The Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Nov. 11 announced the finalists for its Rookie of the Year Awards. Many Boston Red Sox fans take issue with its American League selections.
Red Sox rookie Wilyer Abreu was not selected among the three AL ROY finalists. Colton Cowser, Austin Wells and Luis Gil — all AL East rivals — are the three youngsters nominated for this season’s title.
Red Sox Nation has voiced its displeasure with the snub of Abreu. It could be argued he posted a better campaign than both Wells and Cowser on both sides of the ball.
Abreu and Wells aren’t easily compared because their positions are so different, but Boston’s rookie outfielder has New York’s catcher beat in almost every offensive category. Abreu slashed .253/.322/.459 with a .781 OPS compared to Wells’ .229/.322/.395 slash line and .717 OPS. Abreu led all rookies with 33 doubles, along with two triples, 15 homers and 58 RBI. Wells clocked 18 doubles, one triple, 13 homers and 55 RBI.
Red Sox fans rush to Wilyer Abreu’s defense after snub from AL Rookie of the Year finalists list
It could also be argued Abreu should’ve been featured over Cowser, although it’s a tougher stance. Cowser slashed .242/.321/.44 with a .768 OPS, 24 doubles, three triples, 24 homers and 69 RBI. Cowser posted 21 more games than Abreu in his rookie season, but Abreu collected one less extra-base hit in his shorter playing time.
Cowser spent the majority of his campaign in left field but posted outstanding defensive numbers across Baltimore’s outfield. He logged 11 outs above average to Abreu’s seven, but Abreu boasts nine outfield assists to Cowser’s three. Abreu also notched 16 defensive runs saved, while Cowser collected only three.
Abreu earned some hardware for his stellar defense in one of the hardest right fields in the league. The 25-year-old became just the fifth Red Sox right fielder of all time to secure a Gold Glove for his performance.
Abreu’s outstanding defense should’ve been enough to earn him contention for ROY, although it would’ve been hard for him to beat Gil had he been nominated. The Red Sox’s recent playoff misses have kept them out of the conversation for multiple individual awards, but Abreu deserves recognition for his rookie campaign.
