In the early part of the offseason, Major League Baseball announces its annual awards winners. My vote this year, as a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, was for National League Rookie of the Year.
My ballot went as follows: Corbin Carroll, Kodai Senga and James Outman.
That's precisely how the Rookie of the Year voting finished, with Carroll winning in a unanimous decision. Senga finished second while Outman, an emerging Dodgers rookie, finished third. Here's how I came to the decision with each player on my ballot.
1. Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
The decision to put Carroll atop my ballot was relatively straightforward. Just look at his numbers this season: .285/.362/.506 with 25 home runs, 76 RBI and 54 stolen bases.
Carroll quickly emerged as the Diamondbacks' best player and became the first player in baseball history to record 50+ steals, 25+ home runs and 10+ triples in a season. The Diamondbacks saw superstar ability in Carroll when they drafted him and called him up for 32 games in 2022, signing him to a whopping eight-year, $111 million contract extension before the 2023 season began.
Carroll, 23, is going to be a force in the National League for a long time. He was a primary reason why the Diamondbacks ultimately advanced to the World Series and while voting was done after the regular season, it was apparent that he was the obvious choice to win the award.
2. Kodai Senga, SP, New York Mets
Senga was a coveted free agent last offseason and while there were concerns about his physical after agreeing to a five-year, $75 million contract, he quickly quieted those concerns after posting one of the greatest rookie seasons by a pitcher in baseball history.
Senga, 30, was dominant and perhaps the best pitcher in the Mets rotation this season. In 29 starts, he posted a 2.98 ERA and a 202/77 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He won't win the Cy Young Award in the National League this year – that will likely go to San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell – but surely Senga will be placed high on some ballots.
In a disastrous season for the Mets, Senga was one of their lone bright spots. He looks like a long-term stalwart in their rotation and if he can continue to improve upon his dominant 2023 season, a Cy Young award could very well be in his future. His ceiling is that high.
3. James Outman, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
This was the toughest selection of them all, and I strongly considered Nolan Jones and Matt McLain instead of Outman. In the end, however, I went with Outman.
As expected, the voting among baseball writers was close; Outman received 20 points while Jones received 17.
The case could have been made for either player – their stats were nearly identical – but Outman played a critical role on the Dodgers from Opening Day, was tasked with replacing key veterans who left in free agency, and was a key part in why the Dodgers won over 100 games in 2023. He also played in 151 games while Jones played in 106 games and McLain played in only 89 games.
This was a really difficult decision and Jones had a very strong case to finish third in Rookie of the Year voting. But Outman's role with the Dodgers, from Game 1 to 162, is why he finished third on my ballot.