Call to the pen
Fansided

Rookie of the Year: Who takes home the NL award?

By Michael Francis

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 03: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after scoring on Ozzie Albies #1 RBI double in the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 2-1. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 03: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates after scoring on Ozzie Albies #1 RBI double in the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 3, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 2-1. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Marlins Outfielder
Marlins Outfielder /

Brian Anderson

Brian Anderson has had an incredible year to this point in the season. The young Marlins outfielder has produced much more at the plate than was expected of him.

Anderson was considered a good prospect, but one that would become an average player in the big leagues eventually, not an above average one immediately. Currently, he leads all National League rookies in fWAR with 2.6 and trails only J.T. Realmuto for the Marlins team lead. He is tied for third among NL rookies in hitting with a 119 wRC+, but what sets Anderson apart is that he does pretty much everything well on the baseball diamond.

He has been a well above average hitter this year, he is an above average defender in the outfield and he is roughly an average base runner. He’s not a burner by any means, but Anderson has enough speed to succeed in the outfield and to handle himself on the bases. In a season full of disappointment, Anderson has been a pleasant surprise.

His excellent production has been somewhat surprising but is in no way a fluke. Anderson currently carries a robust .344 wOBA but his expected wOBA is even higher at .372 which puts him in the top 50 or so hitters in all of baseball. He also sports a very reasonable .337 Babip which means even if he has had some batted ball luck it hasn’t been much.

Overall, Anderson is an exciting young player that has surpassed all expectations, and has out himself in the discussion for the Rookie of the Year award. Heshould be a core member of the Marlins for years to come.

Home/MLB Awards