NewsPorcello is Tigers' Rookie of Year
Right-hander's 14 victories led all American League rookies
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
11/05/09 3:00 PM EST
DETROIT -- Rick Porcello, the first Major League pitcher since Dwight Gooden to put up a 14-win season at age 20 or younger, received the first of the club's postseason honors Thursday by earning the Tigers Rookie of the Year award from the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.Whether he can stand out from a crowded field for American League Rookie of the Year honors later this month remains to be seen, but he was the overwhelming choice for the Tigers honor. After surprising many by making the Tigers rotation out of Spring Training after only one full pro season, the youngest player in the American League this year responded with a standout first half before getting a second wind down the stretch and nearly winning Detroit's AL Central tiebreaker at Minnesota.
Porcello's 14 wins led all AL rookies to go with a 3.96 ERA and 170 2/3 innings. His ratio of 2.23 ground balls for every fly ball ranked second among all AL pitchers, while his 24 ground-ball double plays ranked fifth.
Just as impressive, Porcello thrived down the stretch of a playoff race. He went 5-2 with a 3.07 ERA over his final 13 starts, allowing just 66 hits over 73 1/3 innings. Just 18 of those hits went for extra bases. He lost only one of his final eight starts, and his 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts at Minnesota on Oct. 6 gave Detroit a shot at winning the division before falling in extra innings.
The DSBA will present Porcello with his award before a 2010 home game.
Still to be decided is the Tiger of the Year award. That honor will be announced by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America later this month.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
