You know a player is impactful when his team starts losing games during his absence.
Seattle Mariners‘ stud rookie Julio Rodriguez was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with a back issue, and the team has lost seven of their last ten games.
They still have a 3.5-game cushion over the Baltimore Orioles for the last Wild Card spot, but a collapse isn’t out of the question yet because they haven’t secured their playoff berth.
While Rodriguez is expected back soon, he just received the first award of the season because of his performance as a first-year player.
“Best. Rookie. In. Baseball. @JRODshow44 is @BaseballAmerica’s Rookie of the Year! #JulioROYriguez,” the Mariners reported via Twitter.
Best. Rookie. In. Baseball. @JRODshow44 is @BaseballAmerica’s Rookie of the Year! #JulioROYriguez pic.twitter.com/2QiwHpA2Ia
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 27, 2022
It actually helps settle a debate: who will be picked as the best and most impactful rookie of the American League this season by the true specialists in prospects?
There you have it: it’s Rodriguez.
Rodriguez Has Been The Best Of A Strong Rookie Class
J-Rod and Adley Rutschman are seen as the best two rookies in an impressive class that includes Bobby Witt Jr., Felix Bautista, Jhoan Duran, Jeremy Pena, and others.
Most specialists believe that the race for the official Rookie of the Year award will be decided between the Mariners’ outfielder and the Orioles’ catcher.
Rodriguez has been playing for longer (April) and has an incredible .280/.342/.502 line with 27 homers and 25 stolen bases so far.
Rutschman has made a huge impact on offense and defense and has transformed the Orioles’ mentality.
We now know Baseball America’s favorite.
Now, who will be picked by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America?
Both have a great chance of being picked, but Rodriguez may be, at this point, the slight favorite.
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