Welcome to the third edition of Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday, a weekly (I hope) presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye. (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances or statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that caught my eye.
This edition looks at an errant pitch and broken arm that may have proved to be a “lucky break” for the Phillies’ Scott Rolen – plus a couple of bonus Tidbits related to unanimous Rookies of the Year (the connection to Rolen will become clear) and, for those who want to read further, a look at MLB past unanimous Rookies of the year.
Note: For Trivia(l) Tidbit One (brotherly 20-game winners), click here; for the second in the series (a tale of two Bob Millers), click here.
Scott Rolen’s Lucky Break
On September 7, 1996, Phillies rookie Scott Rolen (who had made his MLB debut on August 1) started at 3B for the Phillies, batting fifth. On the mound for the Cubs was right-hander Steve Trachsel. In the bottom of the third inning, Rolen was hit by an 0-1 pitch from Trachsel – breaking the Philadelphia third baseman’s right forearm. (Rolen would leave the game in the top of the fourth and not take the field again in 1996.)
It was, in some ways, a lucky break. At the time of the plunking, Rolen was in his 37th MLB game and making his 146th MLB plate appearance. More important, he had 130 at bats on the season – he was hitting .254-4-18 at the time – and hit-by-pitch does not count as an at bat.
By coincidence, 130 at bats is the exact maximum number of at bats you can have going into a season and still retain rookie status. Rolen entered the 1997 season, rookie status intact and went a more award-worthy .283-21-92, with 16 steals – and was unanimously selected as the National League Rookie of the Year. It was, by the way, the only time Rolen was hit by a pitch in 1996, and one of eight HBP recorded by Trachsel in 205 innings that season. Rolen went on to a 17-season MLB career (1996-2012 … Phillies, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Reds. He hit .281-316-1,287 0ver his career, was a seven- time All Star and a eight-time Gold Glover.
A Couple More Tidbits … Rookies Who Couldn’t Catch a Break
How about being league MVP as rookie – and still not being a unanimous Rookie of the Year Selection? Well, it happened to Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki.
Photo: Boston Red Sox via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In 1975, the Red Sox’ Fred Lynn went .331-21-105, won a Gold Glove and led the American League in doubles (47) and runs scored (103). His efforts earned him MVP honors and 23 1/2 of 24 possible first-place votes for Rookie of the Year. That other one-half vote went to Lynn’s teammate and outfield partner Jim Rice, who went .309-22-102.
Photo: Jeffrey Hayes, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
In 2001, The Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki led that American Leaguer with a .350 average, 242 hits and 56 stolen bases. He also hit eight home runs, drove in 69 runners, scored 127 times and won a Gold Glove. That performance earned him league MVP honors and twenty-three of twenty-four possible first-place votes for Rookie of the Year. The remaining vote went to Indians’ rookie C.C. Sabathia, who 17-5, 4.39 in 33 starts.
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Here’s one more rookie-related Trivia(l) Tidbit. In 2019, Mets’ 1B Pete Alonso became the first player (since the Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1947) to break or tie the rookie home run record and not be a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection. The Reds’ Frank Robinson tied the record (set by Braves’ Wally Berger in 1930) with 38 home runs as a rookie in 1956; the A’s Mark McGwire set a new rookie record with 48 home runs in 1987; and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge set a new rookie record with 52 round rippers in 2017. All three were unanimous ROY selections. Alonso fell one vote short of unanimous, that tally going to Braves’ pitcher Michael Soroka, who went 13-4, 2.68 in 29 starts.
With those Tidbits out of the way, let’s take a look at MLB’s unanimous Rookies of the Year.
2023
This past season (2023) marked the fifth time that both the National and American League Rookies of the Year were unanimous choices.
Gunnar Henderson, SS/3B, Orioles
In the American League, it was Orioles’ versatile Gunnar Henderson, who started 68 games at 3B and 64 at SS. Henderson, signed out of high school in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft, made his MLB debut as a 21-year-old on August 31, 2022 – after going .297-19-76, with 22 steals, in 112 games at Double-A and Triple-A. He got in 34 games with the Orioles that season and hit .259-4-18. With just 116 at bats, he retained rookie eligibility for 2023.
