Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa hit the ground running upon being promoted to the majors in 2015, and they both parlayed their success into a Rookie of the Year Award.
Many expected Bryant to take home the honor for the National League, and the voting results bear that out. The voters unanimously selected Bryant first in their ballots:
| National League ROY Voting | ||||
| Kris Bryant, CHC | 30 | ---- | ---- | 150 |
| Matt Duffy, SF | ---- | 22 | 4 | 70 |
| Jung Ho Kang, PIT | ---- | 4 | 16 | 28 |
| Noah Syndergaard, NYM | ---- | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Justin Bour, MIA | ---- | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Joc Pederson, LAD | ---- | ---- | 1 | 1 |
| Stephen Piscotty, STL | ---- | ---- | 1 | 1 |
| Source: BBWAA | ||||
Sports production freelancer Steven Karr felt a bit sorry for San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Duffy, who likely knew his fate well before Monday night's announcement:
Steven Karr @SKarrG0I'm glad MLB Network has Matt Duffy chilling at an empty ballpark in a hoodie so he can watch Kris Bryant win Rookie of the Year.
Former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen celebrated his fellow Chicago sports star:
Scottie Pippen @ScottiePippenCongrats to @KrisBryant_23 on his unanimous selection as NL Rookie of the Year! Many more accolades coming his way I'm sure.
Bryce Harper, who played against Bryant in Las Vegas when the two were younger, was happy to see the Chicago Cubs third baseman win Rookie of the Year:
Bryce Harper @Bharper3407Congrats to My friend and Vegas Native @KrisBryant_23 on the NL ROY! Nobody deserves it more than you brotha #Silk
Chicago was patient with Bryant's eventual call-up, much to the frustration of both Cubs fans and baseball followers in general. The delay didn't hamper Bryant's performance after he posted the highest WAR of any rookie (6.5) in 2015, per FanGraphs.
"I played as hard as I could with a little chip on my shoulder," Bryant said of starting the season in the minors, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. "Things turned out great."
The 23-year-old finished second on the Cubs in home runs (26) and runs batted in (99). Despite striking out an NL-high 199 times, Bryant still batted a healthy .275 with a .369 on-base percentage. Christopher Kamka of Comcast SportsNet Chicago put Bryant's season into perspective:
Christopher Kamka @ckamka25+ HR, 75+ BB & 85+ Runs in year of MLB debut: 1939 Ted Williams #RedSox 2015 Kris Bryant #Cubs That's all.
MLB.com's Carrie Muskat also highlighted how Bryant delivered 17 game-winning RBI, tied for the second-most since 2000.
He disappointed a bit in the postseason, going 6-for-34 in nine games with two home runs and five RBI, but that did little to lessen the optimism about how good he can be in another year or two.
Over in the American League, Correa faced serious competition from Francisco Lindor and Miguel Sano. Sano had insane power numbers—18 home runs, 52 RBI—over 80 games, while Lindor rejuvenated the Cleveland Indians' playoff hopes immediately after his promotion with his all-around game.
In the end, Correa won out in a close vote between himself and Lindor:
| American League ROY Voting | ||||
| Carlos Correa, HOU | 17 | 13 | ---- | 124 |
| Francisco Lindor, CLE | 13 | 14 | 2 | 109 |
| Miguel Sano, MIN | ---- | ---- | 20 | 20 |
| Roberto Osuna, TOR | ---- | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Billy Burns, OAK | ---- | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Eddie Rosario, MIN | ---- | ---- | 2 | 2 |
| Delino DeShields, TEX | ---- | ---- | 1 | 1 |
| Source: BBWAA | ||||
Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch couldn't have been more pleased for his star shortstop:
AJ Hinch @ajhinchWhat an impactful season for @TeamCJCorrea !! Very proud of him in every way. Special season, special player. AL ROY! @astros
Correa gave an interview to MLB Network shortly after winning Rookie of the Year:
The 21-year-old hit 22 home runs with 68 RBI and boasted a slash line of .279/.345/.512. Between his work at the plate and in the field, he drew comparisons to a young Alex Rodriguez, which isn't altogether crazy, considering Correa's incredible blend of talent and athleticism.
He also helped the Astros reach the playoffs for the first time since 2005, which certainly helped his candidacy.
Baseball is littered with top prospects who failed to reach their potential in the majors, and Wil Myers demonstrated a Rookie of the Year Award doesn't automatically precede superstardom.
In the cases of Bryant and Correa, however, you get the feeling multiple All-Star appearances and potential MVP campaigns are in the future for both young stars. These should be the first of many accolades they capture over the course of their careers.
