Detroit Tigers: Is Michael Fulmer the Rookie of the Year?
Detroit Tigers fans have been ecstatic about the play of Michael Fulmer. His rookie campaign has been nothing short of excellent. The question is, has it been good enough to win Rookie of the Year?
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Fulmer has pitched extremely well nearly halfway through the season. Fulmer has surprised many by leading the Detroit Tigers‘ struggling rotation. Fulmer’s numbers look really good, and have all season. He is 7-2 with a 2.40 ERA, and has only surrendered 17 earned runs in 11 starts. Fulmer also send people back to the dugout often as he has 60 K’s.
Fulmer has performed at a high level, but has it been enough to win the Rookie of the Year? The Detroit Tigers’ rookie has some tough competition for this year’s prestigious award.
The first name I’ll throw at you is one you probably haven’t heard. Dae-ho Lee is quietly having a great year for the Seattle Mariners. Lee is a 34-year-old first baseman from Buson, South Korea. He has played in 57 games this season, and has put up some impressive numbers.
Lee is hitting .283 and has compiled 32 RBI’s and 10 home runs this season. Lee has hit in either the 4 or 5 hole all season, and could make a run at the ROY award if he continues this type of play.
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Another little known name is Orioles relief pitcher Mychal Givens. Givens has pitched well in a notable Baltimore Orioles bullpen. He is 5-1, and has posted a 3.60 ERA along with 46 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched. Givens is 26-years-old and debuted in June of 2015. If the Rookie of the Year award is going to a pitcher, it will probably be to either Givens or Fulmer.
Another Orioles rookie has shown some talent; Hyun Soo Kim is another name that will be brought up. Kim is a 28-year-old left fielder from Seoul, South Korea.
His most relevant statistic is that he is hitting .344 and has a .433 on base percentage. Other than that, he is not all that impressive. He has three homers, 11 RBI’s, and only one steal. He is sitting second in the lineup and has put the Orioles powerful lineup in a position to put some runs on the board multiple times this season.
Sticking in the outfield is probably the best known rookie in the AL this season. Texas Ranger’s Nomar Mazara has filled out the stat sheet all season long. Mazara is a 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic. He has formed a heavy 1-2 punch with second baseman Rougned Odor at the top of the lineup.
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Mazara is hitting .287, driving in 35 RBI’s, and knocking 11 balls into the stands. He has definitely been an impact on the Rangers offense, bolstering them to an MLB-best 51-29. Mazara will probably be Fulmer’s toughest competition for the award.
As you can see from the players above, the race for the AL Rookie of the Year is going to be a close one. In my opinion, halfway through the season it’s a two-man battle between Detroit Tigers’ Michael Fulmer and Texas Rangers’ Nomar Mazara.
I believe at this point Mazara has a slight edge above Fulmer because of where the two teams sit in the standings. The Rangers are first in the AL West, and have the best record in baseball. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers are barely above .500 and are third in the Central.
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Mazara may have a slight edge, but there is still over half of the season to play, and Fulmer definitely has the potential to continue his hot streak, and pull away with the award.