By James Bailey
If Alexei Ramirez had timed his arrival differently, he might have picked up some Rookie of the Year hardware. Unfortunately for the White Sox infielder, he broke in last year, when Evan Longoria ran away with AL Rookie honors. Ramirez finished at .290 with 21 homers and 77 RBIs. It’s a safe bet none of this year’s freshmen will touch those power numbers.
With no Longoria, or even a Ramirez, this year, the AL race is still up for grabs, though things are starting to shake out. Here are the top contenders for AL Rookie of the Year, with the skinny on what each needs to do to finish on top.
Grade A
Gordon Beckham, 3b, White Sox
Key stats: .289, 256 AB, 38 R, 74 H, 22 2B, 8 HR, 47 RBI
He didn’t arrive until June 4, and it took three weeks for him to pull his average over the Mendoza line. But since he settled in, he’s been one of the best hitters on a contending club. He leads AL rookies with 47 RBIs and is slugging an impressive .469.
What he needs to do: Keep his average near .300 and keep driving in runs. If he knocks in 70, considering his late start, he’ll have the inside track.
Andrew Bailey, cl, Athletics
Key stats: 6-3, 18 SV, 1.99 ERA, 68.0 IP, 41 H, 22 BB, 75 SO
Oakland is the land of opportunity for closers. With Brad Ziegler ineffective and Joey Devine out all year, Bailey earned his shot at the ninth inning and has rarely faltered. With a 0.93 WHIP and a brilliant ERA, he’s got more on his resume than saves.
What he needs to do: Rack up at least 25 saves while keeping his ERA near 2. With less than half the innings of the starters, he has little margin for error.
Grade B
Nolan Reimold, of, Orioles
Key stats: .273, 289 AB, 39 R, 79 H, 15 2B, 12 HR, 38 RBI
Reimold announced his presence with authority, knocking nine home runs in his first seven weeks in the big leagues. Over the last two months, however, that pace has slackened and he’s managed just three more. Still, in a weak year, his 12 home runs lead AL rookies. Playing nearly full time, he’s moved up in the Orioles lineup as he’s earned the club’s confidence.
What he needs to do: If he could tap back into that May/June power stroke he might just blast his way to the front of the pack.
Ricky Romero, lhp, Blue Jays
Key stats: 11-5, 3.91 ERA, 131.1 IP, 134 H, 52 BB, 99 SO
At our last checkin, Romero was one of the league’s hottest pitchers, rookie or otherwise. Since the All-Star break, however, things have not gone as well. In eight second-half starts, he’s posted a 5.68 ERA and batters have managed a .305 average against him. On the plus side, he’s 4-2 in that time, giving him 11 wins overall.
What he needs to do: Reverse the recent trend and bring his ERA back below 3.50. If he wins 3-4 more games, his record will keep him in the hunt.
Jeff Niemann, rhp, Rays
Key stats: 12-5, 3.87 ERA, 139.2 IP, 138 H, 47 BB, 89 SO
He was a little shaky out of the gate, but since then he’s settled in nicely for Tampa. His 12 wins lead all rookies, as well as his team (Scott Kazmir is next, with eight). He’s also thrown two complete game shutouts, including a two-hitter against the Royals.
What he needs to do: Finish with a better record than Romero. They each have 7-8 starts remaining. 16 wins would look great to voters.
Rick Porcello, rhp, Tigers
Key stats: 10-8, 4.39 ERA, 123.0 IP, 131 H, 40 BB, 66 SO
The youngest of the serious contenders, at 20 years, 8 months, Porcello looked like the favorite after he went 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in May. He’s been up and down since, however, and has lasted past the sixth inning only once since June 12.
What he needs to do: Turn the calendar back to May. But even if he gets that hot again, the Tigers will closely monitor his innings, making wins tough to come by.
Brad Bergesen, rhp, Orioles
Key stats: 7-5, 3.43 ERA, 123.1 IP, 126 H, 32 BB, 65 SO
He hasn’t pitched since Kansas City’s Billy Butler lined a shot off his shin on July 30. He was on quite a roll at that point, having logged a 2.46 ERA over his previous 12 games. That’s the best two-month period of any rookie, but the odds are he won’t regain that momentum when he returns.
What he needs to do: Get back on the mound and pick up where he left off. Unfortunately, he’s likely out until early September, and the O’s aren’t going to push him with last place all but sewn up.
Best of the Rest
Tommy Hunter was just a little too late to the party to have a legitimate shot. He’s 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA through 11 starts and is helping keep the Rangers in the wild-card hunt. … Elvis Andrus has played strong defense for the Rangers and leads AL rookies with 24 stolen bases, but aside from his seven triples his other numbers don’t jump out at you … Matt Palmer is the quietest 9-1 in the majors. A starter by necessity early in the year, he’s been more consistent out of the pen (3.06 ERA vs 4.99 as a starter) … Trevor Cahill leads the freshmen with 146.1 innings, but he’s just 6-12 now with a 4.86 ERA … Brett Anderson, Cahill’s rotation mate on the A’s, put up a 1.87 ERA in five July starts, but has been over 5.00 in every other month.
