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NL Rookie of the Year: The Top 5 Contenders

By Bobby Mueller

Aug 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (5) hits an RBI single during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager (5) hits an RBI single during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the NL Rookie of the Year Award is a slam-dunk for a certain shortstop, but the battle for second place is still wide open.

The Rookie of the Year Award doesn’t seem to come with the same argument as the MPV Award. Namely, voters don’t regularly ding a rookie on a non-playoff team like they do when voting for the MVP Award. In the National League, three of the last five Rookie of the Year winners were on non-playoff teams. This includes Jose Fernandez in 2013, who was on a last place Miami Marlins team that went 62-100.

The Doggers franchise has collected the most Rookie of the Year Awards, going back to when Jackie Robinson won the inaugural award in 1947. There was only one award for all of baseball the first two years. The BBWAA didn’t start awarding Rookie of the Year Awards to both leagues until 1949. In the early days, the award was named after J. Louis Comiskey, who was the owner of the Chicago White Sox in the 1930s. The award was renamed the Jackie Robinson Award in 1987, 40 years after Robinson broke the color line in modern baseball.

Four of the first seven Rookie of the Year Awards were won by players from the Brooklyn Dodgers. After moving to Los Angeles, the Dodgers continued to pick up Rookie of the Year Awards at a healthy pace, with three trophies coming their way in the 1960s. From 1979 to 1982, the Dodgers had a monopoly on Rookie of the Year Awards when they won four straight. Rick Sutcliffe won it in 1979, Steve Howe took it in 1980, the Amazing Fernando Valenzuela won the Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in 1981, and Steve Sax took the trophy for best NL rookie in 1982.

Winning four straight Rookie of the Year Awards wasn’t the best stretch the Dodgers have had. From 1992 to 1996, they won five straight: Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo, and Todd Hollandsworth. Overall, Dodgers players have won 16 Rookie of the Year Awards. The Braves and Reds are tied for second, with seven wins each. Five teams have just one Rookie of the Year Award winner (Nationals, Astros, Brewers, Pirates, and Rockies).

As for this year’s award, well, it’s no secret that this year’s winner is likely to be wearing Dodger Blue when the award is announced after this season. Other than he who shall not be named (yet), these are the top contenders to finish in second place in the voting, starting with a group of players I have just outside of my top five.

Next: Good Rookies Outside My Top Five

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