Paul Skenes has capped his electric first MLB season with some hardware.
The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher was named NL Rookie of the Year on Monday, while New York Yankees hurler Luis Gil won the honour in the AL.
Pittsburgh promoted the highly touted Skenes in May, and the fireballer did not disappoint. Over 23 starts, Skenes led the NL in ERA (1.96) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.5).
The 22-year-old’s rookie campaign was so dominant that he started the All-Star Game for the senior circuit and also earned a nomination for the NL Cy Young award.
Known for his perplexing splinker, Skenes became the first Pirate to get the nod as top rookie since Canadian outfielder Jason Bay won the award in 2004.
Merrill played in 156 games for the Padres and led all rookies in hits (162), extra-base hits (61), RBIs (90), batting average (.292) and slugging percentage (.500).
Chourio socked 21 home runs and added 79 RBIs while slashing .275/.327/.464 in 148 appearances with the Brewers.
Skenes received 23 of 30 first-place votes, with the remaining seven all on Merrill. Chourio placed third.
Gil, 26, started 29 games for the AL East champions, earning 15 wins on the back of his 3.50 ERA.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Gil helped stabilize the Yankees rotation while ace Gerrit Cole missed a chunk of time early in the season. His .189 opponent batting average was the lowest in the AL, while his 10.15 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fourth.
Manager Aaron Boone commended Gil’s return to the mound following Tommy John surgery.
“Without a guarantee of a major-league spot, he absolutely kicked in the door this spring and went on to have a phenomenal rookie season. Luis continued to mature and develop all year and was one of the pillars of our rotation. I can’t wait to see what’s next for such a talented, young pitcher,” Boone said in a statement.
Gil’s battery mate Wells, 25, played 115 games for the Yankees, clubbing 13 homers and driving in 55 runs.
Cowser, 24, flashed with both his bat and glove, earning a Gold Glove nomination for his work in left field. At the plate, Cowser crushed 24 homers to go with 69 RBIs in 153 games.
MLB award announcements continue Tuesday with Manager of the Year, followed by Cy Young on Wednesday and MVP on Thursday.