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Roman Anthony earns a third place finish for AL Rookie of the Year
"He's a great at-bat, he's a great baserunner. The kid became a monster in the outfield, he was a plus defender."
The Red Sox will be hoping Wednesday’s Cy Young Award vote goes better for star pitcher Garrett Crochet than Monday’s American League Rookie of the Year Award vote went for outfielder Roman Anthony.
Anthony finished third for the award behind a pair of Athletics, first baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson. Kurtz won the award unanimously.
Kurtz was seen as a frontrunner for the award for the majority of the season after one of the best rookie years in recent MLB history. He ended with a .290 batting average, 36 HRs and 86 RBIs.
With Kurtz receiving all 30 first-place votes, it was a race between Anthony and Wilson for second. Wilson claimed silver by a good margin though, getting 23 second-place votes compared to Anthony’s three.
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After making his debut on June 9, Anthony put up an impressive season. He hit .292 in 71 games, as well as hitting eight home runs and driving in 32 RBIs.
Even with Anthony’s season being cut short due to an oblique injury, he did enough to put himself in consideration for rookie of the year. The promising start to Anthony’s career has earned him praise from head coach Alex Cora.
“He’s a great at-bat, he’s a great baserunner,” Cora said while on MLB Network’s “Hot Stove” program on Monday. “The kid became a monster in the outfield, he was a plus defender.”
While in the minor leagues, Anthony was tabbed as the top prospect in baseball by multiple rankings, and he has lived up to the hype. He has consistently been seen as a great hitter, but Cora has been impressed by his improvements defensively.
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Coming in third had an impact monetarily for Anthony as well. Had he come in second, he would’ve gotten $3 million in bonuses in for 2031-33.
However, Anthony’s season still earned him an eight-year extension with the Red Sox that he signed in August, worth $130 million.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards will continue over the rest of the week, with Crochet being up for the AL Cy Young on Wednesday.
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