2021 Midseason Awards: Manager and Rookie of the Year

Rookie of the Year

This season, the battle for the American League Rookie of the Year award is between two players: Luis García and Adolis García. Though it’s hard to compare a pitcher and a hitter, I’ll do my best to truly evaluate the importance of these players to their teams.

We begin with Houston Astros pitcher Luis García. This season, in 16 appearances, García has a 6-4 record. He has 90 strikeouts in 80.1 innings pitched and has a 3.14 ERA.

All of this accounts for a 1.4 fWAR and a win probability added of 1.02.

Comparatively, Adolis García came out with a bang. His 20 home runs are top 10 in MLB and has catapulted him into a legitimate power threat in the middle of the Texas Rangers lineup. His .522 slugging percentage places him between the likes of Aaron Judge (.523 SLG) and Salvador Perez (.511 SLG). That’s some good company.

All of this accounts for a 2.0 fWAR and a win probability added of 1.35.

Verdict: Adolis García is the AL Rookie of the Year

In the National League, the battle is currently between two pitchers. They are Miami Marlins lefty Trevor Rogers and Atlanta Braves righty Ian Anderson.

This season, Rogers boasts a 7-5 record for the last-place Marlins. In 97 1/3 innings, he has struck out 118 batters, which ranks sixth in the National League. His 2.22 ERA and 2.48 FIP put him in the top five of pitchers in the NL.

He has a 3.0 fWAR and a win probability added of 1.89.

On the other hand, there’s Ian Anderson, who is putting together a phenomenal rookie campaign as well. In 16 starts this season, he has a 5-4 record and has tossed 88 ⅔ innings. In all, he has 90 strikeouts and boasts a 3.35 ERA, which is top 20 in the NL.

He has a 1.9 fWAR and a win probability added of 0.83.

Verdict: Taylor Rogers is the NL Rookie of the Year