2018 Listach Award candidates

The 2018 season has continued a trend in recent years of monster seasons from first-year players. These guys have put up not just Listach-worthy campaigns but have challenged for the Mitchell Award in their rookie seasons.
Aaron Judge of Empire City and Cody Bellinger of Sardine City managed to dwarf some very respectable rookie seasons by other top prospects that normally might garner more attention for the Pat Listach Award as the league's top rookie. Voters choose 3 candidates on a 5-3-1 ballot.

Cody Bellinger, OF, Sardine City

Bellinger, the 13th pick of the 3rd Round (45th overall) in the 2017 draft, is a serious Mitchell Award candidate for his 116 RBI, which ranked 5th in the DMBL and led all rookies. His 39 home runs were good for 10th in the DMBL (and also ranked 9th with 14.5 AB/HR) in a year when the Straphangers earned the best record. He manned right field for 148 games for Sardine City, Bellinger batted .240/.329/.511 (.839), though he struggled a bit against lefties (.213, 6 HR in 122 AB). In the second half, Bellinger went for 18 HR, 43 runs and 53 RBI.

Aaron Judge, OF, Empire City
Judge, who turns 26 later this month, finally broke in last year and was worth the wait. He was the leading vote-getter among outfielders to get the All-Star Game start for the Diamond Conference and like Bellinger, is likely to garner serious support for the Mitchell.

Playing in 156 games in right field for the Trojans, he destroyed lefties and rights indiscriminately, leading rookies with 47 home runs (4th in the league) and 112 runs (5th in DMBL), although he only managed 97 RBI. He also led the league in both strikeouts (226) and walks (126). His total average of 1.106 was good for 3rd in the DMBL.

A-a-ron was a prospect in the DMBL even longer than Bellinger, initially selected in the 2015 draft, as the 1st pick of the 6th Round (82nd overall) by Livingston. He's already been around the league a bit since then, getting dealt ahead of the 2016 protected lists, and then again before the 2016 deadline, only to be stashed away on a roster for another season before breaking out in 2018.

A-A-Ron GIF from Key GIFs

Livingston dealt him to Philly in January 2016, along with Felix Hernandez and an 11th round pick that year for Carlos Gonzalez, Kevin Gausman and a 6th rounder that year (originally Tucson's pick). By July, Philly sent him packing to Empire City, along with a 2017 2nd round in exchange for Daniel Murphy and a 6th rounder.

Chad Green, RP, MAR
It's possible that the 2018 Listach could very well go to a pitcher. Marietta 1st-rounder Chad Green (11th overall in 2018) could certainly make a strong case. He led the league with 34 saves and just 4 blown saves (.895) but he wasn't just a one-inning pony.

Green logged 136.2 innings out of the bullpen, racking up 200 Ks -- probably a first in DMBL history for a reliever -- and 13.9 K/9. Green compiled a microscopic 0.89 WHIP and 1.45 ERA. He allowed just 4 of 33 inherited runners (.121%) to score, locking down the bullpen for a team that won 100 games but had to settle for a No. 5 seed.

Mitch Haniger, OF, MAR

In any other year, Haniger would be a solid choice and serious threat for the Listach. But with only three names on the ballot, it might be tough to find room for a candidate like him. Still, he had a respective first-year campaign. In 95 starts for the Mighty Men, Haniger batted .267/.349/.501, raking 36 doubles and two triples. He compiled 18 dongs, to go with 72 RBI and 77 runs while striking out 118 times with 44 walks.

Not a bad payoff for the 296th overall pick of the 2017 draft. He went in the 3rd round, 40th, of the supplemental draft (essentially the 19th round).

Max Kepler, OF, MAR
Marietta had more than one rookie outfielder put up solid numbers in his rookie year. The Mighty Men grabbed Max Kepler in the 3rd round (34th overall) of the 2018 draft. He batted .261/.326/.494, with 22 HR, 58 runs and 74 RBI. He banged 30 doubles and 3 triples, along with 43 BB and 85 Ks. In any other year, that could warrant serious consideration in Listach voting but this year it might be too big a hill to overcome.

Alex Bregman, 3B, El Paso
Bregman, the 4th overall pick in 2017, might have been overlooked after a slow start in 2018 but had a big second half, slashing .309/.375/.512, with 12 HR and 54 RBI. Overall, he finished with 19 HR with 76 RBI and 92 runs and smacked 45 doubles. He compiled a solid .285/.354/.464 in 149 games, not a shabby rookie campaign, but will it be enough to get a mention for the Listach?

Luis Castillo, SP, El Paso/Vancouver

Among the best rookie staring pitchers was Luis Castillo, who split time between two teams. A 1st rounder (10th overall) in 2018, Castillo went a combined 12-8 and was consistently among the league leaders in ERA, finishing at 2.97 to lead all among rookie starters and ranking 3rd in the league.

He logged 20 quality starts in 31 starts (.645%). Castillo compiled 202 strikeouts in 182 innings, 9.99 K/9. He finished with a 1.25 WHIP.

The Chihuahuas shipped Castillo to Vancouver in June for a 1st rounder in 2019, which they turned into SP Nick Pivetta with the 13th overall selection. He compiled pretty balanced numbers between the two squads, 15 starts for El Paso and 16 for Vancouver, about 91 innings for each team, and 6-3 and 6-4, respectively.

Castillo's El Paso tenure was a bit better than his time with the Iron Fist, with a 2.29 ERA versus 3.63 in Vancouver, and 1.20 WHIP compared with 1.31 WHIP. He turned it around after two dreadful starts and a trip to the DL to start his time with the Iron Fist.

The 2018 class of ineligibles - three 1st rounders, including the top overall pick - will make their mark on this DMBL season: No. 1 pick Rafael Devers, who will man 3B for Arkansas; Ozzie Albies, 7th overall, who will play 2B for Allentown, and Ron Acuna, 4th overall, will be El Paso's starting CF. Matt Olson (3rd Round, 13th pick, 45th overall) will seen plenty of playing time at 1B for Tucson.

A much later pick who's expected to make an impact will be Rhys Hoskins. Hopatcong drafted him 282nd overall in 2017, the 2nd round of the supplemental draft, basically the 18th round. But this year he'll be in Philly playing OF and 1B as the Green Rage obtained him in January 2018 for SP Gio Gonzalez and a 6th round pick in 2018. The Floating Fish turned that 6th rounder into Miguel Andujar, who's expected to be their full-time 3B this season, so he could be on the Listach watch too.

On the pitching side of things, El Paso will bank on Walker Buehler as its No. 1 SP. The Chihuahuas drafted him in the 4th round (58th overall) of the 2018 draft. There's also Shohei Ohtani, who will be an intriguing player to watch, as both pitcher and batter for Poovey Farms. The Dairy Cows drafted him way back in 2017 with the 4th pick of the 8th round (116th overall).