India voted Reds’ 7th NL Rookie of the Year
Published 1:39 am Tuesday, November 16, 2021
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Cincinnati Reds’ second baseman Jonathan India turns a double play. India became the Reds’ 7th National League Rookie of the Year on Monday. (Photo Courtesy of The Cincinnati Reds.com)
The Associated Press
It didn’t feel like Randy Arozarena was a rookie this season.
Tampa Bay’s speedy and powerful outfielder certainly didn’t play like one, either.
Arozarena won AL Rookie of the Year honors with a superb follow-up to his 2020 postseason heroics while Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India earned NL Rookie of the Year on Monday night.
The standout years for Arozarena and India highlight the changing profile of a good MLB leadoff hitter. Both players have speed and a good eye, but also considerable power. It’s the first time since 1953 that the rookie of the year winners were both primarily leadoff hitters. That season, Detroit’s Harvey Kuenn and Brooklyn’s Jim Gilliam won.
If it didn’t seem like this wasn’t Arozarena’s first year, there’s a reason. The 26-year-old Cuban provided a stunning lift for the Rays during the 2020 postseason with 10 homers in 18 games during their run to the World Series.
But Arozarena didn’t play enough during the 2020 regular season to lose his rookie status so he was eligible for the award this year. He followed up his postseason breakout with an excellent season in 2021, finishing with a .274 average, 32 doubles, 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 69 RBIs while adding excellent defense, helping the Rays return to the postseason.
“I know I was favored to be the rookie of the year,” Arozarena said through a translator. “But for me, my mind wasn’t set on the award or winning the award. My mind and my goal was to have another good season and continue what I had done the year before.”
Arozarena earned 22 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, beating out Houston right-hander Luis Garcia and Tampa Bay infielder Wander Franco.
Arozarena is Tampa Bay’s first rookie of the year since outfielder Wil Myers in 2013.
Five AL players received at least one first-place vote in this year’s tally, including Garcia, Franco, Texas outfielder Adolis García and Cleveland pitcher Emmanuel Clase. Garcia hit 31 homers this season while Clase had a 1.29 ERA in Cleveland’s bullpen.
The 20-year-old Franco has the label as one of MLB’s future stars and his performance in 2021 did nothing to discourage that billing. The infielder hit .288 with seven homers and 39 homers while playing less than half the season.
The 24-year-old Garcia was instrumental in the Astros’ run to the World Series this season. He had an 11-8 record with a 3.48 ERA and struck out 167 batters over 155 1/3 innings.
India won the NL award eight months after earning the team’s second base job during spring training and never letting it go during a stellar first season.
The 24-year-old India received 29 of 30 first-place votes, beating out Miami left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers and St. Louis outfielder Dylan Carlson. Rogers got one first-place vote. India said it’s been an amazing journey from spring training, where he was a longshot to even make the regular-season roster.
“I didn’t really have a role on the team, I was just there to fill in for some guys who weren’t playing,” India said. “I kind of took it personal. I just wanted to be a big leaguer this season and I made it a point to put my head down and grind.”
India was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft and played third base in college at Florida, but he’s found a home at second base in the big leagues and become a cornerstone for the Reds’ future. His quick impact in the big leagues was somewhat surprising considering he had just 111 at-bats above Single-A before 2021.
He was the Reds’ first rookie of the year winner since pitcher Scott Williamson in 1999.
The 6-foot, 200-pound India was an all-around threat — particularly during the second half of the season — often batting leadoff and finishing with a .269 average, 34 doubles, 21 homers, 69 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He also showed good discipline in the batter’s box, coaxing 71 walks to finish with a .376 on-base percentage, and scored 98 runs.
The 23-year-old Rogers finished second. He was chosen as an All-Star during an excellent season that included a 7-8 record and 2.64 ERA over 25 starts. The hard-throwing lefty struck out 155 batters over 133 innings.
Carlson was part of a young, talented outfield for a Cardinals team that made a late-season charge to the playoffs. Playing as a 22-year-old, he batted .266 with 18 homers and provided solid defense in all three outfield spots.
