Analyzing 2008 Rookie of the Year Award Winners
A Statistical Look at Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto in 2009
Is there such thing as beginner's luck in baseball? Many baseball players suffer from a serious illness called the sophomore slump in their second full season in the major leagues. It is hard to believe that a first year player, who greets crafty veteran pitchers with high batting averages or pitches shut outs against slugging all-stars, could be constituted as luck. It is also very ironic because one would think that a player would only improve with experience.
Eric Hinske and Jason Jennings on the Short Side
In 2002, Eric Hinske won Rookie of the Year with 24 Homeruns and 84 RBI, however since 2002 he has not batted above .271 or hit more than 68RBI. In fact, he barely is granted a full time starting job. Jason Jennings won Rookie of the Year in 2001 after posting 16 wins, but he has not had a winning season since.
Dustin Pedroia and Ryan Howard on the Long Side
Or you could ask Dustin Pedroia or Ryan Howard about a sophomore slump, two players whom have won MVP titles just one year subsequent to earning the Rookie of the Year title. Similarly Tim Lincecum won the Cy Young award in his second full season in the Major Leagues, an honor many respected pitchers have never achieved; names like Josh Beckett, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera come to mind.
2008 RoY Winners in 2009
What path will the 2008 Rookie of the Year players take? So far, it seems as though Evan Longoria and National League runner up Joey Votto are destined to defy the odds just as Pedroia and Howard did before them. On the other hand, 2008 Rookie of the Year Geovany Soto and runner-up AL RoY Alexei Ramirez are struggling to stay above the Mendoza line.
With thirty three games of the season completed, Evan Longoria, of the Tampa Bay Rays, a has a Major League leading forty-five RBI, while hitting a whopping .346. Similary, Joey Votto has led the young Cincinnati Reds team into first place with a 20-14 record. In thirty games, Votto has a National League leading .374 average with twenty six RBI. Chicago Cubs' catcher Soto, on the other hand is batting .193 with 7 RBI, while Chicago White Sox shortstop Ramirez is batting .223 with 13 RBI, hardly contributing to their respective teams.
Striving to be Cal Ripken
Is twenty percent of the season a good indicator of the future of these players' careers? Well, do not put Longoria or Votto in the Hall of Fame just yet, but it is an accomplishment that certainly should not be ignored. Cal Ripken earned the honor of RoY in 1982 and MVP in 1983; and his career was not too shabby.
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