Jose Abreu named unanimous AL Rookie of the Year
By Jake Misener
The BBWAA unanimously named Cuban slugger Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox the 2014 American League Rookie of the Year following a dominant campaign in which his name regularly came up in MVP conversations, as well.
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The 27-year-old Abreu was also named the Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year, the Players Choice AL Outstanding Rookie and earned an American League Silver Slugger Award, thanks to his team-leading 36 home runs, 107 RBI, .581 slugging percentage and .35 doubles. Proving he is not just a power threat, Abreu hit .317 while posting a .383 on-base percentage across 145 games.
"“I want to congratulate Jose on this prestigious award and his spectacular rookie season,” said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president and general manager. “From the day Jose joined the White Sox, we were optimistic that he would develop into an integral part of our success and a centerpiece in our lineup for years to come. The speed in which he was able to deliver on his promise is truly remarkable, as his performance this season left no doubt he is among the premiere hitters in all of baseball. I join all White Sox fans in being extremely excited to see what the future holds for Jose as he continues to improve and develop as one of the cornerstones of our team.”"
His aforementioned .581 slugging percentage led the major leagues and he proved to be amongst the AL’s top talent in most offensive categories, finishing second in OPS and total bases, third in home runs, fourth in RBI and five in on-base percentage and batting average.
The other two finalists, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim right-hander Matt Shoemaker (40 points) and New York Yankees reliever Dellin Betances (27 points) didn’t even come close to catching Abreu, who became just the ninth player since the award’s creation to win the honor unanimously.