Top honours for McGonigle and Stewart
Detroit Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart bagged the major award honours on Monday night. Both 22 year old players were named the best rookies in their respective leagues after impressive individual seasons.
McGonigle took the American League Rookie of the Year award by a wide margin. He received 28 out of 30 first place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America. Cleveland Guardians pitcher Parker Messick collected the remaining two first place votes. Meanwhile, Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami earned two second place votes, and Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle got 12 third place votes.
McGonigle dominates for Detroit
McGonigle was drafted in the first round out of high school just three years ago. The left handed hitter from Pennsylvania spent time at shortstop and third base this season. He led the American League with 7.1 Baseball Reference wins above replacement. He also finished fifth in the league in both walks and hits. No rookie had finished in the top five in both categories since Ted Williams in 1939.
For the season, McGonigle batted .278 with an on base percentage of .376 and a slugging percentage of .430. He hit 18 home runs, stole 12 bases, drew 95 walks, and struck out 100 times. His 97 runs scored were the most among all rookies, while his 168 hits tied for the rookie lead.
Stewart delivers power for Cincinnati
In the National League, Sal Stewart brought huge power to the Reds batting lineup. He picked up 20 out of 30 first place votes for NL Rookie of the Year. New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge got seven first place votes, while St. Louis Cardinals infielder JJ Wetherholt got three.
Stewart was selected in the first round of the 2022 draft out of a high school in Miami. He finished his rookie year with a .263 batting average, 32 home runs, and 112 RBIs. That made him the first Reds rookie to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs in a single season. His 112 RBIs ranked third across all of Major League Baseball. He also stole 15 bases, joining Carlos Beltran, Jose Canseco, Tony Lazzeri, and Al Simmons as the only rookies in history to record 100 RBIs and 15 steals.
A strong class of new talent
The two winners led a deep group of young talent across the majors. Messick recorded 12 wins and 9 losses with a 2.56 ERA over 186 1/3 innings for Cleveland. Tolle finished with a 3.03 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 148 2/3 innings for Boston.
Benge hit .282 and became the first Mets rookie to post a 20/20 season, matching McGonigle with 168 hits. Wetherholt combined strong defense with 17 home runs and 14 stolen bases. Other notable rookies across the league included Murakami, Carter Jansen, Travis Bazanna, Chase DeLauter, TJ Rumfield, Logan Henderson, and Nolan McLean.
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