PHOENIX — Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll were unanimous selections for Rookies of the Year on Monday night, with Henderson winning the American League honor and Carroll earning the National League award.
The well-rounded stars used power, speed and defense to help their respective franchises to the playoffs after both teams lost 110 games just two seasons ago.
It was just the fifth time both the AL and NL selections were unanimous, the first since the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger in 2017.
The 22-year-old Henderson split time between third base and shortstop, providing above-average defense at both spots, while batting .255 with 28 homers, 82 RBI, 100 runs, 29 doubles and 10 stolen bases. The numbers were strikingly similar to Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.’s first full season — another shortstop who won the award in 1982.
Henderson received all 30 first-place votes and 150 points. Cleveland pitcher Tanner Bibee was second with 20 second-place votes and 67 points. Boston slugger Triston Casas was third with 25 points.
Texas third baseman Josh Jung finished fourth while Houston catcher Yainer Diaz was fifth.
Carroll’s season ended with a surprise appearance in the World Series, where the Diamondbacks fell to the Rangers in five games. The 23-year-old hit .285 with 25 homers and 54 stolen bases during the regular season, making the All-Star team and becoming the first rookie to join the 25-50 club.
The D-backs had been the last of the current 30 teams without a Rookie of the Year winner.
Mets pitcher Kodai Senga finished second with 22 second-place votes and 71 points. Dodgers outfielder James Outman was third, Colorado slugger Nolan Jones was fourth and Cincinnati infielder Matt McLain was fifth.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of American votes on its awards before the postseason begins.
BLUE JAYS: DeMarlo Hale was hired as associate manager under John Schneider after three seasons as Terry Francona’s bench coach in Cleveland.
The 62-year-old Chicago native was Toronto’s bench coach from 2013-18, became an Atlanta minor league coach and special assistant in 2019, then was the Braves’ interim first base coach in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when Eric Young decided not to travel.
Hale served as Cleveland’s acting manager from July 29, 2021, through the end of the season while Francona was sidelined by health issues. The team went 30-33 with Hale in charge.
Toronto 89-73 in Schneider’s first season, finishing third in the AL East behind Baltimore and Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays were swept by Minnesota in an AL Wild Card Series.
Hale coached for first base and outfield for Texas (2002-05), then was a third base coach (2006-09) and bench coach (2010-11) with Boston and a third base coach with Baltimore (2012).
YANKEES: James Rowson, who developed a good relationship with Aaron Judge in the minor leagues, was hired as the Yankees’ hitting coach after a season in which New York finished with the next-to-worst batting average in the major leagues.
Dillon Lawson was fired at the All-Star break after 1 1/2 seasons as hitting coach in New York’s first in-season coaching change since Nardi Contreras replaced Billy Connors as pitching coach in July 1995. Lawson was replaced by Sean Casey, who decided he didn’t want to return for 2024.
Rowson, 47, was the hitting coach of Class A Tampa in 2006 and ’07 and was the Yankees minor league hitting coordinator from 2008-11 and 2014-16, the last three years as Judge worked his way up the farm system.
Rowson left the Yankees to become the Chicago Cubs’ minor league hitting coordinator in 2012, then was promoted to major league hitting coach from June 2012 through the 2013 season. He was the Minnesota Twins’ hitting coach from 2017-19 and was the Miami Marlins’ bench coach from 2020-22 when the team was managed by former Yankees captain Don Mattingly. Rowson was the Detroit Tigers’ assistant hitting coach this year.
METS: Carlos Mendoza was officially hired as manager of the New York Mets with a three-year contract and the task of leading a turnaround from 2023’s huge failure.
The 43-year-old will be introduced Tuesday at Citi Field. His deal includes a team option for 2027.
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