Last season, he hit .255-28-82, with ten steals for the O’s.
A Strong Finish Will Put You in the Minds of the Voters
At the end of May in 2023, Gunnar Henderson was hitting just .201-5-14, with two steals in 50 games. The rest of they way (100 games), he went .276-23-68, with six stolen bases.
In 2023, Henderson ranked first among AL rookies in home runs (28), triples (9), RBI (82) and runs scored (100). He also rang up 13 Defensive Runs Saved between 3B and SS.
As this is posted, Henderson is having another solid season in 2024 – hitting .278-24-53, with 13 steals and an MLB-leading 66 runs scored.
Finishing second to Henderson in the 2023 ROY balloting was Guardians’ RHP Tanner Bibee. who went 10-4, 2.93 in 25 starts.
—-
Corbin Carroll, CF, Diamondbacks
Another youngster who debuted in 2022 (but retained his rookie status for 2023), Carroll was signed (out of high school) in the first round (16th overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft. In three minor-league seasons before his August 29, 2022 debut with the D-backs, he hit .310-28-87, with 70 steals (in 81 attempts) in 142 games. In 32 games for Arizona in 2022, he hit .260-4-14, with two steals., He turned on the afterburners in his 2023 ROY season – finishing at .285-25-76, with 54 steals and 116 runs scored. He also had 30 doubles and a league-leading ten triples.
Nice to be First
Corbin Carroll is the first major leaguer to record at least 20 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a rookie-eligible season.
As this is posted, Carroll is hitting .211-2-23, with 14 steals on the 2024 season. He is against leading the National League in triples with six.
Finishing second to Carroll in the 2023 NL ROY voting was Mets’ RHP Kodai Senga, who went 12-7, 2.98 in 29 starts.
2020
Kyle Lewis, CF, Mariners
Kyle Lewis was selected by the Mariners in the first round (11th overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft – out of Mercer University, where he hit .364-39-145 in 157 games over three seasons. He made his MLB debut on September 10, 2019 and got in 18 games for Seattle that season (.268-6-13). In his ROY season (2020), he hit .262-11-28 in 58 games (it was the Covid-shortened season). He led AL rookies in runs (37), walks (34), total bases (90) and home runs (11, tied). He was second among AL rookies in hits (54) and RBI (34).
Injuries (meniscus tear, concussion) limited Lewis’ appearances and performance in 2021-22. He appeared in just 54 games for the Mariners in those two seasons, hitting .215-8-16. He was traded to the Diamondbacks in November of 2022 and had an up-and-down season. He hit just .157-1-2 in 16 games for the D-backs, but .371-17-80 in 63 games at Triple- A. He was released to free agency in November 2023.
Finishing second to Lewis in the ROY voting was White Sox OF Luis Robert, Jr., who hit .233-11-31 in 56 games.
2019
Yordan Álvarez, DH. Astros
Yordan Álvarez – the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year – was the first-ever primarily Designated Hitter to capture that honor. (Of Álvarez’ 83 starts – in 87 games played – 74 were as a DH.)
Álvarez, who made his MLB debut June 9, 2019 (18 days before his 22nd birthday), hit .313, with 27 home runs and 78 RBI in just 87 games. This was after going .343-23-71 in 56 games for the Triple-A Round Rock Express.
The ROY Runner-up was John Means, a 27-year-old southpaw starter, who went 12-11, 3.62 for an Orioles team that finished 54 games under .500.
Now in his sixth season, as of this posting, Alvarez has a career stat line of .294-145-421 and is .288-16-41 on the season. He is a two-time All Star, has topped 30 homers in three seasons.
2017
Cody Bellinger, OF/1B, Dodgers
Cody Bellinger joined the Dodgers as a 21-year-old rookie in 2017 and immediately went to work. That season, Bellinger hit .267, with 39 home runs and 97 RBI in 132 games. His 39 home runs were a new National League rookie record (since broken) and helped earn him a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection. And, like many of our unanimous selections, Bellinger had plenty left in the tank. He was the NL MVP in 2019, when he hit .305-47-115, for the Dodgers and won a Gold Glove. Now in his eighth MLB season, Bellinger has a career stat line of .259-187-553 as of this writing – and is .272-9-34 on the season.
