By James Bailey
Baseball’s two best freshmen were nowhere to be seen in the top rookie ratings before the season started. While Matt Wieters, David Price, and Tommy Hanson captured the imaginations of baseball fans across the country, Chris Coghlan and Andrew Bailey weren’t even a blip on the radar. Coghlan was an easy cut for the Marlins after hitting .235 in spring training. Bailey made the Opening Day roster for the A’s, but as a setup man he didn’t see any headlines with fellow rookies Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill on the same club.
Bailey didn’t take long to make a name for himself, however. In 15.2 April innings he allowed just three hits, holding opponents to a .060 average and 1.15 ERA in 11 games. He earned his first save on May 8, and by June he had taken over closing duties for Oakland. Considering he only held the role for four months, his 26 saves are impressive. The 25-year-old righthander converted 24 of his 25 chances from June 1st on and finished the season with a 1.84 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. That ought to be good enough for AL Rookie of the Year.
Bailey was the only rookie in either league to make an All-Star roster in July. In August he was tabbed as the AL Rookie of the Month, going 2-0 with seven saves. He tossed 11 scoreless innings, while allowing just four hits and no walks.
A sixth-round pick out of Wagner in 2006, he came up through the A’s system as a starter until moving to the bullpen at Double-A Midland last year. It seemed like a desperation move at the time, as he had a 6.18 ERA as a starter midway through the season. But Bailey posted a 0.92 ERA as a reliever the rest of the way, and rolled right through spring training to earn a spot on Oakland’s young staff.
His primary competitors were Tigers starter Rick Porcello, White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham, and Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold. Porcello nearly led Detroit to the AL Central crown in the division tie-breaker against the Twins. The lead melted away after he left, costing him what would have been his 15th win. Beckham slipped late in the season, but still easily led AL rookies with 63 RBIs in just 378 at-bats. Reimold led AL rookies with his 15 home runs, but lost any serious chance at the award when he injured his Achilles tendon in September.
Coghlan reached Florida in early May and found a home in left field, though he was an infielder coming up through the minors. Second base in the Marlins lineup happens to be taken by Dan Uggla, so Coghlan adjusted to a new role. He looked like he might need a return trip to New Orleans after he hit just .212 in 66 May at-bats. At the All-Star break he was batting just .245 with a .335 slugging percentage.
Those three days off must have done him some good. The 24-year-old had six multi-hit games in the two weeks after play resumed. When the calendar turned to August he got even hotter. Coghlan earned NL Rookie of the Month honors by hitting .385 with 18 RBIs and a 1.031 OPS. He followed that up with a .382 September. That put him at .372 for the second half. His overall mark of .321 was sixth best in the NL. Coghlan also finished with a .390 on-base percentage. Both of those numbers were tops among rookies.
A supplemental first-round pick in 2006, Coghlan led the Cape Cod League in hitting in 2005 with a .346 average while a teammate of Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. Considering what he did this season, that might not be the last batting title he wins.
Coghlan’s top competition in the NL included pitchers Tommy Hanson (Braves), J.A. Happ (Phillies), and Randy Wells (Cubs), Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee, and Pirates first baseman Garrett Jones. Jones led all rookies with 21 homers and a .567 slugging percentage, but didn’t see serious playing time until July. Had he produced at that pace all season he would have been a landslide winner as ROY. Hanson also had a late start, spending the first two months in Triple-A. He led NL rookies with a 2.89 ERA and went 11-4 in 21 starts for the Braves. He’s got the look of a future ace, and that future may be as soon as next year.
