The general sense around baseball is that there’s a two-man race for American League Rookie of the Year. On the East Coast, the New York Yankees have 21-year-old infielder Gleyber Torres, and out on the West Coast, the Los Angeles Angels have two-way Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani.
Both players have already demonstrated their flair and poise in the early stages of this season, and in a sport that’s rapidly gravitating toward young, budding talent, the presence of these rookies often calls for appointment television.
But one of Torres’ teammates in the Bronx is reminding voters that Torres and Ohtani shouldn’t necessarily be considered shoo-ins for the award.