MLB Awards: Top 5 AL ROY candidates through June

Jun 24, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) fields a ball hit by the Chicago White Sox in the 8th inning at Target Field. The Twins win 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Midseason call-ups of top prospects can quickly change the complexion of a Rookie of the Year race, and this year’s American League battle is no exception. A handful of highly-touted youngsters made their debut on the Junior Circuit this month, injecting some life into the ROY picture and closing some of the perceived talent gap with the National League’s rookie class that had appeared to be solidifying across the season’s first few months.

One of those prospects, a name you can probably guess, has taken this year’s rookie class by storm. It seems only a matter of time before we can confidently say that the award is his to lose. Others haven’t been quite so fortunate, however. 21-year-old slugger Joey Gallo flexed his much buzzed-about power muscles this month for the Texas Rangers, belting five homers with an average distance of 440 feet. He also struck out 43 times in 98 plate appearances, a weakness he will have to work on after being sent back down to the minors yesterday to make way for a reactivated Josh Hamilton.

Byron Buxton, a former Twins top draft choice, struggled mightily in eleven games with Minnesota after being promoted on June 14. He was hitting only .189 before being placed on the disabled list with a thumb injury on the 26th. We may very well see him and Gallo again this season, but they did not exactly make the immediate impact some thought they would.

For now, here are the current top five names to watch for as the AL ROY race heads into its midpoint.

Honorable mentions: Joey Butler (TB), Delino DeShields, Jr. (TEX), Devon Travis (TOR)

Next: Rookie #5