Second fiddles: The best rookies who are stuck behind Judge, Bellinger

A lot of future baseball stars have announced themselves during this 2017 season. And ordinarily, this stacked rookie class would be spawning endless Twitter debates about who deserves the honors, eventually leading to a ridiculously close finish on the final ballots.

But this is not an ordinary year. Aaron Judge is closing in on the rookie home-run record and has already broken Ted Williams' modern-era rookie walks mark, while Cody Bellinger is about to tie the NL rookie homer record and is top five in a variety of categories. They're not just the Rookies of the Year - they've got legitimate MVP cases, too.

Aaron and Cody should really apologize to the cadre of talented baseball freshmen who they're leaving behind in the dust - and those youngsters deserve better. Here's a look at some of the top rookies in both leagues who'd warrant Rookie of the Year consideration if not for Judge and Bellinger.

American League

Andrew Benintendi, Red Sox OF

It's been an up-and-down season for one of the popular preseason picks to win AL Rookie of the Year, but Benintendi's weathered the storm to produce a solid season for the Red Sox. Fans in New England probably know by now he won't steal the award from Judge, but that shouldn't take away from Benintendi's results.

Trey Mancini, Orioles OF/1B/DH

Talk about being overshadowed in the AL East. The 25-year-old Mancini has added even more pop to an already powerful Orioles lineup - his 24 homers are second only to Judge among Junior Circuit rookies, while his average tops all freshmen who qualify for the batting title. If not for some rotten timing, this excellent rookie season would be getting a lot more praise, so take that well-deserved bow, Trey Mancini. You earned it.

Trevor Hildenberger, Twins RHP

The Twins have surprised everyone with their pursuit of a wild-card spot, and the 26-year-old Hildenberger's played a big role in their run during his first big-league season. Since his June call-up, Hildenberger's baffled opposing hitters, allowing just three homers while posting the lowest walk rate (1.19) among AL rookies to become one of Paul Molitor's most trusted relievers.

Matt Chapman, Athletics 3B

Chapman's bat has played well in the bigs and he's really enjoyed hitting at the cavernous Oakland Coliseum, but it's defensively where he's making his mark. Chapman's 19 defensive runs saved are tied with Nolan Arenado for the most at third base. He's quickly become one of the better hot-corner gloves in the league and that's increased his overall value. By WAR, Chapman's the second-most valuable AL rookie behind Judge, thanks in large part to his stellar defense.

Apologies to: Jacob Faria, Rays P; Rafael Devers, Red Sox 3B; Mitch Haniger, Mariners OF; Yuli Gurriel, Astros 1B; Yoan Moncada, White Sox 2B

National League

Paul DeJong, Cardinals SS

Aledmys Diaz's early struggles opened the door for DeJong, who seemingly came out of nowhere to immediately start mashing home runs in St. Louis. Though he could stand to walk a little more, the 24-year-old leads the Cardinals in homers and is only the third rookie to hit 20 bombs and 20 doubles for the franchise.

Rhys Hoskins, Phillies OF/1B

If not for the existence of Bellinger, Hoskins might be this year's Gary Sanchez and push his way into consideration for the award after only seven weeks in the majors. His 34-game stint has been beyond anything expected so far, and while he won't win the rookie honors, he's quickly closing in on the Phillies' rookie home-run record of 30. Impressive stuff.

Josh Bell, Pirates 1B

Bell hasn't disappointed after narrowly holding onto his eligibility for 2017. The 25-year-old has mashed baseballs for the Pirates, ranking second to Bellinger among NL rookies in that category and giving Bucs fans hope for the future during the team's disappointing campaign. He's also shown a nice eye for a power hitter and is one of only eight NL rookies sporting a walk rate above 10 percent.

German Marquez, Rockies P

Some of Marquez's stats are inflated due to pitching in Colorado, so don't let those fool you - he's having a tremendous season. The 22-year-old's 137 strikeouts lead all rookie pitchers, and his 2.73 BB/9 ranks second lowest among rookies with at least 100 innings. Come November, Bellinger may be able to say he got more Rookie of the Year votes than Marquez, but he can't boast too much since he's gone 0-for-3 against young German to date.

Apologies to: Jose Martinez, Cardinals OF/1B; Manuel Margot, Padres OF; Ian Happ, Cubs 2B/OF; Luis Castillo, Reds P

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)