Aaron Judge wins 2017 American League Rookie of the Year

We knew it was coming, but now it’s official. On Monday night, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named Aaron Judge the American League’s Rookie of the Year. He won the award unanimously, securing all 30 first place votes. Per the organization, Judge is just the 10th player in history to win the award by unanimous vote.

The Yankees right fielder had an historic 2017 campaign. He hit .284/.422/.627 with 52 home runs. That combined to form a Ruthian 173 wRC. Judge also accrued an incredible 8.2 fWAR. Along the way, he broke the rookie records for both home runs and walks.

“It means everything. It’s quite an honor," Judge told reporters following the announcement. "It’s an honor and a privilege. I’m just one piece in an organization. The impact my teammates, family and friends have had on me this year have been huge. I can’t thank them enough."

Judge represents the first Yankee to win the Rookie of the Year Award since Derek Jeter — also unanimous — in 1996. The two received a number of comparisons during the regular season, for both their on-field performance and poise. It’s only fitting that they share the honor.

Andrew Benintendi and Trey Mancini finished second and third in the voting, respectively. Yankees left-hander Jordan Montgomery also picked up a couple of nods, including a second place vote. How about that? Good for Montgomery.

What’s next for the Yankees? Luis Severino competes for the Cy Young Award on Wednesday night. Then we focus back on the Aaron Judge as he remains in the mix for the American League’s Most Valuable Player. That will be announced on Thursday night. Let’s hope the Yankees have some more hardware in their future!