Monday, September 30, 2013

Jose Iglesias Is FN's 2013 Rookie Of The Year

(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
It's tough enough to give an award to a player wearing different laundry. It's even tougher when that player might contribute to a playoff defeat for the Red Sox in a few short weeks. But, the editors of FenwayNation really had no other choice but to make Joe Iglesias our 2013 Rookie Of The Year. In 63 games for The Carmine Hose, Iglesias pretty much put to rest the talk that he was "all glove and no bat". He finished up with a .330 average, .376 on-base percentage and a .409 slugging percentage. Moreover, he chimed in with a respectable .785 OPS. Of course, what dazzled us even more were his defensive skills—which he continues to display as a member of the Detroit Tigers. Most people in The Nation agreed with the deal that sent Iglesias to MoTown for Jake Peavy—as did we. Nevertheless, it will be very tough to watch this kid emerge as one of the elite shortstops in baseball. Congratulations, Jose!