Brennan Boesch Wins AL Rookie of the Month

For the second time is as many months this season, the Detroit Tigers have an award-winning rookie patrolling their outfield. In April, Austin Jackson was named American league Rookie of the Month, and today it was announced that Brennan Boesch was given the honor for May.

Boesch becomes the second Tigers position player ever to win the award, joining Jackson before him. Only Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander had ever won the honor before this season.

For May, Boesch complied a .345 batting average (29-for-84) with three home runs and 15 driven in. Boesch added eight doubles and two triples giving him a .595 slugging percentage and an OPS of .973 for the month.

Boesch has performed so well since his debut on April 23, that the Tigers moved veteran Carlos Guillen back to the infield to make room for Boesch in the lineup. Though he hasn’t seen them often, the left handed batting Boesch is more than holding his own against left handed pitchers this season so far, batting an amazing 8-for-16 with five of those hits going for extra bases.

I think we all worry about a Chris Shelton type flame-out anytime an unknown kid gets out to a monster start, but Boesch may just have the staying power that Shelton never found. He has some work to do defensively, and he needs to avoid swinging at too many bad balls, but the kid looks like a pure hitter.

And the kind of talent, hitting-wise, that the Tigers haven’t developed themselves for a very long time.