Francona: Lindor is Rookie of the Year
Terry Francona is passionate when it comes to his players and he expressed such passion when he was asked if shortstop Francisco Lindor should win the American League Rookie of the Year award.
"I'm probably shying away from (the debate) a little bit because some of the things I'm reading are starting to aggravate me," Francona told Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com. "This kid is Rookie of the Year. I'm missing something somewhere and I'm afraid if I keep (paying attention), I'm going to get mad."
Lindor is one of the main contenders for the award along with Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa and Minnesota Twins designated hitter Miguel Sano.
| Player | GP | AVG | OBP | SLG | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Correa | 99 | .279 | .345 | .512 | 22 | 68 | 14 |
| Francisco Lindor | 99 | .313 | .353 | .482 | 12 | 51 | 12 |
| Miguel Sano | 80 | .269 | .385 | .530 | 18 | 52 | 1 |
Related: MLB Awards: Staff picks for MVP, Cy Young, ROY
With Correa receiving most of the hype as part of an Astros team bound for the American League Division Series, Francona believes that Lindor's success could be getting overlooked.
"He made a number of plays that were really important," Francona said. "I guess I've never really stopped - and maybe I should - to go 'Wow.' You get so locked into, 'OK, he made that play and now he better make this one.' ... So, I probably don't get too caught up in it, especially because guys that gifted make those plays.
"But what's really important is that he makes the routine play all the time because he is going to make those plays, and then when that happens, and you're making both, that's when you get really special."