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Initially thought to be a weak class, the 2010 DTBL rookies proved themselves to be a very capable group of first year players.\u00a0 But one player stood head and shoulders above the rest.\u00a0 Kings outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was unanimously voted the 2010 DTBL Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez was probably the biggest reason why the Kings were able to rebound from a last place finish in 2009 to finish in fourth place this year, just four points behind the co-champions.\u00a0 Not only was he their best rookie, he was probably the best player on the team.\u00a0 He hit .336 with 34 home runs, 117 RBIs, 111 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.\u00a0 The batting average, home runs and runs scored led the Kings.\u00a0 He was a close second on the team in the other two categories.\u00a0 He easily led DTBL rookies in every category except stolen bases, making him a fairly obvious choice for this award.<\/p>\n
Gonzalez should be a strong candidate for the league’s Most Valuable Player award as well.\u00a0 Those incredible numbers were also among the league leaders.\u00a0 His batting average ranked second behind only Josh Hamilton.\u00a0 His home run, RBI and run totals also placed him in the top five of the league.\u00a0 Obviously, the 26 stolen bases are quite impressive as well, making him one of the elite five category players in all of baseball.\u00a0 He will try to duplicate the feat of Ryan Howard, who in 2006 won both the DTBL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards.\u00a0 The MVP winner will be announced later this week.<\/p>\n
The Kings took a bit of a gamble on the Colorado Rockies outfielder, Gonzalez, with the first pick in the second round (11th overall) in the March draft.\u00a0 He was drafted to be a solid five category player with a good upside.\u00a0 Clearly, nobody projected him as an immediate superstar though, thus the second round draft slot.\u00a0 In an unusually weak draft class for outfielders, he was the second outfielder picked, behind Andrew McCuthen who also had a strong rookie season.\u00a0 A few other players selected ahead of him did receive ROY votes, but none had anywhere near the impact of Gonzalez.<\/p>\n
As mentioned, Gonzalez won the award unanimously, receiving all ten first place votes for a total of 100 points.\u00a0 He is the first unanimous Rookie of the Year winner since Ryan Howard in 2006.\u00a0 He was not the only rookie to have a great season though.\u00a0 Mavericks closer Neftali Feliz finished second in the vote.\u00a0 Feliz burst onto the scene with 40 saves and a minuscule 0.88 WHIP.\u00a0 He received five second place votes and a total of 53 points.\u00a0 Finishing third was Moonshiners pitcher Jonathan Sanchez with three second place votes and 41 points.\u00a0 Sanchez led all rookies with 205 strike outs and 13 wins (tied with Ricky Romero).\u00a0 Jackalope third baseman Casey McGehee came in fourth with 27 points.\u00a0 McGehee’s 23 home runs and 104 RBIs were only bested by Gonzalez among the rookie class.\u00a0 Finally, Naturals outfielder McCutchen filled out the top five.\u00a0 McCutchen was another strong power and speed guy with 16 home runs and 33 steals.\u00a0 A couple starting pitchers received votes and would have probably finished higher if they had spent the entire season on DTBL rosters.\u00a0 Mat Latos and Trevor Cahill fit this description.<\/p>\n