At long last, and after days of expectation and rumors, MLB announced the winners of the Rookie of the Year award in each league.
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates unsurprisingly and comfortably took the award in the National League.
On the other hand, New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Luis Gil narrowly edged Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser in a tight race in the junior circuit.
Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith, who developed into one of the most impressive relief pieces in all baseball, finished fifth in the AL race.
The voting breakdown for the 2024 Rookie of the Year awards ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fQ182ieEfV
— MLB (@MLB) November 19, 2024
Smith finished the season with a 1.91 ERA, 103 strikeouts and 2.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a reliever, which speaks volumes about his ability to dominate hitters.
He won a spot in the Guardians bullpen in spring training and went on to become, arguably, a top-five reliever in the American League.
He certainly deserved better than fifth place in the AL ROY voting, but voters don’t usually put too much stock on relievers in these types of awards.
Smith finished with 12 points, behind Mason Miller’s 16.
The Guardians fireballer got one first place vote, one second place vote and four for third place.
He legitimately had a case to win the award even over Gil, Cowser and Austin Wells.
It seems that only Guardians fans truly appreciate what he did over the course of the year.
He was not only dominant, but also extremely consistent.
Cleveland has the very best bullpen in the majors, and Smith is a big reason why.
Yes, Emmanuel Clase is the ninth-inning guy, but Smith is the man they call to get out of even the hardest jams.
NEXT: 5 Former Guardians Appear In 2025 Hall Of Fame Ballot
