SB Nation Awards: 2011 MLB Rookies of the Year

by John Sickels on Nov 7, 2025 1:01 PM EST

Every year SB Nation takes a poll of the various Major League Baseball network blogs to determine winners for Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player. The official BBWAA awards come out next week, but we name our own winners this week, starting today with the Rookies.

The SB Nation 2011 National League Rookie of the Year is Atlanta Braves closer Craig Kimbrel.

The SB Nation 2011 American League Rookie of the Year is Seattle Mariners starter Michael Pineda.

My own ballot went 1-Kimbrel, 2-Freddie Freeman, 3-Vance Worley in the NL and 1-Jeremy Hellickson, 2-Ivan Nova, 3-Eric Hosmer in the AL. In retrospect I should have put Pineda at 2, he had a better year than Nova.

You can see the voting charts below the fold.

Num	Name	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
1	Michael Pineda	9	4	3	60
2	Jeremy Hellickson	4	5	4	39
3	Eric Hosmer	5	4	3	40
4	Dustin Ackley	1	5	3	23
5	Ivan Nova		5	5	20
6	Alexi Ogando	2	1		13
7	Mark Trumbo	1		3	8
8	Desmond Jennings	1		2	7
9	Brett Lawrie	1		1	6

Num	Name	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
1	Craig Kimbrel	22	4	2	124
2	Danny Espinosa	4	6	8	46
3	Freddie Freeman		8	3	27
4	Vance Worley	1	5	3	23
5	Wilson Ramos	1	2	5	16
6	Brandon Beachy		1	4	7
7	Cory Luebke		1		3
8	Lucas Duda		1		3
9	Mark Melancon			1	1
10	Allen Craig			1	1
11	Kenley Jansen			1	1

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Read More: Jeremy Hellickson (P - TAM), Craig Kimbrel (P - ATL), Michael Pineda (P - SEA)

Comments

Good rookie classes to say the least

When cats like Brandon Beachy, Ivan Nova & Freddie Freeman don’t net first place votes, that seems an apt thing to say.

by Matt0330 on Nov 7, 2025 1:16 PM EST reply actions

Josh Collmenter

Not even on the top 11. Really?

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by dbacks25 on Nov 7, 2025 3:06 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Well the two SnakePit voters didn't choose him

So he didn’t get a homerism boost from his site, as I can only assume happened for Melancon, Craig (who technically shouldn’t qualify, despite FanGraphs thinking he’s a rookie), and Jansen. I kind of wish I had given him a third-place vote over Kimbrel (my ballot was Espinosa, Ramos, Kimbrel) just to get him somewhere within the results, but that would have been a wee bit shady.

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by Dan Strittmatter on Nov 7, 2025 3:24 PM EST up reply actions

no homerism for the jansen vote

rockies writer voted for jansen

by matthewmafa on Nov 7, 2025 7:51 PM EST up reply actions

Weird

That’s just all sorts of confusing.

Yay for assumptions!!!

Founder and Chairman of the Send Dan Some Pizzeria Bianco Commission (SDSPBC). SDSPBC is a totally, definitely for-profit organization.

by Dan Strittmatter on Nov 8, 2025 12:03 AM EST up reply actions

Didn’t Ogando spend the whole year (or enough time anyways) to make him ineligible for a rookie of the year vote?

by TwitchyJB on Nov 7, 2025 5:29 PM EST reply actions

I think you have to pitch 50 innings to lose your eligibility.

Ogando pitched 41.2 last year.

by SeanP on Nov 7, 2025 9:02 PM EST up reply actions

Beachy had one hell of a year and finished 6th. Wow. His numbers were that far off from Pindeda.

And it's now my sig
by Bronn on May 17, 2025 4:56 PM EDT

by Sparhawk on Nov 7, 2025 6:42 PM EST reply actions

Congrats to Kimbrel. That guy deserved it!

And it's now my sig
by Bronn on May 17, 2025 4:56 PM EDT

by Sparhawk on Nov 7, 2025 6:42 PM EST up reply actions

Beachy’s numbers weren’t that far off from Pineda…is what I meant to say.

And it's now my sig
by Bronn on May 17, 2025 4:56 PM EDT

by Sparhawk on Nov 7, 2025 6:43 PM EST up reply actions

same with luebke

guy struck out 10 batters per 9 IP and allowed 105 H in his 140 IP and only got one vote…. The NL rookies were REAL good this year

by matthewmafa on Nov 7, 2025 7:54 PM EST up reply actions

too bad espinosa fell off a bit towards the end of the year.

he had a serious shot at beating out Kimbrel if he kept the power going.

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by Nnamdi Asomugha on Nov 7, 2025 7:38 PM EST reply actions

Nothing for Jemile Weeks at all, huh?

Hmm.

by BigJ7489 on Nov 8, 2025 2:57 PM EST reply actions

Shocked to see Craig at 10th

He had the 4th most WAR among NL rookies (2.6) listed here despite accumulating just 219 PAs and missing two months to injury. He slashed .315/.362/.555 and had a .399 wOBA. He was the Cardinals’ best hitter down the stretch playing every day due to Holliday’s injury, and I think it’s safe to say the Cardinals don’t make the playoffs without him. Certainly he doesn’t deserve it over Kimbrel or Espinosa but 10th? Really?

by jibbers on Nov 8, 2025 7:51 PM EST reply actions

For starters

He had over 45 days of service time last year prior to September call-ups, IIRC. So I don’t think he was actually, y’know, a rookie.

Founder and Chairman of the Send Dan Some Pizzeria Bianco Commission (SDSPBC). SDSPBC is a totally, definitely for-profit organization.

by Dan Strittmatter on Nov 8, 2025 8:47 PM EST up reply actions

Ah

Well in that case I’m surprised to see him on the list. I too was curious if he was actually a rookie but figured he wouldn’t be on here if he didn’t qualify.

by jibbers on Nov 8, 2025 8:59 PM EST up reply actions