Former Alabama Mr. Baseball wins Jackie Robinson Award
Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson is the 13th player to win the American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award by unanimous vote, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced on Monday.
Henderson won the Alabama Mr. Baseball Award for 2019 while playing for Morgan Academy in Selma.
Former Auburn standout Edouard Julien finished seventh in the voting for the award. The Minnesota Twins second baseman received two third-place votes.
Henderson received all 30 first-place votes for the 2023 award. He joined the lineup of unanimous AL Rookie of Year Award winners that includes:
· Carlton Fisk, 1972
· Mark McGwire, 1987
· Sandy Alomar Jr., 1990
· Tim Salmon, 1993
· Derek Jeter, 1996
· Nomar Garciaparra, 1997
· Evan Longoria, 2008
· Mike Trout, 2012
· Jose Abreu, 2014
· Aaron Judge, 2017
· Yordan Alvarez, 2019
· Kyle Lewis, 2020
During the 2023 season, Henderson scored 100 runs, hit 28 home runs and knocked in 82 runs in 150 games for the Orioles. He batted .255 with a .325 on-base average and a .489 slugging percentage.
Henderson started 68 games at third base, 64 games at shortstop and 11 at designated hitter in 2023.
The voting system awarded five points for first-place votes, three points for second-place votes and one-point for third-place votes.
Behind Henderson’s 150 points came Cleveland Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee with 67 points, Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas with 25 points, Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung with 16 points and Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz with six points. Each of those players received at least one second-place vote.
Other players with Alabama baseball roots who have won the Rookie of the Year Award include Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommie Agee in 1966 in the American League, and New York Giants outfielder Willie Mays in 1951, San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey in 1959, Chicago Cubs outfielder Billy Williams in 1961, and Atlanta Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel in 2011 in the National League.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.