BBA Names 2013 Top Rookies As Recipients of Willie Mays Award

The awards season continues with the Baseball Bloggers Alliance announcement of the Willie Mays Award recipients.

The Willie Mays Award is given by the Alliance to the top rookie in each league every year.

Wil Myers – Tampa Bay Rays

The center piece of the trade that sent James Shields to the Kansas City Royals, Myers was one of baseball’s top overall prospects going into the 2013 season.  He would arrive on the scene in June and immediately show that the hype was worthy of his presence.  Myers would finish the season hitting .293 with 13 home runs and 53 runs batted in while playing highlight reel defense.  The Rays will feature Myers in the outfield for some time to come and his production will help fans accept the departure of Shields.

Myers earned 95% of the BBA vote this year.

Jose Fernandez – Miami Marlins

The National League winner had to withstand a late-season surge from Dodgers’ outfielder Yasiel Puig.  Fernandez produced a season that could withstand Puig-mania and earned the BBA’s respect along the way with 71% of the vote.

Fernandez worked hard for an underwhelming group in Miami and often took things into his own hands to produce victory.  His 12 wins and 2.19 earned run average over 28 starts was enough to garner a lot of attention for the youngster this year.  Add his 187 strikeouts and a late-season no-hitter to the list and it became evident who the top rookie was in the National League in 2013.

Previous Willie Mays Award Winners
2012: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
2011: Eric Hosmer, Kansas City/Jeremy Hellickson Tampa Bay (tie); Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta
2010: Neftali Feliz, Texas; Buster Posey, San Francisco
2009: Andrew Bailey, Oakland; Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was formed in the fall of 2009 to encourage cooperation and collaboration between baseball bloggers of all major league teams as well as those that follow baseball more generally.