Didi Gregorius Not Impressed With Shohei Ohtani’s Rookie Of The Year Win

The New York Yankees had two cracks at this season’s American League Rookie of the Year Award, but the honor won’t be coming back to the Bronx.

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani took home the hardware in an effective landslide, earning 25 of the 30 first-place votes. While there obviously is bias in play, one Yankees household name wasn’t exactly thrilled with the Rookie of the Year results.

Ohtani’s ROY competition included a pair of Yankees infielders: 2018 All-Star Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar, who received the other five first-place votes.

But does Gregorius have a fair gripe? Let’s take a look at the tale of the tape.

Torres made the most of his playing time, posting a .271 batting average with 24 home runs and 77 RBIs in just 123 games. Andujar was even more impressive, owning a .297 batting with 27 home runs and 92 RBIs. Andujar’s third-base defense was subpar, however, which might have played a part in his voting sock.

Ohtani got off to a screaming start to his MLB career, but nagging injuries limited the Japanese phenom to 104 games. Still, the 24-year-old managed to collect a .285 batting average with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs. Ohtani’s dual-threat ability certainly took him over the top, though, as he earned a 4-2 record as a starting pitcher with a 3.31 ERA over 10 starts.

Torres and Andujar both posted fine rookie seasons, and their efforts helped the Yankees notch 100 regular-season wins. But it’s tough not to recognize a first-year player who shined as both a pitcher and position player.