Star rookies have been one of the biggest themes of the 2021 MLB season.
Just when it looked like the future of the game couldn’t get any brighter, countless exciting rookies burst onto the scene this year.
Today, we’re going to look at a few of those players.
Our focus in this piece will center around three rookies in the National League who are deserving of MVP votes in 2021.
To be clear, these players won’t actually win the award, but they do have a case to show up on some ballots.
Let’s get started.
3. Patrick Wisdom – Chicago Cubs
Patrick Wisdom has been one of the lone bright spots for the Chicago Cubs this season.
Most folks in the Windy City would like to erase the Cubs’ 2021 campaign forever, but that would be a big mistake considering Wisdom’s emergence.
It’s hard to call this guy a youngster, as he’s 30 years of age, but he’s still a rookie.
He has an OPS of .860, OPS+ of 126, 25 homers, and nine doubles in just 89 games this season.
For context, that’d be a 46-homer pace over a 162-game campaign.
Unfortunately, he won’t get there, as he missed time earlier in the year due to various injuries, but it has been an impressive offensive year for him regardless.
Defensively, he flashes some leather at third base.
See for yourself:
Patrick Wisdom is t-5th among all third basemen in outs above average this season 👏
He didn't make a start at 3B until May 30th. pic.twitter.com/DR87qt7JgK
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 1, 2021
Wisdom is under club control until 2027, so he’ll serve as a nice building block while the Cubs work on their rebuild.
Chicago is hoping to get back to relevancy sooner than later.
2. Trevor Rogers – Miami Marlins
Trevor Rogers could conceivably get Cy Young and MVP votes this season.
He has blown expectations out of the water in 2021.
At 23 years old, he has a 2.52 ERA, 2.74 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP over 21 starts for the Miami Marlins.
He has fanned 132 batters in 114.1 innings, giving him an impressive strikeouts-per-nine rate of 10.4.
This is Trevor Rogers. He is really good.
Remember that. #JuntosMiami pic.twitter.com/Sqi2zJZbTy
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) May 20, 2021
Rogers hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his starts this season, which is simply a ridiculous accomplishment for a player his age.
He figures to make a massive impact for the Marlins over the next few years as the team looks to finally get over the hump in its rebuilding process.
Rogers actually missed the entire month of August due to a family matter, but he’s back with the team now.
He has one more month remaining to put the finishing touches on his stellar year.
1. Jonathan India – Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds rolled the dice on Jonathan India when they selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft.
It’s probably safe to say that the organization is glad it did.
India is having a stellar rookie season, and he’s doing it for a team that is firmly in the playoff mix.
The 24-year-old is batting .271 with an OPS of .838, OPS+ of 115, 18 homers, 25 doubles, and two triples in 127 games.
He has been on fire over the past couple of months, batting .280 with a .910 OPS and 12 homers since the beginning of July.
ROOKIE PLAYING LIKE A VET❗️@JonathanIndia pic.twitter.com/oTc463r2t8
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 18, 2021
He’s also a plus defender at second base, as he has a 0.4 defensive WAR on the year.
It’s hard not to be excited about India’s future.
He’s inarguably one of the most important players on a Reds team that surpassed all reasonable expectations this season.
