Remember earlier in the week when I said that predicting the
Comeback Player of the Year Award was one of the hardest to predict out of all
the awards around the game? Well if that is one
of the hardest to predict the AL and NL Rookie of the Year Award has to be the hardest one to predict year in and
year out. Who is to say what prospects will get the call up, what players will
stay healthy, and who will get enough at-bats or opportunities to even prove
themselves on a yearly basis? The Yankees had a Rookie of the Year Award winner
in Aaron Judge in 2017, could they do it again in 2018?
Honestly, no. I don’t think the Yankees will have a Rookie
of the Year once again here in 2018. Why? It isn’t because I don’t like or
don’t believe in the lot of Miguel Andujar, Tyler Wade, Gleyber Torres and
others, but I do believe that with the acquisitions of both Neil Walker and
Brandon Drury that there just won’t be enough every day opportunities to be had
for those three like there was for Judge last season. Those three players could
be great, but they won’t get to play in the 155 games and take the 542 at-bats
this season that Judge did in 2017. With that in mind I am going to stay within
the American League East Division and showcase one of the Tampa Bay Rays top
prospects that will NOT miss time this season due to Tommy John surgery, Willy
Adames. Adames is a shortstop for the Rays and one that is knocking on the door
to the Major Leagues after making the All-Star Game in three straight Minor
League seasons. Adames is starting to add power to his repertoire with
double-digit home run campaigns and 30 or more doubles in two straight seasons,
but more importantly there should be plenty of opportunities and time to grow
for Adames on a rebuilding Tampa Bay squad.
The National League seems like kind of an easy one in my
opinion with the top prospect in all of baseball ready to take over on a team
that will presumably have little to play for in 2018. I am talking about the
Atlanta Braves and their top prospect, Ronald Acuna. It is important that a
Rookie of the Year sometimes play on a team that does not intend or expect to
compete that coming season, that means the player will have a longer leash and
less expectations dropped on his shoulders in the upcoming season. Acuna is a
special talent and while he may not start the season with the Braves after
being demoted to a Minor League camp, it doesn’t mean he will stay there long.
Not when the Braves can delay his free agency by a season by keeping him in
Triple-A for three weeks or a month before unleashing him on the rest of the
league. Baseball is a business after all, first and foremost.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)