2020 Listach Award contenders - pitchers

Pitchers seem a little behind the 8-ball when it comes to the Pat Listach Award. First-year batters have put up such absurd numbers in recent years that they've runaway with the Listach and even contended for the Mitchell Award. But maybe this year is different.

With only three slots on the ballot (as opposed to 6 for the Mitchell and the McDonald) for the Listach Award, recognizing DMBL's top rookie, it may be tough just to find space for all the worthy candidates. Votes are cast on a 5-3-1 points basis.

The last pitcher to win the rookie of the year award was Philly's Travis Wood, who got his hands on the hardware in 2011 (Sonny Gray went 23-6 as rookie for Durham in 2014 but awards were not handed out that year).

In 2019, Hoboken's Jack Flaherty finished a distant 3rd in Listach voting and while El Paso's Walker Buehler couldn't find a spot on the ballot, he put up a solid rookie campaign (10-5, 3.58 ERA, 1.09 WHIP). Tyler Anderson even got a 1st-place vote in 2017 for his first year with San Francisco but still finished 4th behind three batters. In 2016, three pitchers got support on the ballot in a race that saw 7 players receive votes.

Sure, there are solid rookie relievers this year but there's no other-worldly rookie reliever, like say Marietta's Chad Green in 2018, who finished 2nd to unanimous winner in Aaron Judge. So maybe it'll be a starter that gets some support this year.

Three pitchers tied for the lead among rookies with 15 wins: Tucson's Chris Paddack and Brandon Woodruff and Mike Soroka and of Allentown. Paddack went even further, leading the entire league in several pitching categories, including WHIP.

Let's have a look at some of the top rookie hurlers in 2020 (in alphabetical order; italics = led rookies):

Aaron Civale, Sardine City
2020: 1st round, 7th overall
4.94 ERA, 13-10
171 1/3 IP, 147 K, 70 BB
13/30, .433%
11.8 R/9, 1.28 WHIP

Civale won 13 games for the top-seeded Straphangers and his other numbers were solid for a first-year starter, including 1.28 WHIP, but lag a bit, particularly that ERA in the neighborhood of 5.00.

Max Fried, El Paso
2020: 1st round, 5th overall
10-10, .500%
5.24 ERA, 1.48 WHIP
182 IP, 181 K
13/32 GS, .406%

Fried was among a number of rookie left-handers to reach double-digit wins, including Hopatcong's Alex Young and John Means of Hillsborough.

Zac Gallen, Blue Ridge/Philly
2020: 1st Round, 8th overall
11-6, 4.96 ERA
183 1/3, 220 K
10/33 GS, .303%
10.8 K/9, 1.42 WHIP

Gallen was tops among rookies with 220 strikeouts and 10.8 K/9, splitting his time with Blue Ridge and Philly. The Bombers shipped their top pick in 2020 to Philly at the deadline in exchange for prospect Jarred Kelenic and a 2nd rounder in 2022. Gallen had more success with Blue Ridge, going 9-2, 4.00 ERA in 21 starts, versus 2-4, 6.75 ERA in 11 starts with Philly.

Chris Paddack, Tucson
2019: 6th round, 83rd overall
15-6, .714%
3.33 ERA, 1.01 WHIP
203 IP, 195 K
20/32 GS, .625%
9.4 R/9, 8.6 K/9
1 CG, 1ShO

When you lead the league in WHIP, well, you probably will be considered a serious candidate for the Listach Award. Paddack also tied for the league lead in categories like H/9 (6.8 with Stephen Strasburg) and R/9 (9.4 with Strasburg and Justin Verlander). He finished 3rd overall in ERA, jockeying for the crown all season. Paddack was selected with a draft pick that was included in a 2018 deadline deal with Blue Ridge, which sent Chris Archer to the Bombers for a 6th rounder in 2019 and a 4th in 2020 (who turned into Edwin Encarnacion).

Mike Soroka, Allentown
2019: 5th Round, 65th overall
15-8, .652%
4.13 ERA, 1.43 WHIP
207 IP, 145 Ks
17/31 GS, .548%
3 CG, 2 ShO

As a rookie, Allentown's Mike Soroka logged 207 IP and led the league with 40 GDPs. The 145 Ks won't make any headlines but he did go 15-8 (.652) with 3 CG and 2 ShO while making 17 quality starts in 31 starts (.548). The 4.13 ER is more than respectable but the 1.43 WHIP might scare away some voters. He also led rookies with a total 886 batters faced.

Brandon Woodruff, Tucson

2020: 1st round, 3rd overall
15-9, .625%
4.73 ERA, 1.43 WHIP
118 1/3 IP, 206 Ks
13/32, .406%
13.0 R/9, 9.8 K/9

Woodruff matched Soroka in wins (15-9 ) and racked up 206 Ks in 188 1/3 IP.  What might be lacking in his candidacy is just 13 quality starts in 32 starts (.406).