MLB Rookie of the Year 2014: Picking Season's Best Newcomers from Each League

For a burgeoning MLB star, there's no better way to burst onto the scene than by winning the annual Rookie of the Year award. 

Sure, receiving the honor is far from a meal ticket to a Hall of Fame career. While the long list of successful recent winners includes Ryan Braun, Justin Verlander, Craig Kimbrel, Jose Fernandez, Buster Posey, Albert Pujols, Dustin Pedroia, Evan Longoria and Mike Trout, there's also Bobby Crosby, Angel Berroa and Chris Coghlan.

There's certainly a contrasting balance of power between the American League and the National League neophytes. While a superstar leads a loaded AL playing field, the NL is a two-player competition between a late arrival and a late-season dud.

How will each race play out? Let's take a look at the top contenders from each side before highlighting the victors.

American League: Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago White Sox

When a slugging first baseman gets involved in an award hunt, a massive divide often forms between traditional baseball observers and modern stat-heads. Just ask Miguel Cabrera. Luckily for Jose Abreu, no such dilemma will arise over his rightful induction as AL Rookie of the Year.

Had Masahiro Tanaka stayed healthy and sustained his impeccable production, this would have been a clash for the ages. The Japanese arrival posted a 2.77 ERA and 9.31 K/9 during his U.S. debut, but he missed more than two months with an elbow injury.

That makes the choice much easier. Another foreign import, Cuban star Jose Abreu delivered a smashing .317/.383/.581 slash line during his rookie campaign. That slugging percentage led all of baseball, and his 36 homers trailed only Nelson Cruz, Giancarlo Stanton and Chris Carter. 

His last home run of 2014 set a team milestone, per the team's Twitter page.

He's not a huge help running the basepaths or fielding first base, but the 27-year-old immediately solidified himself as one of the game's premier sluggers. As a result, he should earn the AL ROY hardware unanimously.

Honorable Mention: Dellin Betances, RP, New York Yankees

Not fair. The New York Yankees didn't even have to wait a year after losing Mariano Rivera to stumble upon another relief ace in Dellin Betances. The fireballer led all relievers with a 3.2 fWAR, fueled by his incredible 1.40 ERA and 135 strikeouts through 90 innings.

Without the restricting constraints of the traditional closer, Joe Girardi got more mileage out of his sensational rookie in a debut season that resembled Rivera's riveting arrival. Heck, he performed just as well as peak Mo, as shown by Ace of MLB Stats.

Whether or not Brian Cashman lets David Robertson walk to make Betances the closer, he's well on his way to becoming one of the league's best relievers.

National League: Jacob deGrom, SP, New York Mets

Back as late as August, Billy Hamilton appeared to have the NL hardware wrapped up. Then, he fizzled while Jacob deGrom dominated. That late reversal should give the New York Mets their first NL ROY since Dwight Gooden took home the honor in 1984.

He didn't crack New York's rotation until mid-May, but he made an indelible mark during a limited stretch. Through 140.2 innings, he notched a 2.69 ERA, nearly identical to his 2.67 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) rate.

As a precaution, the Mets skipped his final start to limit his workload.

Per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, deGrom then shifted his attention to the big award: "Now, I'm thinking about it," deGrom said of the Rookie of the Year. "It would be a great honor."

Before that day comes, he did receive recognition elsewhere, per Newsday's David Lennon, as his magnificent final month earned him another award which should prelude the bigger one.

But what about Hamilton, who led all NL rookies with a 3.5 fWAR? He achieved his value with 14 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), but his other blemishes are too big to ignore.

He stole 56 bags, but he also got caught 23 times, more than anybody else. That 70.8 percent success rate isn't enough to give him the red light, but it limits his chances in this discussion. So does his .250/.292/.355 slash line, which deteriorated as the year progressed.

Look at the two diverging roads the two candidates took after the All-Star break.

The full picture matters the most, but the latest results are fresh in voters' minds. Besides, the full-season stats sill support deGrom's claim. 

Honorable Mention: Ender Inciarte, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Again, this is purely a two-man race, but Ender Inciarte gets an honorable mention for his tremendous glove work with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

His offensive numbers are mediocre, to say the least. He can make do with his .278 average and .318 on-base percentage, but he's a pure singles hitter with a .359 slugging percentage. So why am I taking the time to give the 23-year-old some recognition?

The statisticians are still trying to measure how much defense should factor into individual evaluations of players, but it certainly counts. Inciarte registered 23 DRS, which ranks fifth among all MLB outfielders. That sterling defensive effort earned him a 2.9 fWAR, the second-best mark among NL rookie position players. 

Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of Fangraphs.