Tampa Bay Rays outfielder and the Cincinnati Reds’ Jonathan India were named respective American League and National League winners of the 2021 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award.
Arozarena received 22 first-place votes and 124 overall points to earn the honor. Houston Astros pitcher Luis Garcia finished in second place with two first-place votes and 63 points. Rays shortstop Wander Franco represented the third finalist with two first-place votes and 30 points.
Arozarena is the fourth player in Rays franchise history to win AL Rookie of the Year and their first since Wil Myers in 2013. The 26-year-old is just the sixth Cuban to to ever be voted Rookie of the Year.
After setting MLB records last year for most home runs (10) and hits (29) in a single postseason, Arozarena built on that to finish the season batting .274/.356/.459 with 32 doubles, 20 home runs, 69 RBI and 20 stolen bases.
His 20-20 season was just the third by a rookie in the past 10 years; Mike Trout (2012) and Andrew Benintendi also are part of that group.
Meanwhile, India took a different path to his Rookie of the Year honor as his MLB debut didn’t come until this past season and last year’s Minor League campaign was lost to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
India performed well in Spring Training and went on to become the youngest player on the Reds’ Opening Day roster and their first second baseman to make his debut in a season opener since Pete Rose in 1963.
India led all rookies in baseball in on-base percentage (.376), doubles (34), walks (71), runs scored (98) and games played (150); he additionally ranked second in on-base plus slugging percentage (.835).
India is the eighth Reds player to be voted Rookie of the Year and the franchise’s first since Scott Williamson in 1999. India received the first-place vote on all but one of the 30 ballots cast.
Miami Marlins pitcher Trevor Rogers received one first-place vote to prevent India from being a unanimous selection.
Dodgers history of Rookie of the Year winners
Combined, the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers have produced the most Rookie of the Year Award winners in MLB history with 18. The New York Yankees are second with nine, followed by the Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics having eight each.
Cody Bellinger was the last Dodgers’ Rookie of the Year in 2017.
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