Your Turn (Beckett Baseball No. 77): Who’s your hobby Rookie of the Year?
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By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
It’s been quite a year for promising rookies so far as Bryce Harper, Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes, Mike Trout — and many others — have grabbed attention of many on the field and in the hobby.
We want to know … Who is your hobby Rookie of the Year so far (and why)?
Tell us in the comments below. Please include your name and location with your comment. We’ll run a selection of the best answers in the next issue of Beckett Baseball. (Take our poll after the jump.)
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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Dozier of the Twins. He’s had the biggest impact on any team. The rest of those guys may be doing alright but aren’t making a considerable immediate impact. Just my opinion.
Couldn’t even wait until all-star break for this question huh?
Nope, not when our Rookies Issue of Beckett Baseball is coming soon.
It has to be Bryce. Everybody else is just playing for second…
Yu Darvish is definitely the hobby ROY, but I don’t think he is the best rookie this year. There are players like Darvish, Cespedes, Moore, Montero, Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, but I think the real ROY is between three players. Brett Lawrie of Toronto, Tyler Pastornicky of Atlanta, or Jemile Weeks of Oakland. Brett Lawrie came through with Toronto’s troubles over the past few years, Pastornicky helped the Braves big time with the SS position, but it looks like he is on a slump on defense. He’s not a fantastic player but has helped Atlanta this year. Then there is Jemile Weeks. Jemile Weeks you rarely here about because Cespedes is the star rookie of Oakland, but I think Weeks is much better. In the hobby world, Weeks stuff is selling low right now, but in a couple of years, he’s gonna be a complete stud.
-Alex G. Knoxville, TN
In my view I would say it is Yu Darvish. To me Harper seems as if he has been around a while with it now being his 3rd straight year on Bowman Chrome cards. Darvish cards are new, they’re hot, and they’re selling product like archives when the other hits aren’t selling nearly as well.
It’s definitely Bryce Harper. His first BASE rookie card is selling upwards of $100. He was one of the most hyped prospects OF ALL TIME, and he is somewhat living up to it. Even thought Trout and Darvish have been selling well, I don’t think they rival Harper. Harper has five tools, gives it his all, and the value of his card’s reflect that. In my opinion Bryce Harper is the hobby rookie of the year by far.
-Thommy Selden, Los Angeles, California
I am a Yankees Fan, and this weekend had the opportunity to see Mike Trout for the first time. I have to admit that he is terrific, even though he singlehandedly beat up my boys both offensively and defensively, you have to appreciate the talent, even when he is the enemy :) Harper is good, but has been hyped for too long. Hosmer is good , but seems a little overwhelmed right now. Darvish has been great, but lots of new pitchers are successful first time through the league. We’ll see if he holds up when his opponents get a second look at him after the All Star break. From what I have seen, Cepedes hasn’t lived up to his hype, or at least not yet, IMHO. As far as a Hobby ROY, whoever is more successful on the field this year, will carry over to the hobby. Since Trout hasn’t been as touted, he may sneak up on all these other potential Hobby ROY contenders. Just my opinion.
That is a tough question. I honestly can’t answer it. To me, its a toss up between Bryce Harper and Yu Darvish. On one hand you have Harper, that has had plenty of cards for a few years now but those cards still command money. Then you have Darvish, who hasn’t had many cards at all so everyone is tearing into new products for a chance to pull that Darvish short print or that Darvish Auto. Anyway you look at it, its a win win for collectors. Very good rookie class this year with lots of potential. -Pete Irwin, Waco, Texas
will Middlebrooks for the Red Sox deserves to included here. He has been a spark of life for the Sox. He’s got my vote.
right now id have to say yu darvish. i know ive said in recent posts that he needed to prove himself that he can handle big league pitching. he showed me that. striking out 11 cleveland indians and striking out 10 of my most hated players, the yankees. he’s 7-2, 3.25 era with 66 strikes. and the season is still early. i did read somewhere where he might be injured but still those stats impressed me enough to keep the darvish cards i pulled recently. yes bryce harper is doing ok with the nationals .274, 4 hr, 11 rbi. but what makes harper a gem is he’s playing in the outfield after being a catcher his entire career in college and the minors. he’s played 30 games thus far this season and i dont think he’s made an error yet. both look like great players for the years to come, but right now yu darvish is my pick. until september call ups. then im sure there’s gonna be one or two that out shine both these players.
@alex, i agree with you. i think weeks will be a beast in a few years. unfortunatley it might not be with the a’s as they have been known to trade good players away if they stink in the first half.
Yu Darvish was a sure pick for my Hobby Rookie of the Year because unlike others like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Brett Lawrie, Matt Moore, and others, he just jumped right in,strait from Japan to the Major Leagues on a record contract. Along with his surprising dominance among Major League hitters, he has proven his worth on the cardboard with his regular Bowman Chrome autos selling for over $500 day after day. Yu have to admit, Darvish was surely the Hobby Rookie of the Year!
-Caleb Wilson-Gilbert, AZ
“he is not put on he is the real thing and is not afraid of base loaded situations.
Mike Trout is proving to be way more clutch than Bryce Harper at this point.
-Nate F. Syracuse, NY
How can anyone vote for Bryce Harper over Mike Trout? I know most of you JUST collect cards but really? You haven’t bothered to watch these guys play this season or even check out their stats? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Harper fan too but come on – educate yourselves, if they had the vote today, Trout would win ROY without question. Darvish would be second based on his decent ERA and wins but he is more a product of how great his offense is.
Even though I’m a Phillies fan, Will Middlebrooks has got my vote. At least he doesn’t bust open his head with his bat.
they must be voting for Harper because of media Bias, Trout is doing more than Harper for his team, Middlebrooks deseves a lot more to means a lot to the Redsox. Harper 4th or 5th
Chris my vote goes to Bryce Harper, and not for reasons people may think based on where I live (Fredericksburg, VA, 45 miles south of the Capital). Whether or not Harper would deliver or not skills and stats wise was not the question in my mind, but rather would he ever exhibit the maturity to play in the big leagues. Getting ejected in double A for arguing with Blue, and blowing kisses to the opposing pitcher after knocking the cover off the ball is hardly what I expect to see from a professional Baseball player. However, since being called up his maturity and conduct (aside the baseball bat to his own head incident) have been much improved.