AL Rookie of the Year Candidates
Dustin Pedroia Leads the Pack of Talented American League Rookies
Sep 27, 2007 James Lincoln Ray
The 2007 season has truly been the year of the rookie in Major League Baseball. That is especially true in the National League, where Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki are legitimate MVP candidates, but it also applies in the Junior Circuit, which is chock full of youngsters that are lighting it up.
Her are the top four first year players that have made major impacts for their teams.
1. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
This kid is going to make Yankee fans miserable for a long time to come. He is the perfect compliment to Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, he has a great glove, and he hits well in the clutch. That is a serious triple threat, especially for a kid who is still just 24 years old.
With just a few games left in the 2007 regular season, Pedroia is batting .314 with 37 doubles, 8 home runs, 50 RBI and 85 runs scored. He's been a key player for a Sox team that has led the American League East all season long despite sub-par performances from Ramirez, Jason Varitek and the high-priced free agent J.D. Drew. If the voters choose to go with a position player, they will surely pick Pedroia.
2. Brian Bannister, Kansas City Royals
Don't let anyone tell you that Dice-K is the best rookie starter in baseball. He's not. Who is? It's Brian Bannister of the Kansas City Royals. Traded from the Mets to the Royals during last year's off-season meetings for Ambiorix Burgos, Bannister has been a pleasant surprise for the Kansas City staff.
He has a 12-9 record with an ERA of 3.87 and an impressive 1.21 WHIP. If he played on a better team, Bannister would likely have 15 to 17 wins, so if the voters go with a pitcher, it should be this guy.
3. Daiszuske Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox
For all of the money and all of the hype, one could argue that the man nicknamed Dice-K has been a disappointment for the Red Sox. Although fan expectations and Boston's evaluation of the Japanese star were perhaps too high, the former has been a very solid starter in the Red Sox tough rotation. He is 14-12 with 193 strikeouts, both solid stats, but his ERA (4.48) and WHIP (1.34) suggest that his success has been as much a product of Boston's offense more than his non-existent "gyroball."
4. Hideki Okajima, Boston Red Sox
Okajima, known as "Oki" to the Boston Red Sox, was acquired primarily to provide company and support for his good friend and Japanese teammate Dice-K, but he may actually be the better pitcher of the two.
Along with Jonathan Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen, Oki has been one-third of the best bullpen in the American League. He is 3-2 with an ERA of 2.28, 60 strikeouts in 67 innings and a WHIP of 0.96. He has bridged the gap between the starters and Papelbon all year and could be the lynchpin to another World Series title for Boston.
There is one glaring weakness, however, in Oki's rookie season. In 10 appearances against the rival New York Yankees, Oki is 0-2 with 2 blown saves and an ERA over 7.50. That doesn't ode well for beantown in October.
As well as these four have played, odds are that Pedroia will take home the trophy.
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