 | A request that this article title be changed isunder discussion. Pleasedo not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
 Jackie Robinson, the inaugural winner in 1947 and eventual namesake of the award | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Awarded for | Best regular-season rookie inAmerican League andNational League |
| History | |
| First award | 1947 |
| Most recent | Paul Skenes (NL) Luis Gil (AL) |
| Website | Rookie of the Year |
InMajor League Baseball, theRookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for theAmerican League (AL) andNational League (NL), as voted on by theBaseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946.[1] The award became national in 1947;Jackie Robinson, theBrooklyn Dodgers'second baseman, won the inaugural award. One award was presented for all of MLB in 1947 and 1948; since 1949, the honor has been given to one player each in the NL and AL. Originally, the award was known as theJ. Louis Comiskey Memorial Award, named after theChicago White Sox owner of the 1930s. The award was renamed theJackie Robinson Award in July 1987,[2] 40 years after Robinson broke thebaseball color line.
Nineteen players have been elected to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame—Robinson, seven AL players, and eleven others from the NL. The award has been shared twice: once byButch Metzger andPat Zachry of the NL in 1976; and once byJohn Castino andAlfredo Griffin of the AL in 1979. Members of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers have won the most awards of any franchise (with 18).Fred Lynn andIchiro Suzuki are the only two players who have been named Rookie of the Year andMost Valuable Player in the same year, andFernando Valenzuela is the only player to have won Rookie of the Year and theCy Young Award in the same year.Sam Jethroe is the oldest player to have won the award, at age 32,[3] 33 days older than 2000 winnerKazuhiro Sasaki (also 32).[4]Luis Gil of theNew York Yankees andPaul Skenes of thePittsburgh Pirates are the most recent winners.
From 1947 through 1956, each BBWAA voter used discretion as to who qualified as a rookie. In 1957, the term was first defined as someone with fewer than 75at-bats or 45innings pitched in any previous Major League season.[1] This guideline was later amended to 90 at-bats, 45 innings pitched, or 45 days on a Major League roster before September 1 of the previous year.[1] The current standard of 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club (excluding time inmilitary service or on theinjury list) before September 1 was adopted in 1971.[1][5]
Since 1980, each voter names three rookies: a first-place choice is given five points, a second-place choice three points, and a third-place choice one point. The award goes to the player who receives the most overall points.[1][6]Edinson Vólquez received three second-place votes in 2008 balloting despite no longer being a rookie under the award's definition.[7][8]
The award has drawn criticism in recent years because several players with experience inNippon Professional Baseball (NPB) have won the award, such asHideo Nomo in 1995,Kazuhiro Sasaki in 2000,Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, andShohei Ohtani in 2018. The current definition of rookie status for the award is based only on Major League experience, but some feel that past NPB players are not true rookies because of their past professional experience. Others, however, believe it should make no difference since the first recipient and the award's namesake played for theNegro leagues before his MLB career and thus could also not be considered a "true rookie".[9][10] This issue arose in 2003 whenHideki Matsui narrowly lost the AL award toÁngel Berroa.Jim Souhan of theMinneapolis Star Tribune said he did not see Matsui as a rookie in 2003 because "it would be an insult to the Japanese league to pretend that experience didn't count."[9]The Japan Times ran a story in 2007 on the labeling ofDaisuke Matsuzaka,Kei Igawa, andHideki Okajima as rookies, saying "[t]hese guys aren't rookies."[10] Past winners such as Jackie Robinson,Don Newcombe, and Sam Jethroe had professional experience in theNegro leagues.
| Year | Links to the article about the corresponding Major League Baseball season |
| † | Member of theNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |
| ^ | Denotes player who is still active |
| * | Denotes year in which the award was shared |
| § | Unanimous selection |
| + | Denotes lead Major Leagues in that category |
| Year | Player | Team | Position | Selected statistics | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Jackie Robinson† | Brooklyn Dodgers | 1B | [11] | |
| 1948 | Alvin Dark | Boston Braves | SS | [12] |
FollowingCorbin Carroll winning the award as a member of theArizona Diamondbacks, every MLB franchise has had at least one Rookie of the Year winner. The Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers have won more than any other team with 18.
| Teams | Awards | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers | 18 | 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1960, 1965, 1969, 1979–1982, 1992–1996, 2016, 2017 |
| New York Yankees | 10 | 1951, 1954, 1957, 1962, 1968, 1970, 1981, 1996, 2017, 2024 |
| Boston/Atlanta Braves | 9 | 1948, 1950, 1971, 1978, 1990, 2000, 2011, 2018, 2022 |
| Philadelphia/Oakland Athletics | 8 | 1952, 1986–1988, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2009 |
| St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles | 1949, 1960, 1965, 1973, 1977, 1982, 1989, 2023 | |
| Cincinnati Reds | 1956, 1963, 1966, 1968, 1976, 1988, 1999, 2021 | |
| Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins | 7 | 1958, 1959, 1964, 1967, 1979, 1991, 1995 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 6 | 1954, 1955, 1974, 1985, 1986, 2001 |
| Boston Red Sox | 1950, 1961, 1972, 1975, 1997, 2007 | |
| New York/San Francisco Giants | 1951, 1958, 1959, 1973, 1975, 2010 | |
| Chicago White Sox | 1956, 1963, 1966, 1983, 1985, 2014 | |
| Chicago Cubs | 1961, 1962, 1989, 1998, 2008, 2015 | |
| New York Mets | 1967, 1972, 1983, 1984, 2014, 2019 | |
| Detroit Tigers | 5 | 1953, 1976, 1978, 2006, 2016 |
| Seattle Mariners | 1984, 2000, 2001, 2020, 2022 | |
| Cleveland Guardians | 4 | 1955, 1971, 1980, 1990 |
| Kansas City Royals | 1969, 1994, 1999, 2003 | |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 1957, 1964, 1997, 2005 | |
| Miami Marlins | 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013 | |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 2008, 2011, 2013, 2021 | |
| Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals | 3 | 1970, 1977, 2012 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 1993, 2012, 2018 | |
| Houston Astros | 1991, 2015, 2019 | |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 1992, 2007, 2020 | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 2 | 2004, 2024 |
| San Diego Padres | 1976, 1987 | |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 1979, 2002 | |
| Texas Rangers | 1974, 2010 | |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 1 | 2023 |
| Colorado Rockies | 2002 |
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