Finishing second in the 2017 NL ROY voting was the Cardinals’ Paul DeJong, who went .285-25-65 in 108 games.
—–
Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
In 2017, Aaron Judge became the first rookie ever to hit 50 or more home runs (52) – setting a rookie record (since broken). He also hit .284 with 114 RBI, a league-topping 128 runs scored and an AL-highest 127 walks. (He also led the league in whiffs with 208).
Judge made his MLB debut on August 13th, 2016. In his first at bat, he homered off Tampa Bay Rays’ pitcher Matt Andriese. Notably, Yankee 1B Tyler Austin – who hit one spot before Judge and was also getting his first MLB at bat – had also homered. Trivia(l) Tidbit: This made Judge and Austin the first MLB teammates to hit home runs in their first MLB at bat in the same game (much less in their first at bats back-to back.)
In is ninth season, Judge has a .283-285-642 stat line. The five-time All Star was the 2022 AL MVP, when he hit .311-62-131 – and led the AL in home runs, RBI, runs scored (133), walks (111), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686) and total bases (391). He is a six-time All-Star. He is having a stellar 2024 – .300-28 70 – as of this posting.
The runner up in the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year race was the Red Sox’ Andrew Benintendi, who went .271-20-90 (with 20 steals (in 151 games).
Not Unanimous, but Certainly Memorable
Jackie Robinson, the first-ever Rookie of the Year Award winner (and the award now bears his name), was not a unanimous selection. In fact, he barely edged out Giants’ right-handed pitcher Larry Jansen for the honor (15 votes to 13). Robinson hit .296-12-48, with 125 runs and league-topping 29 steals – in a season in which he faced the pressure of breaking MLB’s color line. Jansen went 21-5,3.16 in his rookie season (his .808 winning percentage leading the league), with 20 complete games in 30 starts.
2016
Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers
A first-round draft pick in the 2012 draft, Corey Seager made his MLB debut in 2015 and was the unanimous choice for NL Rookie of the Year in 2016. As an 18-year-old, Seager hit .309, with eight home runs in 46 Rookie-League (2012) games. And, Seager just kept getting better. When he got his first call up (September 2015), he was in the midst of a .293-18-76 season at Double-A/Triple-A. He acquitted himself well at the MLB-level, going .337-4-17 in 27 games for the Dodgers.
In his 2016 ROY campaign, Seager hit .308, with 26 home runs and 72 RBI, making the All-Star squad and finishing third in NL MVP balloting.
Trivia(l) Tidbit … Bash Brothers
Corey Seager and his brother Kyle Seager were the first siblings to hit 25 or more home runs in the same season. Corey was .308-26-72 in 2016, while Kyle was .278-30-99 for the Mariners.
Seager is now playing in tenth MLB season and has a .289-184-579 stat line, with four All-Star selections. Hi is .255-14-36 on the season as this is posted.
The runner up in the 2016 NL ROY voting was the Nationals’ Trea Turner, who went .342-13-40 in 73 games.
2015
Kris Bryant, 3B/OF, Cubs
As a 23-year-old rookie in 2015, Kris Bryant played in 151 games for the Cubs (he saw action in seven Cubs games in 2014), hitting .275, with 26 home runs – not only earning unanimous ROY honors, but also an All-Star selection. But there was more to come. The following season, Bryant earned NL Most Valuable Player recognition, with a .292-39-102 season.
Bryant picked up a lot of hardware/accolades before making his Cubs debut. He was a USA Today (High School) All American in 2010; a College All-American in 2012 and 2013; winner of the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award in 2013; and the USA Today and Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year in 2014. (In 2014, Bryant, then 22-years-old, hit .325, with 43 home runs and 110 RBI in 138 games at Double-A and Triple-A.)
Now in his tenth MLB season, Bryant has a.274-184-542 career stat line and is .186-2-10 on the season. He is a four-time All Star and has topped 100 runs scored in three seasons, 100 RBI once and 30 home runs twice.
The Giants’ Matt Duffy finished second in the 2015 NL ROY balloting, after a .295-12-77 season.
