And the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year Is...?

Looking to resurrect the pitching glory days of the Braves, they brought back Smoltz and Glavine. With Maddux not able to round out the three amigos, they need to fill his vacancy with someone young who can learn their trade. Jair Jurrjens is not your poster name like Maddux, Glavine, or Smoltz but he can pitch, and that's all that matters in Hotlanta. He was a key piece in the trade that saw Rentaria leave Atlanta. Jurrjens has a lot going for him. He is in a system with a lot of older players who could see time off. Mike Hampton is in the rotation which means he will see time each time Mike goes down, which will be often. He is a bit inconsistent so there will be stretches that he gets knocked around. But he can make a strong case for Rookie of the Year if the Braves make a playoff push with him in the rotation.

Joey Votto: The Reds have a lot of young talent in the system. However, their payroll has a lot of expensive veterans playing on the field. Scott Hattenburg is holding onto the first base job but with any slip look for Votto to jump in. He has a swift bat that could lead to a .300 average and 25 home runs. He can even move a bit and steal a few bases. Votto could leave strong impressions on the voters if he becomes the starter. What will hurt him is if he struggles at all the Reds may not give him many opportunities limiting his role.

J.R. Towles: He already has the starting role in Houston. In fact there was not even a chance for anyone else. J.R. will spin himself a fantasy tale and hit .250 with average home runs. The Astros are committed to him and because of this he may improve his chances or hinder them. If he hits solid and can contribute everyday like the Astros hope, then he can make a push for R.O.Y. However, look for growing pains and plenty of patience from the Astros. Towles will not put up a solid R.O.Y performance, but he can still surprise me and exceed average expectations.

Manny Parra: The Brewers young team gets stronger and stronger. Manny Parra is a potentially dominant pitcher. The Brew Crew has him limited to relief duties but look for him to gain a fifth starter role and slowly move up. He had a torn rotator cuff two years ago but after rehabbing it became better than before. If that shoulder stays healthy and he gets a solid shot at the back end of the rotation, Parra can turn some heads. He gets the ground ball outs and does not give up the long ball. He gets solid strike outs so what is not to like? I wonder the same thing. Parra will be a great asset when the Brewers make their playoff run which will help his voting cause.

Geovany Soto: That is correct there are two rookie catchers this year who could win. Many experts like this kid but they are clouded because they see him as a top 10 catcher in the big leagues. But the catcher position is a very week one right now. Anyone who plays fantasy sports can see that. Just because he becomes a top level talent in a position does not earn him the title of rookie of the year. I believe he has better abilities than Towles and has a better mentor behind him in Henry Blanco. Because of his fantasy abilities he may become a fan favorite towards year end. But look for yet another historic Cubs collapse to kill his shot at Rookie of the Year. Although he may not be to blame, my pick for R.O.Y. will be the one to finish off the Cubs. This ends Soto's chances and he loses a few votes.

Chin-Lung Hu: The Dodgers top prospect is a Troy Tulowitzki type player. He can instantly become one of the best defensive shortstops in the game and challenge TT for Gold Gloves for years to come. He added 15 pounds over the last season to add a bit of pop to his bat. He will hit above .300 and below average power. He will get the call to the show as either a utility player or because of injury. Hu has great range and is the defensive rookie of the year but that does not translate into the award.

 

AND THE WINNER IS:  As I touched on in my previous article, I have Jair Jurrjens winning. Behind Jair in the voting is Cameron Maybin. Currently, experts have Soto, Cueto, or Bruce winning. I touched early on Soto making a solid run but a Cubs collapse kills his shot. Jurrjens catches fire late and the Braves win the division. He becomes a hot pick and wins by a slight margin. Maybin comes on strong and his production slips just a bit throughout the year. Maybin plays well all year but he puts up above average numbers. Jurrjens goes 4-0 in September with a small ERA and slips by Maybin. It will be a two way race with Soto and Maybin until the last month and Jurrjens slingshots into the lead for the win. 

Thanks for reading, if you think I missed anyone here feel free to post it and I will tel you why they did not make the list. Here is my AL article. 

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