BBA Texas Chapter votes Hellickson for Willie Mays Award
The American League saw some great rookie performances this year. I know I saw plenty in the AL West -- Mark Trumbo, Jordan Walden, Michael Pineda, Dustin Ackley. I expect all of those players to give my Rangers nightmares for years to come. Despite that, none of them earned a spot on my ballot for the Willie Mays Award, which is designated for the top rookie in each league.
I have a weak spot for native Iowan Jeremy Hellickson. My Rangers fared well against him, but the Iowa kid had a great rookie season in Tampa Bay. He started 29 games and finished 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA. Under 3.00 is pretty dang good, rookie or not. He struck out 117 and walked 72. If he can get that ratio down, he is going to be a very powerful weapon for the Rays.
The Royals fans I know definitely enjoyed the call-up of Eric Hosmer. He wasted no time living up to the buzz he'd created in the minors either. He finished the season with a batting average of .293 and an OPS of .799. He hit 19 HR and drove in 78 runs.
Ivan Nova hit a bump mid-season that got him demoted, but it didn't do much to tarnish his year. He started 27 games and finished with a 16-4 record and a 3.70 ERA. He struck out 98 and walked just 57 in 165 innings. He was a pretty bright spot for the Yankees rotation, and it's easy to see why fans dubbed him "SuperNova."
I really have to give an honorable mention to Michael Pineda. He is a formidable pitcher, setting up a crazy one-two punch in the Seattle rotation. He pitched 171 innings and finished with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He walked just 55 while striking out 173. Unbelievable. They had to ease up on his innings in the second half of the season, so just wait until he goes a whole season strong.
Again, 40-year Ranger Fan weighed in on this award. We agreed on the first two and were split on the last one, so our combined ballot comes out like this:
1: Jeremy Hellickson (TB)
2. Eric Hosmer (KC)
3 (TIE): Ivan Nova (NYY) and Mark Trumbo (LAA)