2014
Jose Abreu, 1B, White Sox
Jose Abreu signed with the White Sox in October 2013 after (defecting from Cuba that August). He had already established himself as a star in Cuba – where he had played ten seasons. As a 27-year-old rookie with the White Sox in 2014, Abreu hit .317, with 36 home runs and 107 RBI – earning an All Star selection and leading the league in slugging percentage.
MVP… MVP
Jose Abreu was the Most Valuable Player in the Cuban Serie Nacional in the 2010-11 season – after hitting .453, with 33 home runs and 93 RBI in 66 games.
Still active, Abreu’s eleven-season MLB stat line is .283-263-960 – and he is .124-2-7 on the 2024 season. He is a three-time All Star and, last season, led the AL with 123 RBI. Abreu has driven in 100 or more runs in six seasons and punched 30 or more home runs in five campaigns
Angels’ pitcher Matt Shoemaker was the runner up to Abreu in the 2014 AL ROY voting, after going 16-4, 3.04 n 27 games (20 starts).
2012
Mike Trout, OF, Angels
While Mike Trout saw 40 games of MLB action as a 19-year-old in 2011 (.220-5-16), he retained his rookie status for the 2012 season. He earned his unanimous selection as AL Rookie of the Year by going .326-30-83 in 139 games. He also led the AL in runs scored (129) and stolen bases (49).
30-30
In his rookie season, Mike Trout became the youngest MLB player ever to have a 30-30 season (30 home runs/30 stolen bases) – accomplishing it at age 20. He hit 30 home runs and stole 49 bags.
In his 14th MLB season (as of this posting) Trout has hit .299, with 378 home runs, 954 RBI, 1,123 runs scored and 212 stolen bases. He is .220-10-14 on the 2024 season. Trout is an eleven-time All Star and has won the AL Most Valuable Player Award three times (finishing second four times). He’s led the AL in runs scored four times (topping 100 in seven seasons) and RBI once (topping 100 three times). He’s also topped the junior circuit in walks three times, on-base percentage four times, slugging percentage four times and total bases once (stealing 30 or more in three seasons).
Finishing second in the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year voting was Oakland’s Yeonis Cespedes, who went .292-23-82 with 16 steals.
2011
Craig Kimbrel, Reliever, Braves
Craig Kimbrel, still active, was a 33rd-round draft pick (Braves) in 2007. He earned a look at the major-league level in 2010, going 4-0, 0.44 with one save in 21 games (40 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings). In 2011, he was the Braves’ full-time closer, leading the NL with 46 saves – the first in a string of four consecutive seasons as the NL saves leader.
Craig Kimbrel holds the rookie record for saves – at 46.
In his fifteenth MLB season, Kimbrel has gone 54-44, 2.41 with 433 saves (13th all-time) and 1,231 strikeouts in 784 2/3 innings pitched. He is currently 5-2, 2.63 with 16 saves in the 2024 season. He is a nine-time All Star and has led his league in saves four times (topping 30 saves in eight seasons, reaching 40 or more five times, with a high of 50 saves in 2013).
The runner up for ROY in 2011 was Kimbrel’s teammate Freddie Freeman, who hit .282, with 21 home runs and 76 RBI in 157 games.
2001
Albert Pujols, OF/1B/3B, Cardinals
Drafted by the Cardinals in 1999 (at age 19), after just one year of college ball (Maple Woods Community College), Albert Pujols played just one minor-league season (.314-19-96 in 133 games at three levels) before earning a unanimous National League Rookie of the Year selection.
Trivia(l) Tidbit … Nice Start, Freshman
In his first-ever college baseball game, Albert Pujols hit a Grand Slam and turned an unassisted Triple Play. He finished that freshman season with a .461 average and 22 home runs and 80 RBI.
Pujols played in 22 MLB seasons, hitting .296 (3,384 hits, 10th all-time) with 703 home runs (fourth all-time) and 2,218 RBI (second all-time). He was an eleven-time All Star, two-time Gold Glover and three-time National League MVP. He led the league in runs scored five times (topping 100 ten times), home runs twice (reaching forty or more seven times) and RBI once (exceeding 100 in 14 times) and batting average once (topping .300 in ten seasons). A sign of respect, his 316 intentional walks are second only to Barry Bonds He topped .300, 30 home runs, 100 RBI in each of his first ten seasons. (Over those first ten campaigns, his season average was .331-41-123).
