Jose Abreu Wins 2014 AL Rookie of the Year Award: Voting Results, Reaction

Coming off one of the most impressive debut seasons by a hitter in years, Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu has been named the 2014 American League Rookie of the Year. 

The Fox Sports MLB account had the news:

ESPN's SportsCenter account put Abreu's incredible rookie season into perspective: 

Abreu is the first White Sox player to win the prestigious award since Ozzie Guillen in 1985, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

The White Sox created a stir last year when they signed Abreu to a six-year, $68 million contract. According to David Adams of Reuters, via Yahoo Sports, that was the largest rookie free-agent contract ever given to an international player. 

Based on Abreu's performance in Cuba's Serie Nacional, it seemed at the time of his August 2013 defection that the investment was worth it. Abreu set the Serie Nacional home run record in 2010-11 with 33 home runs (a mark that would fall a season later) in just 66 games. He hit .453/.597/.986 that year, winning the league’s MVP.

However, Ben Badler of Baseball America—after the site named Abreu as its Rookie of the Year—talked to an international scout about Abreu prior to signing with a team. The scout was harsh in his criticism about the slugger's MLB potential:

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He’s turning 27 years old and has a career full of 85 to 87 mile an hour fastballs. He’s not an athlete and he doesn’t have bat speed. You’re asking a 27-year-old non-athlete to go to the big leagues and make an adjustment. Against 97 (mph), this guy has no chance. All of us who know him are all saying the same thing.

"

With all the pressure that comes with being a high-profile hitter and signing a record-breaking contract, the 27-year-old Abreu had a lot to live up to. He more than held up his end of the bargain this year with a .317/.383/.581 slash line and 36 homers. His slugging percentage was the best in baseball, and he tied for fourth in homers. 

Even more impressive was the way Abreu got stronger as the season went on. According to ESPN's Mark Simon on Sept. 21, the White Sox star had the second-highest OPS in baseball after the All-Star break:

There was a time, in mid-August, when it seemed like Abreu was fading from the long MLB season. He went 18 games without a homer from July 30 through Aug. 18. On Aug. 16, he told Jorge Ortiz of USA Today that so many games and time away from his family were taking a toll on him:

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We play so many games, you get to a point you want (the season) to end. It's too much, but that's what you have to deal with and you've got to be strong. I've been counting down since the 58th game and we still have (41) left. Wow. It's not so much that you get tired, but you spend so much time away from your family, and I'm a family guy. I want to be with them.

"

It likely didn't help Abreu's mindset that he was playing on a team that was out of playoff contention early in the season. Even with the diminished power in the second half, he hit a robust .350/.435/.513 in 63 games during the second half of the season, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

Considering how hard power is to find and what teams are willing to pay great hitters who can hit the ball over the fence, that contract Abreu signed in October 2013 looks like one of the best bargains in baseball.

Abreu rewarded Chicago's scouting efforts with a Rookie of the Year award and has given them the luxury of knowing the No. 3 spot in their lineup is secure for the long-term future. That's not something many teams in baseball can say right now. 

As for the National League award, Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets took home the honors:

The 6'4" right-hander went 9-6 with a 2.69 ERA over 140.1 innings to lock down the NL award. With the plethora of young arms in New York's rotation, deGrom and Co. have the Mets' future looking bright.

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