Less than two weeks remain in the 2016 regular season, and that means it's time to check out where the races for individual awards stand. This time out, we'll take a peek at the NL Rookie of the Year derby.
Before we dive in, let's point out that these are not our predictions or even necessarily how we would vote. Rather, it's a snapshot of where things stand, and we're making subjective judgments on how the vote could turn out based on recent historical voting tendencies. Now let's jump in with the leading candidates for NL Rookie of the Year in 2016 ...
Yes, this one's Seager's no matter how the rest of the season plays out, and it would be a surprise if he's not a unanimous selection. He's played in 146 games and counting, and he's batted .313/.372/.522 with 25 homers and 39 doubles. Along the way, Seager's spent more than 1,200 defensive innings at shortstop. He's hitting like an All-Star first baseman, but he's answering the ball almost every day at the most premium position on the diamond. He's the no-doubt Rookie of the Year in the NL, and he's also an MVP candidate.
There's been much carnage in the Dodger rotation this season, but the 28-year-old rookie Maeda has made 29 starts. Over that span, he's pitched to an ERA of 3.24 and a K/BB ratio of 3.67. As well, he's allowed just three unearned runs in 164 innings (yes, pitchers bear some responsibility for unearned runs). In 22 of those 29 starts, Maeda has allowed three runs or fewer.
Turner's obviously light on playing time, as he's logged just 61 games and 272 plate appearances. However, he's definitely made the most of his time on the roster. Turner's batting .350/.371/.581 (148 OPS+), and he's racked up 31 extra-base hits and 27 steals. Scaled to a 162-game pace that comes to 61 extra-base hits and 53 stolen bases. Need more? Turner's also taken the extra base an impressive 57 percent of the time and spent time at three different up-the-middle positions.
Diaz missed a good bit of time thanks to a fractured thumb, but he's been highly productive when healthy -- especially by shortstop standards. In 103 games/426 plate appearances, Diaz has put up a line of .303/.368/.516 with 16 homers and 26 doubles.
A thumb injury shut down Story 97 games into his rookie campaign. However, he banked a lot of value before that untimely and unfortunate ending. He manned short for the Rox and along the way batted .272/.341/.567 with 27 homers. Sure, Coors Field aided his cause at the plate, but his OPS+, which is park-adjusted, still checks in at a strong 121.
Honorable mention: Willson Contreras, Cubs; Brandon Drury, Diamondbacks; Junior Guerra, Brewers; Seung-Hwan Oh, Cardinals; Steven Matz, Mets; Alex Reyes, Cardinals; Ryan Schimpf, Padres
