For the first time in 43 years since 1981, starting pitchers have won the title of “New Man King.” The main characters were Lewis Hill of the New York Yankees and Paul Skins of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The MLB Network announced the Rookie of the Year award of the 2024 season of the American National League on Wednesday (Korea time). Paul Skins, a “special prospect” in the American League, beat out Lewis Hill of the New York Yankees in the American League and Jackson Merrill of the San Diego Padres and Shota Imana of the Cubs in the National League.
Skins, who had a reputation for throwing super fastballs over 160 kilometers since his days at Louisiana State University, started his professional career last year after being nominated by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the No. 1 overall pick in the first round of the rookie draft. Through this season, it was confirmed that Pittsburgh showed such high expectations that it gave Skins the highest down payment for a rookie, and that Pittsburgh’s investment was not wrong.
As soon as he joined the team last year, he ran fast from Rookie League to Double-A, raising expectations. He pitched in seven Triple-A games this year, striking out as many as 45 strikeouts in 27 ⅓ innings, and was called to the big leagues in May. And he gave a truly “shock” to the Major League.
Skins displayed a 2.45 ERA in four games in May, before flying to a 1.78 ERA in five games in June. The good trend continued. Skins played 133 innings in 23 games, including 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in June, leaving an overwhelming 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA, setting the Pittsburgh club record of 170 strikeouts. Notably, his 1.96 ERA was also the lowest among rookie pitchers who played more than 100 innings.
This year’s National 토토사이트 League was more competitive for the Rookie of the Year than the American League. Jackson Merrill, who was selected by the San Diego Padres as the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 Rookie Draft, played 156 games and had 162 hits, 24 home runs, 90 RBIs and 16 steals, a batting average of 0.292 OPS of 0.826, Milwaukee Brewers Jackson Churio had 145 hits, 21 home runs, 79 RBIs and 22 steals in 148 games, a batting average of 0.275 OPS of 0.791, and Chicago Cubs’ Shota Imanaga had excellent performances of 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 29 games.
However, the star of the National League was Skins. Skins scored 136 points with 23 first-place votes and seven second-place votes, beating Meryl who had 104 points with seven first-place votes and 23 second-place votes. Third-place finisher Choo Shin-oh had to be satisfied with 26 third-place votes and Imana had four third-place votes.
The main character in the American League was Lewis Hill. Hill, who only pitched in six games since his debut with the Yankees in 2021, and only one game last year, has helped the Yankees return to the postseason stage based on his 15-7 record and 3.50 ERA this year, including 171 strikeouts in 151 ⅔ innings in 29 appearances this year, and has enjoyed the joy of being the 10th Yankees player to win the Rookie of the Year title.
His most prominent competitor was Colton Kauser of the Baltimore Orioles. Kauser, who played 26 games since his debut in the big league last year, played in 153 games this year, recording 121 hits, 24 homers, 69 RBIs, and nine steals with a batting average of 0.242 OPS of 0.768 and earning 101 points overall with 13 first-place votes, 11 second-place votes, and 3 third-place votes, but failed to win the Rookie of the Year award due to a five-point gap to Hill, who earned 15 first-place votes, 10 second-place votes, and one third-place vote.
Meanwhile, according to ‘MLB.com ‘, it was the first time in 33 years that two starting pitchers were selected as the American-National League Rookie of the Year since Fernando Valenzuela (former Dodgers) and Dave Righetti (former Yankees) in 1981.