The runner up to Pujols for 2001 NL ROY was Astros’ pitcher Roy Oswalt (14-3, 2.73 in 28 appearances).
1997
Nomar Garciaparra, SS, Red Sox
Nomar Garciaparra, at age 23, was in his fourth pro season when he captured 1997 AL Rookie of the Year honors. (Garciaparra had earned a late-season – 24 games played – call up in 1996). In 1997, the 23-year-old played in 153 games for the BoSox, hitting .306, knocking 30 home runs, 44 doubles and a league-leading eleven triples. He drove in 98 runs, scored 122 and earned his way onto the 1997 AL All Star squad.
Garciaparra went on to a 14-season MLB career in which he hit .313-229-936; was a six-time All Star; and won a pair of batting titles. He hit .300+ in nine seasons, scored 100+ runs six times, and hit 30 or more homes runs twice and 50 or more doubles twice.
Isn’t That Grand
Nomar Garciaparra is one of just 13 players to hit two Grand Slams in a single game (May 10, 1999) – and the only player to achieve this feat in his home ball park.
The runner up to Garciaparra for Rookie of the Year was outfielder Jose Cruz, who split his season between Toronto and Seattle, playing in 104 games and hitting .248-26-68.
—–
Scott Rolen, 3B, Phillies – Hall of Fame
Scott Rolen made his debut with the Phillies (at age 21) on August 1, 1996. He got in 37 games with the Phils that season (preserving his rookie status for 1997), hitting .254, with four home runs and 18 RBI. Much better things were on the horizon. In his 1997, ROY season, Rolen played in 156 games, hitting .283, with 21 home runs, 92 RBI – and 16 stolen bases.
He went on to a 17-season MLB career, hitting .281, with 316 home runs, 1.287 RBI and 118 steals. He was a seven-time All Star and eight-time Gold Glover at the hot corner. Rolen hit 20 or more home runs in 10 seasons (topping 30 three times) and drove in 100+ runs in five campaigns.
The runner up to Rolen for ROY was Marlins’ pitcher Livan Hernandez, who went 9-3, 3.18 in 17 starts.
1996
Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees, Hall of Fame
Derek Jeter was a first-round (sixth-overall) Yankee draft pick right out of high school (1992). He saw his first MLB action in 1995 (15 games as a September call up), before his unanimous selection as Rookie of the Year (as a 22-year-old) in 1996. In that 1996 season, Jeter played in 157 games, hitting .314, with ten home runs, 78 RBI, 104 runs scored and 14 stolen bases. He went on to a 20-season MLB career, during which he hit .310 (3,465 hits), with 269 round trippers, 1,311 RBI, 1,923 runs scored and 358 steals. He topped 200 hits in eight campaigns (leading the league twice), scored 100+ runs in 13 seasons (leading the league once), won five Gold Gloves and was an All Star 14 times. He was also the 2000 World Series MVP (hitting .409 in five games) and 2000 All Star Game MVP.
White Sox’ pitcher James Baldwin was the runner-up to Jeter for ROY, after going 11-6, 4.42 in 28 starts for the Pale Hose.
1994
Raul Mondesi, OF, Dodgers
Raul Mondesi made a major-league impression before his 1994 season (when he was the unanimous selection for NL Rookie of the year). Called up to the Dodgers the previous July, the then 22-year-old had hit .291 in 42 games and showed plus defense in the outfield. In his 1994 ROY season, Mondesi played in 112 games for the Dodgers, hitting .306, with 16 home runs, 56 RBI, 63 runs scored and 11 steals.
30-30 Vision
Raul Mondesi is one of only 13 players to have multiple 30-30 (30 home runs/30 stolen bases) seasons. In 1997, Mondesi hit .310, with 30 home runs and 32 steals for the Dodgers. In 1999, he hit .253, with 33 home runs and 36 steals, again for the Dodgers.
