Chicago Cubs’ “monster left-hander” Shota Imanaga (31, Chicago Cubs) leads the Rookie of the Year voting.
MLB, the official website of Major League Baseball, released the results of its mock Rookie of the Year voting for both leagues on Thursday. Forty-one experts participated in the voting, which was based on current performance as well as predictions for the remainder of the season. Voters ranked players from first to fifth, with five first-place votes, four second-place votes, three third-place votes, two fourth-place votes, and one fifth-place vote totaling the results.
In this poll, Imanaga was ranked first in the National League (NL). Imanaga, who was ranked third in the first round of voting in April, topped the second round of voting in May, beating out Yoshinobu Yamamoto (26-LA Dodgers), the “$325 million man” who is the highest-paid player in baseball. At the time, Imanaga received 25 first-place votes and Yamamoto received eight first-place votes.
On the third ballot, the gap widened further: Imanaga received first-place votes from 28 people, while Yamamoto’s total was cut in half to just four.
Second in the NL, Yamamoto has been solid this season, going 6-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 12 starts. “Yamamoto has generated the most buzz among rookie pitchers this year, and he has proven that the size of his contract is a reasonable assessment,” MLB said. “While Yamamoto isn’t the most flashy pitcher, his performance thus far is in line with what the Dodgers expected when they signed him to a 12-year, $325 million contract in the offseason.”
Third in the NL behind Imanaga and Yamamoto is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ “fastball” monster rookie Paul Skins (seven first-place votes). In fourth place was St. Louis 사설토토 Cardinals shortstop Maysin Wynn (two first-place votes), and Pittsburgh pitcher Jered Jones rounded out the top five.
At the top of the American League (AL) is New York Yankees pitcher Louis Gill (26 first-place votes). Gill, in his third year in the big leagues, has been the Yankees’ emerging ace this season, going 7-1 with a 1.99 ERA in 11 starts. In second place was Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics (7 first-place votes). Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowher (7 first-place votes) was third, Boston Red Sox outfielder Willie Abreu fourth, and Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford fifth.