The race for FanSided’s American League Rookie of the Year was so close and included such a vast array of nominations, that it showcased just how impressive the young talent is in the Junior Circuit. Several expected names rose to the top, with Royals slugger Eric Hosmer beating out Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson for the title of AL Rookie of the Year.
2011 was the season of the debut for the Kansas City Royals. While several young prospects made their way onto KC’s Major League roster, no arrival was met with as much anticipation as Hosmer’s.
It didn’t take long for the 21-year-old to show he belonged. Hosmer took two games to collect his first hit and, after first week of MLB action, the rookie had put up a line of .333/.444/.714 with two doubles and home runs and five RBI’s and walks.
Over his 128 games with the Royals, Hosmer hit at a clip of .293/.334/.465 with 27 doubles, 19 home runs and 78 RBI’s.
These impressive marks gave Hosmer the slight edge over Rays rookie right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. The 24-year-old won 13 games in 2011, logging 189 innings while maintaining an ERA and WHIP of .295 and 1.15.
Mark Trumbo led all Major League rookies in doubles (31), home runs (29) and RBI’s (87), good enough to finish third in voting.
Here’s a complete list of AL rookies receiving votes and their totals.
The way the voting is tallied is as follows: first place votes – 5 points, second place votes – 3 points, third place votes – 1 point.
1. Eric Hosmer – Kansas City Royals (67)
2. Jeremy Hellickson – Tampa Bay Rays (60)
3. Mark Trumbo – LA Angels (41)
4. Ivan Nova – New York Yankees (40)
5. Michael Pineda – Seattle Mariners (28)
6. Dustin Ackley– Seattle Mariners (17)
7. Jemile Weeks – Oakland A’s (10)
8. Jordan Walden – LA Angels (10)
9. Brett Lawrie – Toronto Blue Jays (6)
10. Desmond Jennings – Tampa Bay Rays (5)
11. J.P. Arencibia – Toronto Blue Jays (4)
12. Al Alburquerque – Detroit Tigers (3)
13. Alexi Ogando – Texas Rangers (3)
14. Greg Holland – Kansas City Royals (1)
15. Vinnie Pestano – Cleveland Indians (1)
16. Ben Revere – Minnesota Twins (1)
Other end of the year voting: