MLB names Rookies of the Year
The 2020 season will go down as one of the oddest in Major League Baseball history. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league was forced to delay the start of the season, shorten the length of the campaign and expand the playoff format to ensure every team had a fair shot of reaching the postseason. The Toronto Blue Jays weren’t even allowed to play games in Toronto.
Despite all the challenges and difficulties brought on by 2020, MLB was able to conclude its campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the Tampa Bay Rays to claim the World Series. On Monday, both the American League and National League handed out another significant award – the Rookie of the Year.
Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners became just the 12th player in history to receive all 30 first-place votes as the center fielder was the unanimous choice for the Rookie of the Year in the American League. Lewis held a batting average of .262 with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs over just 58 games. He becomes the first player Mariner since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 to win the award. “It’s just a great first step for me and being in that category, it’s just really special,” Lewis said, via TSN.
While the youngster was obviously excited about taking home the silverware, he has his eye on a bigger prize. “I think we got a great chance to build a really strong core of guys, and those are two guys that are super talented. Top of the scale when you’re talking about talent,” Lewis said. “I think we really do have a great chance to turn into one of those rebuilding teams that ends up having a great group of guys move up together and progress together.”
The Mariners haven’t reached the playoffs since 2001 and are desperate to end the drought sooner than later.
In the National League, Williams made history by becoming the first ever pitcher to win the award without recording a save or even making a start. The reliever was impressive for the Brewers though, holding a 0.33 ERA picking up a 4-1 record.
“I don’t really think that saves are the end-all be-all,” Williams said on a conference call, via TSN. “If I come up in the seventh inning and I go through one through five, I think that that can be pretty valuable as well.”
Williams was a second-round pick back in 2013 by the Brewers and proved this season that patience is pivotal when developing young players. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, he missed the playoffs due to shoulder issues, but will be ready to go when the 2021 campaign kicks off. The Brewers eventually lost the Dodgers in the opening round of the playoffs.
“I’m doing a little bit of rehab still, but it’s feeling good,” Williams said.
It remains to be seen when the 2021 season will begin, but both players and owners are hoping they can go back to playing a full 162-game schedule when it does.
