Very few people have made such an immediate impact upon their arrival to the MLB as Gary Sanchez. I just watched him crack his 19th homerun in his 45th career game. He has also posted a .337 batting average and has driven in 38 runs over that span. In the midst of such undeniable ability, however, comes the question that everyone seems to be asking: should Gary Sanchez be voted AL Rookie of the Year?
When people began asking this question just a few weeks back, I thought they were crazy. Despite the incredible, and almost unprecedented, run that Sanchez was on (and has since continued), he simply had not played long enough to garner more votes than the top-tier candidates like Tyler Naquin (Indians OF) and Michael Fulmer (Tigers, SP). Just a short time later, however, this has turned into a legitimate debate.
Sanchez has been the centerpiece for one of the most unpredictable seasons in Yankees history. After selling off almost all their assets at the deadline, fans (including myself) were excited for the newly-stacked farm system, but conceded that the rest of the season might be a wash. Surprisingly though, since his arrival the previously .500 Yanks have gone 25-19 and have launched themselves back into postseason contention. Even though their playoff hopes look rather bleak at this point, the mere fact that a team who sold has performed better upon doing so is remarkable.
Not only has Sanchez sparked the overall success of his Yankees, but also his run has reached historic levels. He smacked 10 homeruns in his first 20 games this season, tying Graig Nettles, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle for third on the Yankees all-time list for dingers in that span. He also became the fastest player in the history of baseball to record 11 homers, and he has not stopped, adding 7 more to his homerun total since. Sanchez is, without question, must-see TV as his emergence as a rookie phenom has put the entire baseball world on notice.
But enough about Gary Sanchez, who, at least in my mind, has passed every other player in contention for the American League Rookie of the Year Award; all except one, of course: Michael Fulmer. The flamethrower, acquired by the Tigers from the Mets in last year’s deal for Yoenis Cespedes, has had a tremendous debut season. Fulmer has hurled his way to a 10-7 record, striking out 120 batters in 148.2 innings while posting a 3.03 ERA. A hard-thrower with a max-effort delivery, Fulmer has shown that he has the ability to be a force in the MLB for years to come. And here is the most significant part of his Rookie of the Year Case: he has sustained his performance for an entire season.
Nothing against Sanchez, who looks as if he has a prosperous road ahead of him, but he has only played for two months. Has his play guided a depleted Yankee’s roster into playoff contention? Yes. Has he had a historic run? Absolutely. He has not, however, sustained his performance over the course of a grueling 162 game season. Not to take anything away from the raw talent that Sanchez possesses, but there is no way in my mind he should be able to steal the Rookie of the Year Award away from Michael Fulmer.
