MLB: Rookies of the year are confirmed

Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr. are the Jackie Robinson Rookies of the Year 2018, which is the result of an election by the Baseball Writers Association of America of 30 journalists each.

Ohtani secured the title in the American League, making him the third Los Angeles Angels player to receive this honour. Previously Tim Salmon achieved this in 1993 and Mike Trout in 2012.

The Japanese pitched in ten games and was active 82 times as a designated hitter. It’s also the first Kansas City Royals’ almost full-time Designated Hit since Bob Hamelin in 1994 to win the award.

Acuna, on the other hand, is the eighth Braves player to be named Rookie of the Year. His predecessors were Alvin Dark (1948), Sam Jethroe (1950), Earl Williams (1971), Bob Horner (1978), David Justice 1990, Rafael Furcal (2000) and Craig Kimbrel (2011).

Unlike Ohtani in the AL, the Left Fielder of the Braves was represented on every ballot in the National League.

The votes had to be cast until the last day of the Regular Season, so that possible performances did not play a role in the Post Season. Two journalists from each of the 15 Major League cities in each league are entitled to vote.

This article was published without prior review by Major League Baseball.