The 2013 National League Rookie of the Year award race became one of the most exciting races in recent history.
Not only were the top two candidates the youngest players in the league, but they were also both Cuban.
Yasiel Puig and Jose Fernandez (of the Dodgers and Marlins, respectively) captivated the baseball world with their skills.
Puig made his debut June 3 and threw out a runner from right field at first base to end the game. Between the great throws, clutch hitting and unforgettable bat flips; Puig became ESPN’s favorite new athlete.
Jose Fernandez, all 21years of him became an absolutely dominating pitcher, leading the league in hits per nine innings (5.8) and finished with a 2.16 ERA.
Fernandez ended up winning Rookie of the Year with arguably the greatest rookie season ever.
However, the 2014 season was very weak on the National League front. Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton was the early favorite to take home the honors.
Hamilton drew national attention in 2012 while in the minor leagues when he racked up a jaw dropping 155 stolen bases between AA and AAA.
While groomed as a shortstop, scouts and front office personnel pointed to his weak defense as a defect once he came to the major leagues, eventually leading him to his current position in center field.
After a season in which he helped the Reds to a spot in the Wild Card Game, it was assumed that he could be the leadoff man for a potentially strong Cincinnati lineup. Well, that didn’t happen, as the Reds floundered under first year manager Bryan Price.
Regardless, New York Mets starter Jacob DeGrom emerged onto the scene and ended up pitching well enough to give Mets fans a hope for the future.
DeGrom posted a 9-6 record with a 2.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 140 innings.
DeGrom will add to the Mets’ rebuilding plans once aligned with a healthy Matt Harvey, an up and coming Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard to possibly give the Mets one of the best pitching rotations in all of major league baseball for years to come.
Hamilton was the favorite to take home the award before DeGrom came onto the scene and became one of the most exciting pitchers to watch until he was shut down for the season.
While both of these candidates have posted less than eye-popping statistics for their rookie years, the voting will still only end in favor of one.
Hamilton is currently tied for second in the majors with steals at 56.. Also, Hamilton currently has six home runs and 48 RBIs, which is low but an exemption because of his usual spot as a leadoff hitter.
In addition, he is hitting .250 and with an abysmal .292 on base percentage (OBP). An OBP of less than .300 is nearly unacceptable for a major league player, but even more so for a leadoff hitter, whose primary job is to get on base.
Though Hamilton has eight triples, he has also been caught stealing 23 times or 29 percent of the time, a number he will have to thoroughly cut down. Hamilton sadly won’t be the one taking home this piece of hardware.
Though DeGrom was called up later in the season and was only able to make 22 starts, he has proved himself as the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year. DeGrom had a pretty impressive rookie year and will also get help from nearly no opposition.
While it would have been interesting to see a full season of DeGrom and the potential that he could display, it’s understandable why the Mets shut him down due to the fact that fans do not want a repeat of what happened to Harvey last season. Harvey needed Tommy John Surgery after tearing his UCL in his elbow which ended his 2013 season and sidelined him for all of the 2014 campaign as well.
After the weekend is over and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) cast their votes, Jacob DeGrom should and will be taking the ROY honors home with him. Once Harvey comes back healthy next year and Syndergaard finally makes his major league debut, the Mets will be able to be able to make themselves relevant in the city that never sleeps.
Connor Anthony can be reached connor.anthony@spartans.ut.edu