Another year, another season of Major League Baseball having more talented rookies than it knows what to do with. And if nothing else, that makes for enticing Rookie of the Year races.
This year’s Rookie of the Year contestants might not be quite as strong as a 2015 class that was among the best in recent memory, but it’s no slouch. There are good competitions going for the American League and National League Rookie of the Year awards, and our aim is to break down how they’re looking.
That involves weighing two things: total body of work and the way each player is trending. And in these rankings, the second thing matters just as much as the first.
We’ll begin with a quick look at some rookies who are on the edges of the races, and then dive into the top five contenders for each league.