Cubs Rookie of the Year - 2024

[Jacob Zanolla]

The Cubs haven’t had a player win the National League Rookie of the Year since Kris Bryant in 2015. Nonetheless, a few players stood out in their rookie campaigns with Chicago. There are three players that are in the running, each of them impressive in their own way. 

The Cubs haven’t had a player win the National League Rookie of the Year since Kris Bryant in 2015. Nonetheless, a few players stood out in their rookie campaigns with Chicago. There are three players that are in the running, each of them impressive in their own way. 

Honorable Mention: Porter Hodge
Hodge solidified the closer role down the stretch and should keep that role going into 2025 unless something drastic changes. 

#3: Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
PCA was coming off a brutal debut stretch in September of 2023, but ended up proving that it was a fluke, and a rough start that is experienced by most rookies in today’s game of baseball. He started off his 2024 season with a bang, sending his first MLB hit into the right-field bleachers. The best part is that Crow-Armstrong got better as the year went on. His defense was always a strong suit, although there were a few bad errors mixed in. His best defensive game was against the Dodgers on September 11th, when he made two diving catches as well as robbing a home run to end the game. Just a few weeks earlier, he hit an inside-the-park home run in Miami that made highlight reels across social media.

In August, Crow-Armstrong had a .314 average, with an elite .558 slugging and .933 OPS. He helped the Cubs catch fire and make one last push for the Wild Card, although it was unsuccessful. There are too many defensive stats to show off, but he is easily one of the best defensive players in baseball, and will only get better with more experience.

#2: Shota Imanaga, SP
Imanaga should earn several votes for the Rookie of the Year and a few for the Cy Young award. Although Imanaga is 31 years old, he is eligible for the award due to coming over from Japan back in January. The Cubs didn’t expect Imanaga to be a real option for a free-agency addition. However, it quickly became apparent that he only wanted to play in Chicago, making the eventual deal much easier to negotiate. At the time of his signing with the Cubs, many people around the industry predicted that he would be the steal of the offseason, which ended up being correct.

Imanaga threw 173 1/3 innings, with a 2.91 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Imanaga doesn’t throw super hard, but his command is what helps make him one of the best pitchers in baseball. He had a 4.0% walk rate, and 25.1% strikeout rate, striking out 174 hitters in total. The main concern with his scouting report was the amount of fly balls he gave up, which often led to home runs. It wasn’t as noticeable as everyone expected, but a 45.5% flyball rate is more than average. Whether it was his performance on the mound, his attitude on the field, and his fun antics after games, there isn’t much debate that Shota Imanaga is the 2024 Cubs Rookie of the Year.

#1: Michael Busch, 1B
Acquired in a trade with the Dodgers in January, no one expected Busch to be so good in his freshman season. It was going to be impossible to fill the shoes of Anthony Rizzo, who is the definition of a franchise first baseman to the Cubs fans. However, Busch immediately became well-liked among Cubs fans and easily put up the stats to back that up. 

In 152 games, Busch posted a 119 wRC+ and 2.3 fWAR. 21 home runs were accompanied by 28 doubles and 63 walks. He started off strong in April, blasting five home runs in five straight games, before slowing down and having a rough month of May. All rookies have slumps, which we saw continue to be true with the young first baseman. He was able to bounce back each time, and gives the Cubs a really strong bat to help secure a top spot in the lineup. 

He played first base for all but seven of his games, with a few appearances at second base and third base. He will most likely get a few gold glove votes among first basemen, and could easily win one in the future. He has power, hits the ball hard, and draws a lot of walks. Busch needs to work on his strikeouts, but otherwise, there is no reason he can’t become an elite first baseman in the years to come. 

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Congratulations to Michael Busch on a fantastic rookie season. The Cubs had a few rookies that came up big throughout the year, and they have prospects galore. 

So, what do you think? Who would get your vote? Should players coming over from the major leagues of Japan or even Korea be considered rookies? Discuss below. 

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[chopsx9]

IMO I think international leagues should be designated as major or minor.  I would think Nippon should be designated as a major league - not sure if any others would - and any time played in a designated major league would count towards rookie service time.