*Photo from Camden Chat*
These two were spectacular rookies this year. Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll were selected as the 2023 AL and NL Rookies of the Year on Monday.
Both Henderson and Carroll were selected unanimously. This is the 5th time in the history of the voting that two players won unanimously in the same year and the first since 2017, when Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger took home the awards unanimously.
Henderson became the 13th unanimous AL winner and the first unanimous Orioles rookie to win the award. He's the 8th Oriole rookie to win the award all time and the first since Gregg Olson in 1989, which was the second longest active drought by team, behind only the San Diego Padres.
With the Orioles winning 101 games and the AL East title, Henderson was a key figure in doing so. He had a .255/.325/.489 slash line, belting 28 home runs with 29 doubles and 82 RBI's in 150 games. He added in above average defense at both 3rd base and shortstop while collecting a Silver Slugger award.
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee and Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas were the finalists alongside Henderson, with Bibee coming in second and Casas in 3rd. Josh Jung, Yainer Diaz, and Masataka Yoshida came in 4th, 5th, and 6th place respectively.
Carroll became the 14th unanimous NL winner and the first D-Backs player to win rookie of the year. Up until this, the D-Backs had been the only franchise without a player having won the award. The closest they came was in 2012, when Wade Miley finished as the runner up to Bryce Harper.
Signing a hefty extension before opening day, Carroll dazzled on the field in 2023. He had a .285/.362/.506 slash line, hitting 25 home runs with 10 triples, 54 stolen bases, and 76 RBI's over 155 games. He became the first rookie to record a 25 homer and 50 steal season and the 4th rookie to have a 25 homer and 25 steal season.
New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder James Outman were the finalists alongside Henderson, with Senga finishing in second and Outman in 3rd. Nolan Jones, Matt McClain, and Spencer Steer came in 4th, 5th, and 6th in the voting.
Thanks to the prospect promotion initiative agreed upon in the CBA, both the Orioles and D-Backs will receive an additional first round pick for their players winning the award. The initiative also awarded Bibee, who debuted at the end of April, a full year of major league service time.
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