Dodgers: Three players that can win LA’s third straight Rookie of the Year
By Jason Reed
Cody Bellinger became the second consecutive Dodgers rookie to win unanimous NL Rookie of the Year. Now, who can follow suit in 2018?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are not only one of the best teams in baseball, they are one of the youngest as well. This is evident by the team’s consecutive Rookie of the Year awards; an award they have won an MLB best 18 times. In 2016 it was Corey Seager, in 2017 it was Cody Bellinger. Now, the tables are set for a third consecutive winner in Los Angeles.
This would not be the first time LA has won three straight, either. From 1992-1996 the Boys in Blue won five consecutive Rookie of the Year awards. Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo and Todd Hollandsworth took home the honors.
Even better, that was the second time LA won four or more consecutive awards. From 1979-1982 Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Howe, Fernando Valenzuela and Steve Sax took home the honors. With one half of the process already complete, it may be a safe bet to bet on a Dodger winning the award in 2018.
There very well could have been a chance for the team to win four in a row as well. At the All-Star Break in 2015 Joc Pederson was on fire. Pederson’s low .230 batting average was counterbalanced with 20 home runs. Although, the rest of the season, Pederson only hit six and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting.
However, Seager and Bellinger have already set the bar for Dodger rookies to follow and now it is just a matter of time. There are some players capable of winning the award, so here are the three Dodgers that could win LA’s third straight NL Rookie of the Year.