Lookie Lookie, I Got a Rookie!

What makes a rookie a rookie? Well, a rookie is defined as a player who begins a season with fewer than 130 career at-bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 days on a team's active roster. But what makes a rookie the Rookie of the Year?

Robinson, Mays, Rose, Seaver, Strawberry and Pujols. Those are some of the names of previous National League Rookie of the Year award winners. Who is at the top of this year's list? Here they are.



Ryan Braun, 3B
This young slugger quite possibly has the best chance of winning the award. The Brewers are on the verge of the playoffs, and they probably wouldn't be so close if weren't for Braun. His 30 home runs is tied for the most among rookies, and his .324 batting average and 83 RBIs are not too shabby either. Having joined the Brewers in late May, this kid has shown some real maturity during his four-month stay, and should be a stable power threat from that Milwaukee hot corner for years to come.



Troy Tulowitzki, SS
A 2005 first-round pick, Tulowitzki came up to the Colorado Rockies for a cup of coffee towards the end of the 2006 season. A year later, he looks like he has been in the bigs for about five years. His .295 batting average currently leads all National League rookies, as do his 86 RBIs.




Chris B. Young, OF
His .236 batting average is nothing to write home about, but how bout this fact: with four more stolen bases, Young will become the first rookie ever to obtain 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. He has certainly been a force at the top of the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup.





Tim Lincecum, P
In 2006, this hard throwing righty was zooming his fastball past A-ball hitters. Now he is pitching in the major leagues for those San Francisco Giants. In 23 starts this season, Lincecum is 7-4 with an impressive 145 strikeouts in 140 innings pitched. For those of us who hate math, that's 9.32 K/9. It can't be fun to be a hitter facing this young stud.



Hunter Pence, OF
If it weren't for a month-long stay on the DL due to a fractured wrist, Pence would certainly be a front-runner for the award. With a .326/14/58/53 line, along with 10 stolen bases and 9 triples (and several dazzling catches in the spacious center field of Minute Maid Park), it is hard to discount Pence as a pure major league player.




Other possible candidates: Yovani Gallardo (MIL, P), Kyle Kendrick (PHI, P), Kevin Kouzmanoff SD, 3B), James Loney (LAD, 1B), Mark Reynolds (ARZ, 3B), Josh Hamilton (CIN, OF)



In 2005, Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was named National League Rookie of the Year. The very next year, he was the league's Most Valuable Player. That same year (2006), Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez won the Rookie of the Year award. And now, in 2007, Ramirez seems like a sure-fire candidate for the MVP. So could it be that the "sophomore jinx" is becoming extinct?


All stats current as of 9/15/07. Statistical information courtesy of MLB.com, ESPN.com and baseballreference.com.