Mondesi played 13-seasons in the major leagues, hitting .273, with 271 home runs, 860 RBI and 229 stolen bases. He was a one-time All Star and two-time Gold Glover. He hit 30 or more home runs in three seasons and stole at least 30 bases in three seasons.
The runner up to Mondesi for the Rookie of the Year, was Astros’ reliever John Hudek, who went 0-2, 2.97 with 16 saves in 42 appearances.
1993
Tim Salmon, OF, Angels
While he did get a late season call up (August) in 1992, Tim Salmon still had his rookie status when he took a full-time spot in the Angels’ outfield in 1993. In his full-season rookie campaign, the 24-year-old hit .283, with 31 home runs, 95 RBI and 93 runs scored. He enjoyed a 14-season MLB career, hitting .282, with 299 home runs and 1,016 RBI. Salmon – although never an All-Star Selection – hit 30 or more home runs in five seasons and drove in 100+ runs in three. In 1995, he went .330-34-105 in 143 games.
The runner up to Salmon was White Sox RHP Jason Bere who went 12-5, 3.47 in 22 starts.
Mike Piazza, C, Dodgers, Hal of Fame
Over his first three minor-league seasons, Mike Piazza hit .245, with 43 home runs and 150 RBI over 262 games. Then, in 1991, the 23-year-old, put it all together – hitting .350-23-90 in 125 games at Double-A and Triple-A and earning a late season call up (.232-1-7 in 21 games) with the Dodgers. In 1992, still considered a rookie, he was behind the plate for the Dodgers full time – and went .318-35-112 (making the NL All Star squad in the process).
Not Exactly Low-Hanging Fruit
Mike Piazza was the 1,390th pick of the 1989 MLB draft.
Mike Piazza went on to a 16-season Hall of Fame career – hitting .308, with 427 home runs and 1,335 RBI – and making an even dozen All Star teams. He topped 30 home runs in a season nine times (reaching 40 twice) and had 100 or more RBI in six campaigns.
Runner up to Piazza was Braves reliever Greg McMichael, who went 2-3, 2.06 with 19 saves in 74 appearances.
1990
Sandy Alomar, C, Indians
Sandy Alomar started out as a catcher in the Padres’ system. Alomar, however, was blocked by 1987 unanimous Rookie of the Year and 1989 All Star catcher Benito Santiago (Alomar played in just eight games for the Padres in 1988-89). In December of 1989, the Padres traded Alomar (along with Carlos Baerga and Chris James) to the Indians for power-hitting Joe Carter. Alomar got an opportunity to stick with Cleveland in 1990 – and he made the most of it. He was a unanimous Rookie of the Year selection – hitting .290-9-66 in 132 games, making the All-Star team and winning a Gold Glove. (Carter, by the way, hit .232-24-115 for the Padres in 1990 and was traded to the Blue Jays after the 1990 season.)
Alomar played 20 MLB seasons, hitting .273-112-588. He was a six-time All Star.
Yankees’ 1B Kevin Maas was the runner up to Alomar, going .252-21-41 in 79 games.
1987
Mark McGwire, 1B, A’s
Mark McGwire got the proverbial “cup of coffee” in the big leagues in 1986, hitting just .189 with three home runs in 18 games. This experience came after a late-season call up from Triple-A Tacoma, where he hit .318-13-59 in 78 games (he had also gone .303-10-53 in 55 games at Double-A).
The following season, with his rookie status still intact, the 23-year-old hit .289, mashed a then MLB rookie-record (and league-leading) 49 home runs and drove in 188 tallies. It was good start to a 16-season MLB career that would see him his .263, with 583 home runs, 1,414 RBI and 1,167 runs scored. Over that career, McGwire was an All Star in 12 seasons, a four-time home run champion – and even won a Gold Glove (A’s – 1990). In 1998, McGwire broke Roger Maris’ single-season home run record (61), bashing 70 round trippers. (Barry Bonds broke McGwire’s record in 2001, with 73 long balls.)
Runner up to McGwire was the Royals’ INF/OF Kevin Seitzer, who hit .323-15-83, with 105 runs scored and a league-leading 207 hits in 161 games.
