Insane Rookie of the Year vote turns down La Pantera

My, my, the BBWAA certainly seemed messed up this one.

Kyle Lewis, with stats tied by every point of view with White Sox rookie Luis Robert, won the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year award.

And Lewis didn’t just WON the award.

He won it UNANIMOUSLY.

Yes, you see it correctly; one voter (Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News) left Robert COMPLETELY OUT of the ballot.

It is not a partisan hack to wonder how in the world two guys with almost identical seasons, playing the same position, can be seen so differently. If you want to put in the “impact” element, consider the fact that Robert was a midseason MVP candidate who contributed to a Chicago White Sox playoff streak. Lewis packed his duffel bag at the end of the season, after Cinderella’s playoff shot was long pumped.

Side by side:

Baseball-Reference

OPS + is a definite advantage for Lewis, but the overall value and defensive value goes to Robert considerably. Luis had two fewer goals in total in 15 fewer home plate appearances. Lewis’ odds of winning numbers are all much better.

Lewis deserved his Rookie of the Year, but a close race would have made a lot more sense. There’s a case for Co-Rookie of the Year with Robert, actually.

No other White Sox has received ROY’s consideration.

Was this result a reaction to the hype? Granted, Lewis flew further under the radar than Robert. If this is a reaction vote, it does not bode well for José Abreu’s apparent lockdown on the MVP, announced on Thursday.