Of all the annual Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards, each league's Rookie of the Year honor gives us the best glimpse into the future of the game. Many Rookies of the Year past have gone on to multiple All-Star selections and even Hall of Fame careers.
What's in store for this year's winner in each league? Well, first we need to find out who the winners are, and the announcement will be made tonight at 7 p.m. ET on MLB Network and MLB+.
Below is a list of the finalists in each league:
AL finalists
Kevin McGonigle, INF, Tigers
What McGonigle did in his rookie season, having bypassed Triple-A ball to make the Tigers’ Opening Day roster, was impressive for any player of any experience level. McGonigle led all AL players, not just rookies, with 7.1 bWAR. He became the first rookie to post at least 97 runs, 28 doubles, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and 95 walks since Ted Williams in 1939. He was second among AL players with 6.0 offensive bWAR, trailing only Astros slugger and MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez, and sixth with 1.9 defensive bWAR.
Parker Messick, LHP, Guardians
Messick made 32 starts, tossed 186 1/3 innings (seventh in MLB) and recorded a 2.56 ERA (sixth among qualified s...