—–
Benito Santiago, C, Padres
Twenty-two-year-old Padres’ backstop Benito Santiago got off to a good start as the unanimous NL Rookie of the Year choice in 1987 – batting .300, with 18 home runs, 79 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He went on to a 20-season MLB career, hitting .263, with 217 home runs and 91 steals. He was a five-time All Star and a three-time Gold Glover.
They Call Him The Streak
From August 25 through October 2, 1987, Benito Santiago hit safely in 34 games – still the longest hitting streak ever by an MLB rookie.
Pirates’ RHP Mike Dunn was runner up to Santiago, after going 13-6, 3.03 in 23 starts.
1985
Vince Coleman, OF, Cardinals
Vince Coleman came up to the Cardinals as a 23-year-old, in his fourth professional season. Over 328 minor-league games he had hit .286 – and swiped 289 bases. He continued to show that speed as an MLB rookie, leading the National League with 110 steals in his 1986 ROY season. Coleman remains the only player to steal 100+ bases in his rookie season. He played in 151 games, hitting .267, with just one home run and 40 RBI – but scored 107 runs.
Coleman led the National League in steals in each of his first six MLB seasons (tying the NL record for consecutive seasons leading the league in that category.) He also pilfered 100+ bases in each of his first three seasons (1985-87), becoming one of only two MLB player to record three straight seasons of triple-digit steals. The other was Billy Hamilton (1889-91, Phillies).
Coleman played 13 MLB seasons, hitting .264, with 28 home runs, 346 RBI, 849 runs and 752 steals. He was a two-time All Star.
The runner up to Coleman for 1985 NL ROY was Reds’ LHP Tom Browning, who went 20-9, 3.55 in 38 starts.
1972
Carlton Fisk, C, Red Sox, Hall of Fame
Carlton Fisk was the unanimous choice for the American League Rookie of the Year in 1972 (the first-ever AL unanimous ROY). The 24-year-old backstop played in 131 games for the Red Sox hitting .293, with 22 home runs and 61 RBI, 74 runs scored and five stolen bases – while also capturing the AL Gold Glove at catcher.
In his rookie season, Carlton Fisk led the American League in triples (tied with Joe Rudi) with nine.
Fisk’s MLB career stretched for 24 seasons. He was an All Star in 11 of those seasons and finished with a .269 average, 376 home runs, 1,330 RBI, 1,276 runs scored and 128 stolen bases.
Note: Prior to 1970 voters could case a vote for just one player in each league for Rookie of the Year. So, there are no runners-up to previous unanimous winners.
1959
Willie McCovey, 1B, Giants, Hall of Fame
Willie McCovey is a bit of a surprise on this list, as he was a unanimous selection for 1959 National League Rookie of the Year despite not making his MLB debut until July 30 of that season – and playing in just 52 Games for the Giants. Still, he made the most of those games – hitting .354, with 13 home runs and 38 RBI. I also find it surprising the Giants waited until July to call him up to the “show.” He was already in his fifth professional season and was hitting .372-29-92 in 95 games) at Triple-A Phoenix at the time.
McCovey went on to a 22-season Hall of Fame MLB career. He was a six-time All Star and the 1969 NL MVP. The three-time NL home run leader finished with a .270 average, 521 home runs and 1,555 RBI. He also went .310-2-6 in eight post-season games.
1956
Frank Robinson, OF, Reds, Hall of Fame
Frank Robinson started his Hall of Fame career with a bang. The unanimous choice for 1956 National League Rookie of the Year played in 152 games and hit .290, with 38 home runs (tying the MLB rookie record) and 83 RBI. The 20-year-old also led the NL in runs scored with 122 and hit-by-pitch with 20 (ouch). He went on to 21-season MLB career; was an All Star in 14 campaigns. He finished with a career .294 average, 586 home runs, 1,812 RBI, 1,829 runs scored and 204 stolen bases. He also was a Triple Crown winner, a two-time league MVP, a World Series MVP, an All-Star Game MVP and, after retiring as a player, honored as the American League Manager of the Year (1989, Orioles).
Primary Resources: Baseball-Referencee.com; Baseball-Almanac.com
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