Jose Abreu named Sporting News AL Rookie of the Year

Image by Eric Enfermero

Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu has been named American League Rookie of the Year by Sporting News. Abreu, 27, received 149 votes to outdistance Los Angeles' Matt Shoemaker (4), New York's Dellin Betances and Masahiro Tanaka (three each) and teammate Marcus Semien (one).

Abreu batted .317 (176-556) with 35 doubles, 36 home runs, 107 RBI, a .581 slugging percentage and a .383 on-base percentage in 145 games this season. He led the major leagues in slugging percentage, joining Dick Allen (1974) as the only players in White Sox history to accomplish that feat, and ranked among the AL leaders in OPS (2nd, .964), total bases (2nd, 323), home runs (T3rd), RBI (4th), extra-base hits (4th, 73), average (5th), OBP (5th) and doubles (T10th).

Abreu also became the first rookie in major-league history to rank among the Top 5 in his league in each Triple Crown category and joined Hal Trosky (1934), Ted Williams (1939) and Albert Pujols (2001) as the only rookie in history to record 30 doubles, 30 homers and 100 RBI in a season.





His 36 home runs set a franchise rookie record, breaking the mark of 35 set by Ron Kittle in 1983, and are the sixth-most in major-league history by a rookie. Abreu's 107 RBI were the third-highest total by a White Sox rookie, trailing only Smead Jolley (114 in 1930) and Zeke Bonura (110 in 1934).

Abreu was named to the AL All-Star Team, the fifth White Sox rookie to accomplish that feat and first since Kittle in 1983, was named AL Player of the Month in April and July and AL Rookie of the Month in April, June and July. He recorded four multihomer games and was the only player in the major leagues this season to record three hitting streaks of 14 or more games.

Abreu is the 11th White Sox player to win the honor from Sporting News and first since Gordon Beckham in 2009. The BBWAA will announce its Jackie Robinson Rookies of the Year on November 10.