Tigers’ Michael Fulmer Wins BBWAA AL Rookie Of The Year

Michael Fulmer, acquired from the Mets for Yoenis Cespedes at the trade deadline in 2015, won the AL Rookie of the Year Award from the Baseball Writers Association of America on Monday.

Name, Team 1st 2nd 3rd Points
Michael Fulmer, Tigers 26 4 142
Gary Sanchez, Yankees 4 23 2 91
Tyler Naquin, Indians 2 14 20
Chris Devenski, Astros 1 4 7
Edwin Diaz, Mariners 4 4
Nomar Mazara, Rangers 4 4
Tim Anderson, White Sox 2 2

The Tigers’ top prospect entering the season, Fulmer was 11-7, 3.06, and struck out 132 batters in 156 innings. Fulmer received 26 of 30 first-place votes, with Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez getting the other four first-place votes.

“It’s an honor and a blessing for sure,” Fulmer said on MLB Network. “I want to thank God for the ability to do what I do, and I want to congratuate Tyler (Naquin) and Gary (Sanchez) for their seasons and I look forward to playing against them for years to come.”

Fulmer is the fifth Tigers play to win the AL Rookie award. The others were Harvey Kuenn in 1953, Mark Fidrych in 1976, Lou Whitaker in 1978 and Justin Verlander in 2006.

Fulmer gave Verlander some of the credit for his terrific rookie campaign.

“It was awesome,” Fulmer said of meeting Verlander. “Back in spring training, I was nervous to come up to him—he’s one of my favorite pitchers in the game. But he brought me back to his rookie year and told me everything he wished he had done. He helped me with my shoulder program . . . he was an open book this year.”

Fulmer was a member of our All-Rookie team. He paired his 95 mph fastball with a plus-plus slider and the biggest developmental touch for Fulmer this season came when he loosened the grip on his changeup and began locating it low in the zone, and the pitch now plays as plus.

Fulmer said he learned the changeup in 2012 from Mets minor league pitching coordinator Ron Romanick, the former major league righthander. Fulmer said he uses a “Vulcan grip,” using three fingers across the seams to throw it.

The 6-foot-3 righthander said he couldn’t help but notice what Cespedes did for the Mets as he led them to the World Series in 2015.

“After the trade . . . seeing some of the guys I knew in the World Series, that was something cool to see,” he said. “(But) I didn’t feel (extra pressure). I was kind of surprised I got called up so quick. But after I threw that first pitch on April 29 (against the Twins) I trusted my catchers and teammates.”

HOW THEY VOTED
Name Affiliation 1st 2nd 3rd
Eddie Matz ESPN.com Fulmer Sanchez Devenski
Brittany Ghiroli MLB.com Fulmer Sanchez Diaz
Evan Drellich Boston Herald Fulmer Sanchez Devenski
Scott Lauber ESPN.com Sanchez Fulmer Naquin
Scott Merkin MLB.com Fulmer Sanchez Diaz
Bruce Levine cbschicgo.com Fulmer Sanchez Diaz
Tom Withers Associated Press Fulmer Sanchez Mazara
Anthony Castrovince MLB.com Sanchez Fulmer Naquin
Noah Trister The Associated Press Fulmer Sanchez Devenski
George Sipple Detroit Free Press Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Kristie Rieken The Associated Press Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Alyson Footer MLB.com Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Joe Posnanski NBC Sports Sanchez Fulmer Anderson
David Brown VICE Sports Fulmer Sanchez Anderson
Greg Beacham Associated Press Fulmer Sanchez Mazara
Brian Golden Antelope Valley Press Sanchez Fulmer Devenski
Patrick Borzi At Large Fulmer Sanchez Mazara
Dave Campbell Associated Press Fulmer Devenski Sanchez
Erik Boland Newsday Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Bryan Hoch MLB.com Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Matt Kawahara The Sacramento Bee Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Jane Lee MLB.com Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Greg Johns MLB.com Fulmer Sanchez Diaz
Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Marc Topkin Tampa Bay Times Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Roger Mooney Tampa Bay Times Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Kevin Sherrington Dallas Morning News Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Stefan Stevenson Fort Worth Star-Telegram Fulmer Naquin Mazara
Gregor Chisholm MLB.com Fulmer Sanchez Naquin
Scott MacArthur TSN.ca Fulmer Naquin Sanchez

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