NL Rookie of the Year

After getting hammered for my NL MVP pick I needed a few days off to regroup. Now I'm back to give my top 5 list for NL Rookie of the Year.

1. Geovany Soto (CHC): .284 BA, 13 HR, 47 RBI
Soto has been a huge upgrade at the catcher position over Michael Barrett and Jason Kendall. He is making a huge push for a spot on the All-Star team, but has some stiff competition from Russell Martin, Brian McCann, and even Bengie Molina. Out of all the halfway awards this was the easiest to pick.

2. Jair Jurrjens (ATL): 8-3, 98.0 IP, 2.94 ERA, 69 SO
Jair has been a pleasant surprise for a Braves rotation that has endured countless injuries. So far it's looking like the Braves stole another pitching prospect from the Tigers (ala John Smoltz). Jair should be a solid number 2 starter for this team for many years to come.

3. Kosuke Fukudome (CHC): .296 BA, 6 HR, 34 RBI, .404 OBP
I have never really liked the idea of players who have played multiple seasons of professional Japanese ball being considered for ROY, but since they are I'll have to put K-Fuk here. He is not only posting solid numbers in his first MLB season, but he also provides an emotional lift for the team and really gets those Cubs fans going.

4. Joey Votto (CIN): .280 BA, 12 HR, 38 RBI,
Votto has made a solid contribution for a Reds team that has one of the better collections of youth in the Majors this season. By seasons end his teammate Jay Bruce may end up higher on this list, but as of now Votto has has more ABs and thus better numbers.

5. Johnny Cueto (CIN): 6-8, 98.0 IP, 4.68 ERA, 83 SO
After a sizzling debut for the Reds this season in which he posted 10 SO, Cueto has come back down to earth. He is still putting up respectable numbers for a 22 year old in a hitter-friendly park. He should get to about 12 wins by the end of the season and between him and Edinson Volquez, Reds fans should be pretty excited about the possibilities of a ridiculous 1-2 punch.

Honorable Mention: John Lannan (WAS), Hiroki Kuroda (LAD), Jorge Campillo (ATL), Blake DeWitt (LAD), Jay Bruce (CIN)