Four months ago, if you would have asked if Jung Ho Kang would have a chance at winning the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award, the answer would have been a “no.” But then July rolled around, and Kang’s stats changed to .379 AVG/.443 OBP/.621 SLG (1064 OPS, 201 wRC+) and turned the competition on its ear as he helped the Pirates to a league best 17-9 in July.
It does not come as a surprise that he’s good. With 40 home runs and a 1.198 OPS for the Nexen Heroes in 2014, the Buccos’ scouting staff scored big, especially with his comparatively cheap salary. When Jordy Mercer went down with a knee injury, Kang stepped up into his key defensive role and slammed his way into the Rookie of the Year debate.
However, there’s always a “but.”
The problem with Kang winning the ROY Award isn’t that he lacks the skill of the other candidates, it’s that Kang did not start out as well. His early performance was mediocre and it might just be too much to overcome the electric starts of Kris Bryant, Matt Duffy, Joc Pederson and Noah Snydergaard, all of whom quickly climbed the charts at the start of the season.
Bryant, at the start of the season, was the unofficial favorite for the Rookie of the Year. He had one of the strongest starts in the league; in May, he nailed seven home runs and hit .510, but cooled off and fell to just .168 in June, allowing other players to step into the limelight.
Initially brought up by the Giants to pinch in, Duffy has all but completely replaced Pablo Sandoval and Casey McGehee and bats just above a .300. With 10 home runs, five triples, and 23 doubles, Duffy is solid for the Giants and wouldn’t be a wasted vote, no matter which way you look at it.
Pederson’s second place finish at the Home Run Derby and 20 home runs during the first two months of the season pushed him into the MLB spotlight and into the running for Rookie of the Year. However, he has cooled off remarkably and has been pulled from his starting job.
Snydergaard’s ERA of 3.17 could be a little lower, but with 117 strikeouts in 18 games, the 22-year-old is propelling the Mets in their pennant race. Snydergaard is most likely the Mets’ future ace and an attractive and easy vote for many, especially if he continues to rack up the strikeouts.
With these four in the running, Kang, despite arguably being the most improved member of the Pirates, has stiff competition.
Realistically, while Kang is everyone’s favorite underdog and has a decently fair chance, he probably won’t win the Rookie of the Year Award, though the fact that over the course of three months he battled his way into dominating the conversation is impressive. If he continues at this pace, regardless of whether or not he wins Rookie of the Year, he could become the most valuable acquired player since Andrew McCutchen.
Photo Credit: Keith Srakocic/AP Images
