Trout & Harper Named Top MLB Rookies
NEW YORK (Sports Network) - There was never a doubt who was going to win the AL Rookie of the Year award.
Now Mike Trout has his sights set on a much larger prize.
The Los Angeles Angels' center fielder Trout and Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper were named the Jackie Robinson Award winners as the top rookies in the American and National League, respectively, as voted on by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
The 21-year-old Trout became the 18th unanimous rookie of the year victor -- eighth in the AL.
And he may not be done taking home trophies.
Trout, along with triple crown winner and Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera, New York Yankees' Robinson Cano and Texas' Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton, is among the nominees for the AL MVP voting.
If Trout wins the MVP, he'd join Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001) as the only two MLB players to win both the MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.
Trout, the first Angel to win rookie of the year since Tim Salmon in 1993, is the only player in major league history to hit at least .320 with 30 home runs and 45 stolen bases in a single season.
In all, Trout batted .326 with a .399 on-base percentage, 30 home runs, 129 runs and 49 stolen bases.
He led all rookies in nearly every offensive category and was named the AL Rookie of the Month in May, June, July and August, becoming the first player to claim the award in four consecutive months.
It was also no coincidence that the Angels' ascension up the standings coincided with Trout's recall from Triple-A Salt Lake on April 28.
A pair of foreign-born stars, Cuban and Oakland Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers were the other two nominees for the award.
Harper narrowly edged Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed pitcher Wade Miley for the NL honor. Harper earned 112 points, compared to Miley's 105. Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier had 45 points.
Harper, one of the more hyped players in recent memory, burst on to the scene as a 19-year-old in late April.
The first overall pick of the 2010 MLB Draft ended the year hitting .270 with 22 home runs, 59 RBIs and 98 runs scored. He also stole 18 bases and played all three outfield positions. He showed terrific range and tallied eight outfield assists.
(© Copyright 2012 The Sports Network. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Also Check Out:
