Today, the winners of the Rookie of the Year awards in MLB were announced. Tampa Bay Rays out fielder Wil Myers was selected from the American League and Miami Marlins Jose Fernandez was selected from the National League. These two young talents were the best among their first year fellow players. Here is a look at these two players who are two of the newest talents in baseball.
Tampa Bay Rays Outfielder Wil Myers
Growing up in North Carolina, William Myers excelled in baseball. As a high school freshman, he batted .450 for his high school team. During his junior year, he tried his hand at pitching. He did pretty well, finishing the year with a 10-0 record. He originally committed to the University of South Carolina, but decided to enter the draft instead. Myers was selected in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Myers debuted in the Royals’ minor league farm system in 2009 and hit five home runs in 84 at bats.
In 2012, Myers was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for James Shield and Wade Davis. He was called up in June for a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox. He got his first major league hit during the second game. Almost a week later, he got his first home run, a grand slam off New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia. He finished the season batting .293 with13 home runs and 53 runs batted in.
Miami Marlins Starting Pitcher Jose Fernandez
Besides Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Fernandez was the only bright spot for the Marlins. The 20 year old Cuban sensation quickly became one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. Fernandez’s story is incredibly interesting and inspiring. Along with his mother and sister, he tried to defect from Cuba to the United States three times unsuccessfully and was jailed on all three occasions. Finally in 2008, they tried again and successfully left Cuba and moved to Tampa, Florida. During the journey to Florida, Fernandez’s mother fell off the boat and he had to jump into the ocean and save her.
While in Tampa, Fernandez joined the baseball team of his high school and immediately impressed everyone. His team won the state title in his sophomore and senior years. During his senior year, he threw two no-hitters and finished the season with a 13-1 record. Fernandez entered the MLB draft in 2011 and was taken with the 14th overall selection by the Miami Marlins. While in the minor leagues, he was named pitcher of the week twice. Before the 2013 season, Fernandez ranked as the Marlins top prospect. He made his debut in April against the New York Mets. He recorded eight strikeouts and one run in his debut. He was selected to the 2012 All Star Game in July. He finished his rookie season sixth in strikeouts (187) and second in ERA (2.19).
