Rookie Results

Miguel Andujar delivered the Yankees first and last runs in Tuesday night's win in Chicago. With the Yankees down 1-0 to White Sox righty Reynaldo Lopez, the rookie got his club on the scoreboard with booming home run to left field. The game went to extra innings -- the teams traded two-run homers in the 10th. On to the 13th, two men on and two out, and Andujar came through again. His bloop single off Jeanmar Gomez that brought Didi Gregorius home for the go-ahead run. Sonny Gray, in his bullpen debut, made that hold up in the bottom of the inning for another Yankee victory.
The 23 year old wasn't expected to be an everyday player this year. That job was virtually handed to Brandon Drury in the spring, before he was sidelined by migraine headaches and dizziness. Andujar stepped up -- and never looked back.
Let's not sugarcoat it, he's no Graig Nettles or Scott Brosius in the field -- not yet. Lately, he's been DH-ing more often. But anyone who saw him play in the minors (and I'm one of them) knew he could hit. His .292 average and 50 RBIs alongside 15 home runs are impressive for a player with less than a half-year of Triple A ball under his belt. And he'll only get better.
With fellow rookie standout Gleyber Torres having slumped since returning from an early July hip injury, Miguel Andujar is likely the leading candidate at the moment for American League Rookie of the Year.
(My image of Andujar is from a Yankees/Marlins game this past April.)

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