For the first time since 2017, experts unanimously agreed Monday night to name baseball’s great rookies of the year.
On the American League side, Gunnar Henderson became the first Orioles player to win the title since pitcher Gregg Olson in 1989. The third baseman and shortstop specialist also ended the winning streak of outfielders being selected four straight times in recent years.
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With 34 games in 2022, the 22-year-old was able to take part in a full season for the first time. He finished it in excellent fashion, winning a Silver Bat for his efforts at the plate. He scored 82 runs and had a batting average of .255. He added 28 long balls to his haul and scored 100 points, two Orioles highs.
With Henderson, Anthony Santander and Adleyrutschman in particular, Baltimore (101-61) pulled off an upset by finishing the regular season atop the highly competitive Eastern Section thanks to its best record since 1979. However, they eliminated the eventual World Series winners, the Texas Rangers, in the semifinals of the American Championship.
The Alabama native is the first unanimously voted rookie player in the organization since Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners in 2020. The other finalists were Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee and Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas.
A first for the “D-Backs”
Corbin Carroll may not have gotten his hands on the title in his first World Series appearance, but the Arizona Diamondbacks player can at least take solace in being voted the Nationals’ top rookie.
This is the first time in their 26 years of existence that a D-Backs player has received this award. According to his teammates, the 23-year-old outfielder stood out for his great maturity at bat, but also in the locker room.
Carroll led the Nationals with 10 triples and played in the All-Star Game. He maintained an excellent .285 batting average and scored 76 runs. No Diamondbacks player performed better than his 161 hits and 116 runs scored.
This unanimous vote is a first since Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers) in 2017. This year, Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) also gained the favor of all experts.
Competing with Carroll were Dodgers outfielder James Outman and New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga.