a unanimous selection, earning all 30 firstplace votes — two members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America from each American League city.

Watching the show with a large group of family and friends from his parents’ home in Georgia, Lewis burst into a wide smile when Cal Ripken Jr. called out his name as the winner while cheers erupted around him.

“It just means a lot,” Lewis said via video conference. “I think, you know, see my family and, you know, I guess the road, you know, of highs and lows in the minor leagues, highs and lows of major leagues male success, struggling injury all that so you know you get these milestone moments I think it is because of the overwhelming rush of emotion sometimes in my family was around and seeing them so proud and you know so nervous, no watchingtheTV.Youknow,so,alotofthat,those things just kind of popped up,