MLB Rookies of the Year 2019: AL and NL Winners, Voting Results and Reaction

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Pete Alonso and Yordan Alvarez were each named Rookie of the Year in their respective leagues Monday after outstanding first seasons in the majors. 

Alonso secured the National League honors after the New York Mets star beat out finalists Mike Soroka and Fernando Tatis Jr. with 29 of 30 first-place votes.

MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM @MLBNetworkRadio

1⃣ Pete Alonso 29 1 –
2⃣ Mike Soroka 1 25 2
3⃣ Fernando Tatis Jr – 2 20
4⃣ Bryan Reynolds – 1 6
5⃣ Dakota Hudson – 1 1
6⃣ Victor Robles – – 1 https://t.co/AXSBbjbqx6

There was little surprise considering Alonso's performance this season with a major-league best 53 home runs, breaking a rookie record originally set by Aaron Judge.

SNY @SNYtv

The moment when Pete Alonso was named NL Rookie of the Year 😊 https://t.co/MISNY1iUF4

Daren Willman @darenw

Congrats to @Mets Pete Alonso on the @MLB National League Rookie of the Year Award. Here's a breakdown of all the home runs he hit this season https://t.co/fwmVDK4MgT

Keith Olbermann @KeithOlbermann

Pete Alonso NL ROTY; all but one first place vote – @extrabaggs was the one who got it wrong

Jake Brown @JakeBrownRadio

Pete Alonso…your NL Rookie of the Year. A historic season that no Mets player may ever match. Can’t wait for more years to come with the Polar Bear.

Alonso finished the year with a .260 batting average, .941 OPS and 120 RBI while keeping the New York Mets in the playoff race at the end of the season. Even as a rookie, he was one of the best sluggers in baseball at any age while putting himself squarely in the MVP conversation.

Adding in a Home Run Derby title in July, it was truly a magical year for the first baseman.

Several NL players could've been the top choice in other years. Soroka ranked third in the NL with a 2.68 ERA while going 13-4 for the Atlanta Braves. Tatis was one of the most exciting players in baseball when healthy, hitting .317 with 22 home runs and 16 stolen bases in just 84 games.

There were legitimate arguments for both players to win Rookie of the Year:

Jon Heyman @JonHeyman

Pete Alonso won all but 1 first-place vote in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Let’s not focus on the 1 please. Mike Soroka (who got that vote) and Fernando Tatis Jr. were also fantastic

AJ Cassavell @AJCassavell

Pete Alonso won rookie of the year with 29 of 30 first-place votes. Fernando Tatis' back injury probably robbed us of an all-time great race. He finished third. Chris Paddack did not receive a vote.

Jesse Dougherty @dougherty_jesse

Victor Robles gets one third-place vote for NL Rookie of the Year, and finishes sixth overall. The Mets' Pete Alonso wins it and Braves starter Mike Soroka finished second. A lot of young talent in the NL East.

Still, only one could win it, and Alonso took the top prize.

In the American League, Alvarez earned all 30 first-place votes while topping John Means and Brandon Lowe. 

Adam Wexler @KPRC2AdamW

The vote totals for #Astros Yordan Alvarez as AL rookie of the year. https://t.co/bApqLwdSUu

His impact over 87 games was clear with 27 home runs, a .313 average and 1.067 OPS. This helped him truly stand out from the rest of the field.

AJ Hinch @ajhinch

Congrats Yordan Alvarez on AL ROY! Incredible rookie season and a well deserved honor. Dominant impact on the field and as a teammate…….very proud of how he handled success and how he became a mainstay in our line-up. Can’t wait to see him build off this season. #astros https://t.co/C0t3cHRVIW

Paul Hembekides @PaulHembo

Highest wRC this season
Mike Trout (180)
Yordan Alvarez (178)*
Christian Yelich (174)

*That is the best league-adjusted batting line by a rookie (min. 250 PA) since Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1911 (184).

Brian McTaggart @brianmctaggart

Astros DH Yordan Alvarez has been named AL Rookie of the Year, and it was unanimous.

He's the third Astros player to win Rookie of the Year, joining Jeff Bagwell in the NL in 1991 and Carlos Correa in the AL in 2015.

Adam Clanton @adamclanton

Unanimous American League Rookie of the Year. And he did it by playing just 87 games—fewest ever for any position player to win this particular piece of hardware. https://t.co/bl1QerwhmX

The Cuban began the year in Triple-A but forced his way to the majors after hitting 23 home runs for the Round Rock Express. He then burst onto the scene for the Astros with four home runs in his first five games and seven in his first 12.

Though it's a regular-season award, Alvarez's .412 batting average in the World Series against the Washington Nationals showed he can get it done when it matters most.

Like in the NL, however, there was plenty of competition for the Rookie of the Year Award in the AL.

Lowe only played about half a season as well, but it was injuries that limited him to 82 games. When healthy, he earned an All-Star selection while hitting .270 with 17 home runs to go with his plus defense at second base. Means was a rare bright spot on the Baltimore Orioles staff, finishing with 12 wins and a 3.60 ERA. Even Eloy Jimenez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. deserve credit for strong seasons despite not being finalists. 

Joe Trezza @JoeTrezz

Free Traffic Real Traffic At Your Finger Tips

Get Traffic With Zero Money Down

Join with bonus

John Means finished second to Yordan Alvarez in this year's American League Rookie of the Year balloting, as just revealed on MLB Network. Means received 16 second-place votes and five third place votes.

It is the highest finish for an O's rookie since
Rodrigo Lopez in 2002.

Neil Solondz @neilsolondz

The #Rays Brandon Lowe finishes third to Yordan Alvarez in AL ROY voting. I still wonder how it would have played out if Brandon played the full season.

Josh Tolentino @JCTSports

#Rays Brandon Lowe officially finishes 3rd in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Still pretty significant that he was a finalist considering all the time he missed post All-Star break due to injury.

Chicago White Sox @whitesox

Eloy Jiménez launched 31 home runs to go with his 79 RBI, 69 runs scored and .828 OPS. He topped all A.L. rookies in homers and RBI, and his single-season homer total trails only José Abreu (36, 2014) & Ron Kittle (35, 1983) for the franchise’s rookie record. (via @scottmerkin)

Alvarez ended up getting the most votes, but players on the shortlist for both leagues look ready to be stars at this level in the future.