2016 Listach Award winner: Miguel Sano

Miguel Sano became the third rookie of the year winner in franchise history and a near-unanimous pick after a power-laden first year.

The Hit Men's designated hitter was an all-star this season for the Diamond Conference and follows in the footsteps of Hillsborough's previous Pat Listach Rookie of the Year winners, Ryan Howard (2006) and Shin Soo-Choo (2009). Hillsborough becomes the first franchise to have three Listach winners, breaking a tie with Vancouver, Philly, Newark and Phoenix (who each had two).

The 6'4" Dominican was a near-unanimous pick with 7 first-place votes, totaling 35 points:

1. Miguel Sano, HIL: 7-0-0 ---> 35 points
2. Xander Bogaerts, POO: 1-2-4 ---> 15 points
3. Carlos Correa, EP: 0-2-1 ---> 7 points
4. Andrew Heaney, VAN: 0-2-1 ---> 7 points
5. Luis Severino, HPG: 0-2-0 ---> 6 points
6. Mookie Betts, HIL: 0-0-1 ---> 1 point
7. Cody Anderson, MAR: 0-0-1 ---> 1 point

Xander Bogaerts was the only other player to appear on more than 3 ballots. The Poovey Farms shortstop picked up the other first-place vote, along with 4 third-place votes, to finish 2nd with 15 points.

Andrew Heaney was the top pitcher in the voting, one of four players to earn 2 second-place votes. The Vancouver left-hander finished tied for 3rd with El Paso shortstop Carlos Correa; both earned 7 points as a result of 2 second-place votes and a third-place vote.

Hopatcong starter Luis Severino garnered 2 second-place votes for a total of 6 points and a 5th place finish. Sano's teammate, Mookie Betts, and Marietta's Cody Anderson each received one 3rd-place vote for 1 point.

Selected 20th overall in the 2015 draft as an ineligible prospect, Sano led all rookies, and finished in the top 10 league-wide, in most every major batting category: on-base percentage (.364), slugging (.497), OPS (.860), home runs (37), RBI (96), runs (98), walks (102) and strikeouts (256, nearly setting a league record), in addition to secondary categories like runs created (111.1), RC/27 (6.6), total average (.878), isolated power (.245), total bases (292), secondary average (.418), and AB/HR (15.9).

Bogaerts led rookies in batting average (.307), challenging Buster Posey for the batting title until the season's final month. His 196 hits was most among rookies.

Betts led rookies in triples with 14, added 30 doubles and 16 home runs, with 84 RBI (second among rookies). Correa had a rookie-best 34 doubles and his 30 home runs was second among first-year players.

Among the seven players to earn votes, four were all-stars this year. Betts and Sano both were all-stars for the Diamond Conference this year; Betts in the outfield and Sano at DH. Both conferences had rookies at shortstop in the midseason classic, with Correa got the starting nod at shortstop for the Diamond Conference and Bogaerts for the Micro.

Among rookies receiving votes, only Andrew Heaney and Cody Anderson were drafted in 2016; the rest were selected earlier as ineligible prospects, in either 2015 or 2014.