Leading up to the March draft, the incoming 2016 rookie class was dubbed as one of the strongest and deepest in league history. A bunch of young phenoms made their MLB debuts in 2015 and were therefore part of a loaded 2016 DTBL Draft class. Not surprisingly, those rookies didn’t disappoint. Several of the first year players not only made immediate impacts for their teams, but were also among the top players in the league. The best early performers of that class included several of the first players taken in the draft, as well as a few later surprises. The top two rookies were teammates on the World Champion Cubs. In a relatively close vote, the 2016 DTBL Rookie of the Year is Cougars third baseman Kris Bryant.
Just last week, Bryant won the NL MVP award a year after winning NL Rookie of the Year. In the DTBL, he will be a candidate to win both in his debut season. He finished eighth in the league in home runs (39) and fourth in runs scored (121). His 102 runs batted in and .292 batting average were quite solid numbers as well. He also stole eight bases, cementing his place as one of the game’s best all-around players already. Bryant topped all rookies with an 8.2 PAR and was easily the best offensive player on the Cougars roster.
Bryant was clearly one of the most coveted players in this year’s draft. The Cougars were happy to grab him with the second pick in that draft, following the Kings selection of Carlos Correa. Unfortunately for the Cougars, Byrant’s contributions weren’t enough to save them from last place, so they ought to be able to add another key piece to their foundation with the first pick next year. If they hit another home run like they did with Bryant, the future will be bright. The 24 year old Bryant figures to be an offensive star for a very long time to come. This ends a string of three consecutive pitchers winning ROY. The last hitter to win the award, a guy named Mike Trout.
It basically turned into a two man race for this award between Bryant and his Cubs teammate, Kyle Hendricks. Bryant received seven of the ten first place votes, plus two seconds and a third for a total of 89 points. Hendricks received the other three first place votes and finished with 75 points. Of all the rookies who had great seasons, Hendricks had to have been the biggest surprise. All the Moonshiners 10th round pick did was lead the league in ERA and WHIP and should be a strong contender for the Cy Young award. The other top five vote-getters were all first round selections. Finishing third was Naturals pitcher Noah Syndergaard. He received a bulk of the third place votes and, like Bryant and Hendricks, appeared on all ten ballots. He accumulated 48 points. Next came another early draft pick who lived up to the hype, Gators shortstop Corey Seager. Interestingly, the top four finishers for this award each are members of different teams that finished in the bottom half of the standings, so they provide some hope for the future for their respective teams. Rounding out the top five is yet another early draft pick, Demigods shortstop Francisco Lindor. So for those of you scoring at home, that’s four of the top six picks in the draft finishing in the top five of the Rookie of the Year vote. I think it is also worth mentioning the sixth place finisher, Naturals second baseman Trea Turner, who made a huge impact in just one half a season’s worth of action.
Click here to view the full voting results.
Next up on the awards docket is the Cy Young award, which will should be announced on Wednesday.