MLB Awards Watch 2015: Top 5 NL ROY end-of-season rankings

Sep 7, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson (31) before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

I’m not sure which storyline is more intriguing: the National League Rookie of the Year race itself, or how spectacularly Joc Pederson fell out of it. For virtually the entire first half, the award seemed like it would be a two-man show between Pederson and Kris Bryant. With 20 home runs at the break, Pederson looked like an early favorite to receive the honor at season’s end.

By now, everyone knows how much the 23-year-old slugger struggled after the All-Star break. He added only six more homers to his account in the second half while batting a paltry .178. Even the most seasoned veteran can strain under the weight of high expectations, so perhaps we shouldn’t be too hard on Pederson. At his young age, the book is far from shut on him and the Dodgers will hope for a resilient bounce-back year in 2016.

The race didn’t become boring as Pederson faded, however. Many other rising stars filled the void, making this an exciting battle to watch unfold. Like its counterpart, the Senior Circuit can claim a highly promising new generation of players. Here is one final ranking of the Top 5 candidates in the NL ROY chase as part of our MLB awards watch.

Honorable mentions: Randal Grichuk (STL), Addison Russell (CHC), Chris Heston (SFG)

Next: Rookie #5

5. Odubel Herrera

Sep 29, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera (37) hits a single during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It was a rough year in Philadelphia, but that’s hardly anything new. The Phillies saw the departures of both players and front office personnel, some welcome (former GM Ruben Amaro Jr.) and others more bittersweet (Cole Hamels and Chase Utley). Every effort at Citizens Bank Park right now is aimed at rebuilding for the future, and outfielder Odubel Herrera made a very strong bid for a central role in those plans.

The Phils nabbed Herrera from the Rangers in last year’s Rule 5 Draft. After his first 70 games with Philadelphia, you could see why Texas might be willing to let him go. As June drew to a close, he sported a meager .251/.282/.359 slash line with just two homers and 18 RBI.

The rest of the season was a decidedly different story. From July 1 onward, Herrera hit at an astounding .335/.393/.467 rate. He is certainly not the most prolific power hitter or run producer, ending the year with eight home runs and 41 RBI. But there are plenty of other things to like about the 23-year-old’s game.

Herrera swiped 18 bags in 24 attempts, and the Phillies hope he can use his speed to develop into more of a stolen base threat down the line. He is also playing solid defense, covering a lot of ground in center field. That came in handy during Cole Hamels’ no-hitter on July 25 at Wrigley Field. Herrera’s rookie year was not without some blemishes (i.e. briefly landing in manager Pete Mackanin’s doghouse) but he’s been a definite bright spot on a team seeking reasons for optimism.

Next: Rookie #4

4. Noah Syndergaard

Oct 3, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

New York Mets pitchers know a thing or two about winning the Rookie of the Year award. Tom Seaver (1967), Jon Matlack (1972), Dwight Gooden (1984) and Jacob deGrom (2014) have all received the honor while pitching for the Metropolitans. Syndergaard most likely won’t become the fifth, but he has certainly had a season of which to be proud.

The towering 23-year-old righty posted a 3.24 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP over 150 regular season innings. He also did a tremendous job of limiting walks (1.9 BB/9) and striking out hitters at a rapid clip (10 K/9), resulting in an impressive 5.35 K/BB ratio.

The Mets owe much of their NL East title to their staggering young pitching staff, and Syndergaard has proven himself up to the task of reaching the lofty standards set by Matt Harvey and deGrom before him. Their postseason fate will largely depend on the continued success of their young arms, and Syndergaard will be ready to take the ball in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers.

Next: Rookie #3

3. Jung Ho Kang

Sep 11, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang (27) celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sevenh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Jung Ho Kang‘s season was unfortunately cut short on September 17 due to a knee injury, but he accomplished enough in 126 games to make him worthy of the third spot in our NL ROY end-of-year rankings.

Kang was a true wild card for the Pirates entering the 2015 campaign after Pittsburgh won the right to sign him from the KBO League in South Korea. The infielder’s resume was extensive, but how would his skills translate to Major League Baseball? Quite well, apparently.

Kang finished the year with a .287/.355/.461 line, 15 home runs and 58 RBI. His 4.0 WAR is good for third among NL rookies. Some positional versatility on the left side of the infield was an added bonus of which the Pirates made use: Kang made 77 appearances at third base and 60 at shortstop.

The Bucs will now keep their fingers crossed that Kang’s offseason rehab goes smoothly and he is ready to join the team for the start of Spring Training.

Next: Rookie #2

2. Matt Duffy

Sep 30, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Duffy (5) rounds third base on his way to score against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at AT&T Park. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants penciled in journeyman Casey McGehee as their Opening Day third baseman, but that arrangement wouldn’t last very long. Rookie Matt Duffy soon grabbed the reins and made the post-Pablo Sandoval era in San Fran look much brighter than initially expected.

Duffy was a very pleasant surprise in his first full big league season, posting a .295/.334/.428 batting line along with 12 home runs and 77 RBI. Though he slipped a bit down the stretch, batting .269 over his final 31 games, he hit over .300 each month from May through August.

The 24-year-old’s 4.9 WAR is second among all rookies (behind only the top-ranked player on this list) and sixth among all third basemen. He played stout defense for the Giants as well, boasting a 9.9 UZR at the hot corner.

Next: Rookie #1