Who Is The American League Rookie Of The Year?

Many months ago I made a very foolish comment with my Rookie of the Year prediction. I stated that the award was Delmon Young's to lose.

It's not that I didn't have faith in rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia or Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka, it was because unlike Pedroia Delmon Young had a solid late season call up with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

As I write this and look back I realize that I put to much emphasis on the late season call ups, Pedroia is far and away the best rookie in the American League this year.

Pedroia's .328 average and solid defense is more then enough to lead him to the award this fall, but the question remains, how good is he?

We all know the early season struggles Pedroia suffered through, it was as painful for the Red Sox fans who stood by him as much as it was for Pedroia himself. Yet manager Terry Francona stood by his young second baseman and it has paid off big time.

Since the Red Sox traveled to Minnesota May 5, Pedroia has been on a tear through American League pitching, but can you call three and a half months a tear or perhaps what it really is, the real Pedroia playing to his everyday potential after the horrible baptism to Major League baseball.

If we were to wipe April and the first two games of May from his stat sheet Pedroia suddenly is a .358 hitter with a .415 OBP.

Delmon Young is batting .293 with only four more home runs then Pedroia, and Young is advertised as a power hitting outfielder who many expected to have displayed much more power this season then he has, he also has two less runs scored then Pedroia.

THe only thing in the way of Pedroia winning the Rookie of the Year award is going to be a possible vote split with Daisuke Matsuzaka, aside from that they can engrave his name on the award now.