2011 BBWAA AL Rookie of the Year: Jeremy Hellickson

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected Jeremy Hellickson as the 2011 American League Rookie of the Year.  Unlike the NL’s tally, the Junior Circuit ended in a closer finish with Hellickson, Mark Trumbo and Eric Hosmer lining up 1-2-3.

Hellickson was phenomenal for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011.  A member of the Rays vaunted rotation, Hellickson held an ERA of 2.95 over his 29 starts and 189 innings pitched this season.  Though his walk rate increased in 2011 (3.4 BB/9), Hellickson was able to maintain a WHIP of 1.153 thanks to holding opponents to a .210 batting average.

Trumbo and Hosmer, a pair of slugging first basemen, finished second and third behind Hellickson.  In Kendrys Morales’s absence, Trumbo stepped up in a big way for the Angels.  In 2011, Trumbo posted a batting line of .254/.291/.477 for LA.  Over his 149 games played, Trumbo hit 31 doubles and 29 home runs, finishing the season with 87 runs batted in.

Hosmer, who made his much-anticipated debut for the Royals this season, took the American League by storm.  In only 128 games, the 22-year-old put up an OPS of .799 with 49 extra base hits and 78 RBI’s.

Other AL rookies receiving votes were New York’s Ivan Nova, Seattle’s Michael Pineda and Dustin Ackley, Tampa Bay’s Desmond Jennings and LA’s Jordan Walden.

Hosmer took home FanSided’s 2011 AL Rookie of the Year Award, narrowly edging out Hellickson and Trumbo to claim the title.