Willie Mays Award – Top Rookie: Kimbrel lights up NL voting, Hosmer takes home AL
As part of our membership duties to the BBA (Baseball Bloggers Alliance) we are releasing our results for the next award: Willie Mays Award – Top Rookies.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points | |
| Craig Kimbrel | 12 | 2 | 66 | |
| Freddie Freeman | 1 | 8 | 1 | 30 |
| Vance Worley | 2 | 6 | 12 | |
| Danny Espinosa | 1 | 4 | 7 | |
| Brandon Beachy | 1 | 5 | ||
| Wilson Ramos | 1 | 2 | 5 | |
| Dillon Gee | 1 | 3 |
NL Rookie of the Year – Craig Kimbrel
Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel took home TTFB NL rookie honors by beating out fellow Braves teammate Freddie Freeman. Kimbrel collected 12 of the 14 first-place votes from writers who participated from the TTFB staff. Two Braves players, Freeman and Brandon Beachy, grabbed the other first place votes.
Kimbrel, a Wallace State CC graduate, is a 23-year-old flamethrower who the Braves drafted in 2008 as a third-round pick.
He led the NL with 46 saves and had the longest scoreless streak in the majors, surpassing Cliff Lee’s 34-inning streak.
AL Rookie of the Year – Eric Hosmer
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points | |
| Eric Hosmer | 5 | 4 | 3 | 40 |
| Jeremy Hellickson | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| Michael Pineda | 3 | 1 | 1 | 19 |
| Ivan Nova | 2 | 2 | 3 | 19 |
| Mark Trumbo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| Dustin Ackley | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Desmond Jennings | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Brett Lawrie | 1 | 3 | ||
| Jemil Weeks | 1 | 3 |
The Kansas City Royals and South Miami native Eric Hosmer powered his way to AL Rookie of the Year honors. Hosmer received votes from 12 of the 14 ballots and led the voting with five first-place votes. Stiff competition seemed to help Hosmer as the other votes were spread out among five players who received first place votes.
Hosmer, 21, was drafted out of high school in the first round, a third-overall pick.
A big lefty first basemen, Hosmer hit 19 home runs with 78 RBIs and finished with a .293/.334/.465 line.
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