Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll and Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson Win Unanimous Rookie of the Year Awards
By Jeff Passan, ESPN
Five years after showcasing their talent as high school baseball players, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles have been named the unanimous winners of the Rookie of the Year Award. This marks only the fifth time in history that both leagues’ winners have received unanimous votes.
Both Carroll and Henderson began their seasons in the major leagues and were ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball. As a result, their teams will be rewarded with an additional first-round pick in the 2024 draft, thanks to the Prospect Promotion Incentive implemented in the collective-bargaining negotiations to discourage service-time manipulation.
Carroll, 23, is expected to rank highly in the National League Most Valuable Player voting, which will be announced on Thursday. He had an impressive season, hitting .285/.362/.506 with 25 home runs and 54 stolen bases, the second-highest stolen base count in the major leagues, just behind NL MVP favorite Ronald Acuna Jr.
On the other hand, Henderson, 22, played a crucial role in leading the Orioles to a remarkable 101-61 season and the American League East title. Known for his power and smooth defense, Henderson became the Orioles’ first Rookie of the Year since Gregg Olson in 1989.
Finishing in second place for the AL Rookie of the Year was Tanner Bibee of the Cleveland Guardians, who made his debut in late April and received a full year of service time. Triston Casas, the first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, secured the third spot. In the NL, Kodai Senga of the New York Mets took second place, while James Outman of the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed third.
The last time both Rookies of the Year received unanimous votes was in 2017 when Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers won the awards. Other seasons with unanimous winners include 1997 (Nomar Garciaparra and Scott Rolen), 1993 (Tim Salmon and Mike Piazza), and 1987 (Mark McGwire and Benito Santiago).
Carroll and Henderson previously played together in the Under Armour All-American Game in 2018, alongside other notable players such as Bobby Witt Jr. and Anthony Volpe. Carroll expressed his admiration for his fellow players, stating, “So many of the young, exciting players in our