Kevin McGonigle Led the American League in WAR as a Rookie. Nobody Has Done That Since Mike Trout.
Kevin McGonigle just had the best rookie season in Major League Baseball since Mike Trout, and the vote was not close.
The Detroit Tigers infielder won the American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award on Monday, taking 28 of 30 first-place votes and 204 points in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America balloting. Cleveland’s Parker Messick finished second with 122 points and two first-place votes. Boston’s Payton Tolle was third with 54.
7.1 Wins Above Replacement, Most of It at Age 21
McGonigle led the American League in bWAR at 7.1 and in plate appearances at 707. He posted a .376 on-base percentage and an .806 OPS, collecting 168 hits, 95 walks, 97 runs, 28 doubles, 18 home runs, 72 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He was credited with 10 defensive runs saved, split between shortstop and third base.
No rookie had led his league in bWAR since Trout posted 10.5 in 2012. McGonigle is the first Tigers position player to win the award since Lou Whitaker in 1978 and the sixth Detroit winner overall. He is also the first rookie since Ted Williams in 1939 to pair 97 runs, 28 doubles, 18 home runs and 72 RBI with 95 walks.
He never went more than three games without a hit all season. His longest hitting streak was 13 games, in late April.
McGonigle, who turned 22 in August, was Detroit’s 37th overall pick in 2023 out of the Philadelphia area. He grew up idolizing Chase Utley.
“It’s really surreal,” he said. “I don’t really know how to put it into words.”
Manager A.J. Hinch had fewer reservations. “He is phenomenal in every way and deserves the hardware he’s about to get,” Hinch said. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris went further, calling it “one of the best rookie seasons, certainly in this organization’s history, but maybe of all time.”
Sal Stewart Did Something No Reds Rookie Has Done Since Frank Robinson
Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart took the National League award with 20 first-place votes and 170 points. He was the only NL player named on all 30 ballots. Carson Benge of the Mets was second at 107 points, JJ Wetherholt of the Cardinals third at 99.
Stewart hit .263/.330/.457 with 32 home runs and 112 RBI while playing all 162 games. He is the first rookie to appear in every game since Delmon Young in 2007 and the first National League rookie with 30 home runs since Pete Alonso hit 53 in 2019. His 32 homers were 12 more than any other NL rookie, and his RBI total finished nearly 40 clear of the rest of the class.
He is also the first Reds rookie with a 30-homer, 100-RBI season since Frank Robinson in 1956, and only the second in franchise history.
Stewart’s first word when asked how he felt was “Relieved.” He followed it with this: “A lot of people doubted me.” He said being available every day was the accomplishment he valued most, then closed with a promise. “My career is just getting started. I promise you, this is just a stepping stone.”
Both Clubs Get Paid for It
Detroit and Cincinnati each earn a supplemental pick after the first round of the 2027 draft through the Prospect Promotion Incentive, which rewards teams for carrying top prospects on Opening Day rosters instead of stashing them in the minors for service-time reasons. Two of those payouts in the same award cycle is rare.
Cincinnati finished last in the NL Central at 75 wins and got a franchise-record rookie season out of it. Detroit got the most valuable rookie year anyone has produced in 14 seasons. Only one of those clubs has a reason to feel good about the winter.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
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