There have been 146 players in MLB history to win a Rookie of the Year Award, and no franchise has earned more than the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers’ most recent National League Rookie of the Year was Cody Bellinger, who was a unanimous selection in 2017.
The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA), which selected one winner annually from 1940-1946. The Rookie of the Year became a national award in 1947, which was won by Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson.
Rookie of the Year was only presented to one player for two years, then in 1949 it was awarded to one each from the American League and NL. It was renamed the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award in July 1987.
The Dodgers franchise has the most Rookie of the Year winners in MLB history with 18, doubling the next-closest team, New York Yankees. The Oakland Athletics have had eight Rookie of the Year Awards, and the Boston/Atlanta Braves have seven in their franchise history.
History of Dodgers Rookie of the Year Award winners
Jackie Robinson, 1947
Robinson broke the color barrier in MLB on April 15, 1947, and went on to have a prolific season in which he batted .297/.383/.427 with 31 doubles and 12 home runs. Robinson additionally led the NL with 29 stolen bases.
Don Newcombe, 1949
Just 23 years old at the time, Newcombe finished the season 17-8 with one save in 38 games (31 starts) and an NL-best five shutouts. He became the first recipient of the Cy Young Award in 1956, and also was voted NL MVP that same season.
Newcombe was the only player in MLB history to win all three awards plus have a World Series ring, until Justin Verlander matched the accomplishment in 2017. Newcombe passed away in 2019 at the age of 92.
Joe Black, 1952
Despite starting just two of his 56 appearances during the regular season, Black not only earned Rookie of the Year, he additionally finished third in MVP voting.
The right-hander went 15-4 with 15 saves, pitching to a 2.15 ERA and leading the Majors with 41 games finished.
Jim Gilliam, 1953
A two-time All-Star once his 14-year career concluded, Gilliam batted .278/.373/.415 with 31 doubles, an MLB-leading 17 triples, plus six home runs and 21 stolen bases in his rookie season with Brooklyn. He also set a Dodgers rookie record with 100 walks.
Frank Howard, 1960
Howard holds the distinction of being the first L.A. Dodgers player to win Rookie of the Year, as he made an impact after joining the club from the Minors in May of the 1960 season. He appeared in 117 games and hit .268/.320/.464 with 15 doubles, 23 home runs and 77 RBI.
Jim Lefebvre, 1965
Lefebvre had a modest year in which he hit .250/.337/.369 with 21 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and 69 RBI. He tied for the team lead with 12 homers.
Ted Sizemore, 1969
Sizemore reached the Majors three years after being drafted by the Dodgers in the 15th round. A Rookie of the Year campaign saw him hit .271/.328/.342 with 20 doubles, five triples, four home runs and 46 RBI. All the while playing both second base and shortstop.
Rick Sutcliffe, 1979
Sutcliffe began the first of three streaks that saw a Dodgers player win Rookie of the Year at least in back-to-back years. In his first full MLB season, the right-hander went 17-10 with a 3.46 ERA in 39 games (30 starts).
Steve Howe, 1980
One year removed from being the Dodgers’ first-round pick in the 1979 Draft, Howe appeared in 59 games, registered 17 saves and sported a 2.66 ERA.
Fernando Valenzuela, 1981
Valenzuela quickly captivated fans and the sport alike by beginning the 1981 season with eight consecutive complete games, including five shutouts. The season was shortened due to a strike, but the left-hander nonetheless went 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA, 11 complete games and eight shoutouts in 25 starts.
Valenzuela additionally earned a Cy Young Award in 1981.
Steve Sax, 1982
Sax hit .282/.335/.359 with 23 doubles, seven triples, four home runs and 49 stolen bases over 150 games as he took over for Davey Lopes as the starting second baseman. Sax winning gave the Dodgers four consecutive Rookie of the Year winners, a record they later broke.
Eric Karros, 1992
The Dodgers collectively had a subpar season, but Karros took home hardware after batting .257/.304/.426 with 30 doubles, 20 home runs and 88 RBI. He started a second Dodgers streak of Rookie of the Year Award winners, and one that best the franchise’s previous run.
Mike Piazza, 1993
Piazza resides as the only Dodgers catcher to ever win Rookie of the Year, and he was their first unanimous selection. The Hall-of-Fame catcher hit .318/.370/.561 with 24 doubles, 35 home runs and 112 RBI over 149 games.
Piazza’s 35 homers were a Dodgers rookie record that Bellinger broke in 2017, and the 1993 season marked the start of six straight All-Star Game selections.
Raul Mondesi, 1994
A dynamic talent and electric arm in right field, Mondesi hit .306/.333/.516 with 27 doubles, 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 112 games before a strike ended the season in August.
Hideo Nomo, 1995
Already transcendent in being a Japanese-born player who made the jump stateside, Nomo added to his legend by going 13-6 with a 2.54 ERA in 28 starts for the Dodgers. He led the NL with 236 strikeouts and three shutouts.
Todd Hollandsworth, 1996
Marking the end of the Dodgers’ five consecutive Rookie of the Year winners, Hollandsworth batted .291/.348/.437 with 26 doubles, 12 home runs, 59 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Hollandsworth winning the award was something of an upset, as he edged Florida Marlins’ Edgar Reneteria.
Corey Seager, 2016
A decade-long Rookie of the Year drought for the franchise was ended in emphatic fashion as Seager hit 308/.365/.512 with 40 doubles, five triples, 26 home runs and 72 RBI over 157 games. He was the Dodgers’ second-ever unanimous Rookie of the Year winner, also won a Silver Slugger Award and finished third in MVP voting.
Cody Bellinger, 2017
Much like Seager the season prior, Bellinger was the clear choice for Rookie of the Year. That was despite beginning the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City and only joining the Dodgers near the end of April because of a rash of injuries.
Bellinger initially was expected to only remain with the team for a brief period, but his production kept him in the lineup for good. He broke Piazza’s NL rookie home run record with 39 (it was then bested by the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso in 2019).
