Yasmany Tomas: Rookie of the Year?
By Joseph Jacquez
Another multi-hit game, and another win for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Yesterday, the Dbacks beat the Marlins 7-6 finishing off a four game sweep and a 4-3 road trip and rookie Yasmany Tomas was right in the middle of it.
Tomas went 2 for 5 with an RBI double, his sixth straight multi-hit game. He is finding his game at the Major League level, and that’s a good thing for Dave Stewart, Chip Hale and the rest of the Diamondbacks organization.
He’s hitting .349 in 28 games, which leads all MLB rookies, with 1 HR and 12 RBI’s. Forty games into the season, there is a lot to like about the Dbacks, and there is a lot to not like about this team.
This team is the very definition of inconsistency. After getting swept by the lowly Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Arizona flipped the script and everything went right in Miami against the Marlins, and Tomas was right in the middle of it.
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If you compare his numbers to other high performing rookies in the majors at this point in the season, Tomas stacks up.
Joc Pederson, Dodgers – .236 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI
Alex Guerrero, Dodgers – .311 with six home runs and 16 RBI
Kris Bryant, Cubs – .291 with four home runs and 25 RBI
Carlos Frias, Dodgers – 3-1 record with a 2.55 ERA
Chris Heston, Giants – 3-3 record with a 3.72 ERA
Kris Bryant of the Cubs will be the popular choice for most writers and pundits in the media especially if the Cubs win the N.L. Central and make the playoffs. Joc Pederson is a more popular name nationally.
However, if the Dbacks make a surprise run at a wild card spot like I thought they could this season, than the Baseball Writers Association of America is going to have a hard time ignoring Tomas.
When the Cuban outfielder signed the largest free agent contract in Diamondbacks history, a 6 year $68.5 million deal, the national media slammed the Dbacks for taking a huge risk with a player they thought could never be the next Jose Abreu.
Remember when scouts said that he was only made to play in the outfield and that he didn’t have the tools or the skill necessary to man the hot corner? The Dbacks front office didn’t believe them for a second, and stuck with Tomas and it is paying off.
He has played impeccable defense at third base given the expectations for him at the position coming into the 2015 season. In 20 games according to Fan Graphs at third this season, he has made 2 fielding errors, but he has a respectable .936 fielding percentage, and he has only gotten better recently.
What people dont remember is that he is learning a new position, adjusting to Major League Baseball, and at the same time adjusting to a new country. As he gains more experience in the field, he will get better at third.
One thing is for sure: if Tomas continues to produce at the plate the way he is, I will take average defense from him any day of the week.