NL rookie of year voting
First-, second- and third-place votes and total points on a 5-3-1 basis.
Player 1st 2nd 3rd Tot
Jonathan India, Reds 29 1 – 148
Trevor Rogers, Marlins 1 26 3 87
Dylan Carson, Cardinals – 3 13 22
Patrick Wisdon, Cubs – – 5 5
Ian Anderson, Braves – – 3 3
Tyler Stephenson, Reds – – 2 2
Frank Schwindel, Cubs – – 2 2
David Bednar, Pirates – – 1 1
Vladimir Gutierrez, Reds – – 1 1
National League Rookies of the Year
x-unanimous
2021 — Jonathan India, Cincinnati
2020 — Devin Williams, Milwaukee
2019 — Pete Alonso, New York
2018 — Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta
2017 — x-Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles
2016 — x-Corey Seager, Los Angeles
2015 — x-Kris Bryant, Chicago
2014 — Jacob deGrom, New York
2013 — Jose Fernandez, Miami
2012 — Bryce Harper, Washington
2011 — x-Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta
2010 — Buster Posey, San Francisco
2009 — Chris Coghlan, Florida
2008 — Geovany Soto, Chicago
2007 — Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
2006 — Hanley Ramirez, Florida
2005 — Ryan Howard, Philadelphia
2004 — Jason Bay, Pittsburgh
2003 — Dontrelle Willis, Florida
2002 — Jason Jennings, Colorado
2001 — x-Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2000 — Rafael Furcal, Atlanta
1999 — Scott Williamson, Cincinnati
1998 — Kerry Wood, Chicago
1997 — x-Scott Rolen, Philadelphia
1996 — Todd Hollandsworth, Los Angeles
1995 — Hideo Nomo, Los Angeles
1994 — x-Raul Mondesi, Los Angeles
1993 — x-Mike Piazza, Los Angeles
1992 — Eric Karros, Los Angeles
1991 — Jeff Bagwell, Houston
1990 — Dave Justice, Atlanta
1989 — Jerome Walton, Chicago
1988 — Chris Sabo, Cincinnati
1987 — x-Benito Santiago, San Diego
1986 — Todd Worrell, St. Louis
1985 — x-Vince Coleman, St. Louis
1984 — Dwight Gooden, New York
1983 — Darryl Strawberry, New York
1982 — Steve Sax, Los Angeles
1981 — Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles
1980 — Steve Howe, Los Angeles
1979 — Rick Sutcliffe, Los Angeles
1978 — Bob Horner, Atlanta
1977 — Andre Dawson, Montreal
1976 — Pat Zachry, Cincinnati, and Butch Metzger, San Diego, tie
1975 — John Montefusco, San Francisco
1974 — Bake McBride, St. Louis
1973 — Gary Matthews, San Francisco
1972 — Jon Matlack, New York
1971 — Earl Williams, Atlanta
1970 — Carl Morton, Montreal
1969 — Ted Sizemore, Los Angeles
1968 — Johnny Bench, Cincinnati
1967 — Tom Seaver, New York
1966 — Tommy Helms, Cincinnati
1965 — Jim Lefebvre, Los Angeles
1964 — Richie Allen, Philadelphia
1963 — Pete Rose, Cincinnati
1962 — Ken Hubbs, Chicago
1961 — Billy Williams, Chicago
1960 — Frank Howard, Los Angeles
1959 — x-Willie McCovey, San Francisco
1958 — x-Orlando Cepeda, San Francisco
1957 — Jack Sanford, Philadelphia
1956 — x-Frank Robinson, Cincinnati
1955 — Bill Virdon, St. Louis
1954 — Wally Moon, St. Louis
1953 — Jim Gilliam, Brooklyn
1952 — Joe Black, Brooklyn
1951 — Willie Mays, New York
1950 — Sam Jethroe, Boston
1949 — Don Newcombe, Brooklyn
1948 — Alvin Dark, Boston
1947 — Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn