FanPost

Can Chris Owings win ROY ?

Looking for something, ANYTHING truly positive to discuss, the one thing I am really encouraged by is Chris Owings development. I have mentioned his walk rate in various threads and how that has been more than double his minor league rates. That, coupled with his batting average has given him a much more than respectable OBP. Add to that his developing defense, and the fact that in Small Sample Size Owings is putting up excellent defensive numbers, and suddenly he is the odds on statistical favorite for the NL ROY through the first month of the season.

Being on a lousy last place team has never been an obstacle to winning ROY. In fact a lot of time the ROY will come from a poor team precisely because those teams tend to give rookies more playing time. The fact that he is a SS is a big help. Voters like SS.

Currently he leads all NL rookies in WAR, OPS+, Batting average. Billy Hamilton has more runs scored, and the 10 steals, but also 5 caught stealing. Hamilton is probably Owings biggest rival at this point.

David Hale of the Braves is the only Rookie starting pitcher distinguishing himself, and is a gut to keep an eye on for this race however. Only 2 wins, and voters like wins, but a 2.31 ERA in 23 IP. That of course can change really fast. Some good rookie relief performances around the league, but none in a closers role. So right now it's Owings, Hamilton, and Hale through the first month of the season.

Player WAR/pos OPS+ PA Age Tm G R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS
Chris Owings 1.1 108 90 22 ARI 27 6 25 4 1 0 2 7 19 4 0 0.305 0.36 0.378 0.738
Kolten Wong 0.3 55 76 23 STL 20 5 16 1 1 0 5 5 9 3 0 0.225 0.276 0.268 0.544
Billy Hamilton 0 71 98 23 CIN 25 12 22 3 1 1 6 4 19 10 5 0.244 0.281 0.333 0.615
Travis dArnaud -0.2 76 77 25 NYM 21 5 14 3 0 1 4 9 11 1 0 0.209 0.303 0.299 0.601
Mike Olt -0.2 73 61 25 CHC 21 7 10 1 0 4 10 3 21 0 0 0.179 0.23 0.411 0.64