The season is near the end, playoff contenders start to emerge, and it becomes easier to see which young players have postively affected their respective club.
In the AL, the player that is head and shoulders above all other rookies is Evan Longoria. Evan, the considerably less hot of the two Longorias has been tearing up American League pitching posting numbers of 22 HR, 71 RBI and a .278 batting average in a mere 108 games (Longoria has missed the last month due to a broken bone near the wrist). Even if he doesn't play another inning, he should still have the honor locked up. Also, look out for White Sox rookie Alexei Ramirez. He should be a good contributor for years to come and may be the only challenger to Longoria.
As the National League goes, Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto is my ROY pick. Soto, as well as Longoria both made the All-Star team as rookies, with Soto hitting 16 HRs before the break with a .288 average. His power has tapered off since then (4 HRs) but his average is an even .300 after the All-Star Game. His teammate Kosuke Fukudome is another rookie that has acheived modest success, but pales in comparison to Soto.
Tomorrow: My NFL Preview (NFC North edition)
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