Corey Seager wins 2016 NL Rookie of the Year Award
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was announced as the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year on Monday.
While many of the 2016 MLB awards are up in the air, NL Rookie of the Year was a clear-cut choice for the voters.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was chosen as the unanimous rookie of the year in the NL by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Monday, according to MLB’s official Twitter feed.
The unanimous pick for the @officialBBWAA 2016 NL Rookie of the Year: @Dodgers SS Corey Seager. pic.twitter.com/QlFQQVigqQ
— MLB (@MLB) November 14, 2016
The 22-year-old was hyped as one of the best prospects in the game prior to the season and looked excellent in a 27-game stint to close out 2015. Seager lived up to expectations and then some, hitting .308/.365/.512 with 26 home runs in 687 plate appearances. Defensive metrics were also kind to Seager, helping him pile up 7.5 WAR to easily lead all shortstops and rank fifth in the Majors overall.
Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals finished in second place after hitting an incredible .342/.370/.576 with 33 stolen bases in 73 games. It would have been an interesting race had Turner been called up earlier in the season, but Seager was the easy choice for the voters.
Kenta Maeda, Seager’s teammate, finished in third place. The 28-year-old posted a strong 3.48 ERA (3.58 FIP) and over a strikeout per inning in his first season outside of Japan.
Seager had a remarkable season at the plate for any shortstop, let alone a rookie. The trio of Seager, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa has a strong argument as the best crop of young MLB shortstops in MLB history.
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In addition to his rookie of the year honor, Seager is a finalist for the NL MVP Award, along with Kris Bryant and Daniel Murphy. Many expect Seager to fall short in that race, but he certainly has the ability to be a perennial contender for the award.