Boston Red Sox Outfielder Wilyer Abreu Snubbed as AL Rookie of the Year Finalist

Wilyer Abreu hit 15 home runs and won a Gold Glove in 2024, but the Boston Red Sox right fielder ultimately did not finish top-three in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Sep 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu (52) reacts after being hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The AL East swept the finalist spots for AL Rookie of the Year, but the Boston Red Sox were shut out.

Several rookies played a major part in what Boston accomplished in 2024, including shortstop/center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, middle infielder David Hamilton, starting pitcher Cooper Criswell, reliever Justin Slaten and starting pitcher Richard Fitts. The most valuable of them all, though, was right fielder Wilyer Abreu.

Abreu finished the season batting .253 with 101 hits, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, 59 runs, eight stolen bases, a .781 OPS and a 3.5 WAR across 132 games of action. He also posted a 1.3 defensive WAR and 17 defensive runs saved in right field, winning a Gold Glove as a result.

However, Abreu was not named a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Monday night. Instead, those three spots went to Baltimore Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser, New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil and Yankees catcher Austin Wells.

Cowser hit .242 with 24 home runs, 69 RBI, nine stolen bases, a .768 OPS, three defensive runs saved and a 3.1 WAR. Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.193 WHIP 171 strikeouts and a 3.1 WAR.

Wells is the odd one out in the trio, having hit .229 with 13 home runs, 55 RBI, 42 runs, a .718 OPS and a 2.5 WAR, all of which rank below Abreu. While Wells did have a 1.2 defensive WAR and 11 defensive runs saved to add to his offensive production, neither figure matches what Abreu did in the field.

Even though his year-end stats suggest he should have been a finalist anyways, Abreu batting .174 with a .517 OPS in September may have ultimately sunk his chances. He had been hitting .270 with an .836 OPS up to that point. Wells was even worse down the stretch, however, batting .111 with a .411 OPS in the final month.

Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2023, becoming the first Boston player to earn a top-three spot since outfielder Andrew Benintendi in 2017. The Red Sox haven't had a Rookie of the Year winner since Dustin Pedroia in 2007.

Outside of Abreu, two other rookies who were snubbed from finalist spots were Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller and Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith. Both righties had 2.4 WARs this season.

Miller won The Sporting News' AL Rookie of the Year last week, while Gil was named AL Rookie of the Year by Baseball Digest.

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