What MLB team has the most Rookie of the Year awards?

 

There have been 146 players in the history of MLB to win the Rookie of the Year award, and no team has won more than the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. The most recent Dodgers NL Rookie of the Year was Bellinger, who was a unanimous vote in 2017.

Established in 1940 by the Chapter of Chicago of the BBWAA, the award selected a recipient each year from 1940 to 1946. ROY became a national award in 1947, won by Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson.

Rookie of the Year was awarded to only one player for two years, then in 1949, it was awarded to one each in the American League and the NL and renamed Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year in July 1987.

The Dodgers have the most Rookie of the Year teams in MLB history with 18, twice as many as the next closest New York Yankees. The Oakland Athletics have won the Rookie of the Year award eight times, while the Boston/Atlanta Braves have seven.

 

History of Dodgers Rookie of the Year winners

 

Jackie Robinson, 1947

Robinson broke the MLB color barrier on April 15, 1947, & went on to have a prolific season in which he hit .297/.383/.427 with 31 doubles and 12 homers. Robinson also led the NL with 29 stolen bases.

 

 

 

 

Don Newcombe, 1949

Newcombe, then 23, finished the season with a 17-8 record in 38 games (31 starts) and an NL-best five shutouts. In 1956, he became the first to win a Cy Young Award and was voted NL MVP that same season.

Newcombe was the player in MLB history to win all three awards and own a World Series ring until Justin Verlander achieved that feat in 2017. Newcomb died in 2019 at the age of 92.

 

Joe Black, 1952

Despite only starting twice in 56 regular-season games, Black won Rookie of the Year and finished third in MVP voting. The right-hander went 15-4 with 15 saves, a 2.15 ERA, and led the majors after completing 41 games.

 

 

Jim Gilliam, 1953

A two-time All-Star at the end of his 14-year career, Gilliam hit. Plus, six home runs & 21 stolen bases. He also set a LA Dodgers Rookie record with 100 walks.

Frank Howard, 1960

Howard was the first Los Angeles Dodgers player to win Rookie of the Year because of his impact after joining the club from the minors in May of the 1960 season. He hit .268/.320/.464 in 117 games with 15 doubles, 23 homers, and 77 RBIs.

 

Jim Lefebvre, 1965

Lefebvre had a modest year hitting .250/.337/.369 with 21 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs, and 69 RBIs. He tied for the team lead w/ 12 homers.

 

 

 

Ted Sizemore, 1969

Three years after being drafted by the LA Dodgers in the 15th round, Sizemore entered the majors. In the Rookie of the Year campaign, he hit .271/.328/.342 with 20 doubles, five triples, four home runs, and 46 RBIs.

 

 

 

 

 

Rick Sutcliffe, 1979

Sutcliffe kicked off the first three-game winning streak for Dodgers players to win Rookie of the Year at least in consecutive years. In his first MLB season, the right-hander is 17-10 with a 3.46 ERA in 39 games (30 starts).

 

Steve Howe, 1980

A year after becoming the Dodgers’ 1st-round pick in the 1979 draft, Steve Howe appeared in 59 games with 17 saves and a 2.66 ERA.

 

 

Fernando Valenzuela, 1981

Valenzuela started the 1981 season with eight complete games in a row, including five finishes, and quickly captivated fans and the sport. The season was cut short by strikes, but the southpaw is still 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA, 11 complete games, and eight yells in 25 starts.

In 1981, Valenzuela also won the Cy Young Award.

 

Steve Sax, 1982

Sachs hit .282/.335/.359 in 150 games with 23 doubles, seven triples, four home runs, & 49 stolen bases, replacing David Lopez as the starting second baseman. Sachs’ win gave the Dodgers four straight Rookie of the Year awards, a record that was later broken.

 

Eric Karros, 1992

The Dodgers were poor overall, but Carlos came home with a .257/.304/.426 batting average, 30 doubles, 20 home runs, and 88 RBIs. He started the Dodgers’ second straight Rookie of the Year award and was the team’s best last term.

 

Mike Plazza, 1993

Piazza was the only Dodgers catcher to win the ROY award, & he was their first unanimous pick. The Hall of Fame catcher hit .318/.370/.561 with 24 doubles, 35 homers, and 112 RBIs in 149 games. Piazza’s 35 homers were a LA Dodgers rookie record that Bellinger broke in 2017, & the 1993 season marked the start of six straight All-Star appearances.

 

Raul Mondesi, 1994

Mondesi, a dynamic talent and power arm in the right field, hit .306/.333/.516 with 27 doubles, 16 home runs, and 56 RBIs.

 

 

Hideo Nomo, 1995

Nomo has grown beyond his legacy as a stateside-hopping Japan-born player, his legacy with a 13-6 record & 2.54 ERA in 28 starts for the Dodgers. He led the NL with 236 strikeouts and three shutouts.

 

Todd Hollandsworth, 1996

Marking the end of five consecutive Dodgers Rookie of the Year wins, Hollandsworth hit. Steal base. Hollandsworth beat Edgar Renteria of the Florida Marlins to win the award, which was a bit frustrating.

 

Corey Seager, 2016

Seeger hit 308/.365/.512 with 40 doubles, five triples, 26 homers, and 72 RBIs in 157 games, ending the franchise’s decade-long run of the year Rookie shortage. He was the Dodgers’ second-ever Rookie of the Year award, earning a silver medal and finishing third in MVP voting.

 

Cody Bellinger, 2017

Like Seager last season, Bellinger is a clear choice for Rookie of the Year. That’s despite starting the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City and only joining the Dodgers in late April due to a string of injuries.

Bellinger was initially expected only to have a brief stint with the team, but his play has kept him in the lineup forever. He broke Piazza’s NL rookie home run record with 39.