Ohtani, Acuna ride historic years to ROY awards
Despite injuries that limited his time on the mound, two-way star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels was named American League Rookie of the Year, receiving 25 of 30 firstplace votes. Atlanta Braves phenom Ronald Acuña Jr., 20, was named the National League Rookie of the Year, receiving 27 of 30 first-place votes in voting conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America at the end of the regular season.
Ohtani, a 24-year-old Japanese import, made his impact felt immediately, hitting three homers in the first four games of the season. He finished the year with a .285 average, .925 OPS, 22 home runs and 61 RBI in 326 atbats across 104 games. Ohtani also made 10 starts, posting a 3.31 ERA.
Ohtani became the first player since Babe Ruth in 1919 to pitch 50 innings and hit 15 homers in a single season. He made nine starts through June 6 with a 3.10 ERA but was placed on the disabled list with a UCL sprain and wouldn’t pitch again until Sept. 2.
Ohtani lasted 21⁄3 innings in his return, and the next day it was recommended that he have Tommy John elbow surgery. He continued hitting but had the procedure at the end of the season, which will prevent him from pitching until 2020.
Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar finished runner-up for the award, receiving five first-place votes. The 23-yearold hit .297 with 27 home runs and 92 RBI, breaking Joe DiMaggio’s club rookie record with 47 doubles.
Andujar’s teammate, infielder Gleyber Torres, placed third, hitting 24 homers with 71 RBI in 431 at-bats. He made the AllStar team at 21.
Acuña became the first Brave to win the honor since pitcher Craig Kimbrel in 2011. Washington National Juan Soto, a 19year-old fellow outfielder, tallied two first-place votes and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler received one.
Acuña led all rookies with 26 homers and hit .293 with a .917 on-base plus slugging percentage. He hit .322 with a 1.028 OPS and 46 RBI from the leadoff spot and slugged eight leadoff home runs, including three consecutive, to set a franchise record.
Acuña’s second-half OPS (1.028) was third among players with at least 100 at-bats and is bested only by NL MVP candidate and Milwaukee Brewer Christian Yelich (1.219) and Los Angeles Dodger Justin Turner (1.066).
Defensively, Acuña tied for 13th among outfielders in the NL in defensive runs saved (4). By comparison, Soto tied for 21st (-5), according to Fangraphs.
Acuña was the first rookie to lead a Braves team in home runs since 1943, when OF Chuck Workman hit 10 of the Boston Braves’ 39 home runs. He also became the 10th player in history to have 25 home runs and 15 steals in his rookie season and the first since Mike Trout in 2012.
Soto, who was 19 this past season, led all NL rookies in onbase percentage (.406), OPS (.923) and walk rate (16 percent), and his 22 home runs tied Bryce Harper for the second-most ever by a teenager in the majors.
Buehler, 24, might have been the Dodgers most consistent pitcher this season. He was 8-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 151 strikeouts over 23 starts. More MLB awards coverage in next week’s issue.