Ranking Every MLB Rookie of the Year (1960s AL)

Originally published on Nov. 30, 2023

By Zane Miller

10. Don Schwall (1961)

Schwall scored RotY honors in 1961 as a member of the Boston Red Sox, winning 15 games while collecting 408 strikeouts in 25 games played to take an ERA of 3.22. However, Schwall would become somewhat of a one-year wonder, only pitching over 100 innings in two more seasons and pitching mostly for the Pittsburgh Pirates before leaving the MLB in 1967.

9. Stan Bahnsen (1968)

Bahnsen captured the RotY award in 1968 with the New York Yankees, getting 17 wins and 162 strikeouts for an impressive 2.05 ERA in 37 games. Bahnsen went on to have most of his career split between the Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Montreal Expos (now Washington Nationals), picking up 146 wins and 1,359 strikeouts for a 3.60 ERA in 574 games played before retiring after the 1982 season.

8. Ron Hansen (1960)

Hansen got the RotY nod in 1960 with the Baltimore Orioles, knocking in 22 home runs, 86 RBIs and 135 hits in 153 games to end up finishing fifth in AL MVP voting. Hansen played most of his career in Chicago with the White Sox, taking 106 career home runs along with 501 RBIs and 1,007 hits in 1,384 games played before playing his final MLB game in 1972.

7. Gary Peters (1963)

Peters earned RotY in 1963 with the White Sox, nabbing 19 wins and 189 strikeouts to finish with an American League-best 2.33 ERA in 41 games played. Playing most of his career with the White Sox, Peters picked up 124 wins and 1,420 strikeouts in 359 games for a career ERA of 3.25 before his retirement in 1972.

6. Curt Blefary (1965)

Blefary took the RotY award in 1965 while on the Orioles, smacking 22 home runs, 70 RBIs and 120 hits in 144 games. Blefary would wind up spending most of his career in Baltimore, as he had a total of 112 home runs, 382 RBIs and 699 hits in 974 games, winning the 1966 World Series with the team before retiring in 1972.

5. Tommie Agee (1966)

Agee claimed RotY in 1966 with the White Sox on the strength of 22 home runs, 86 RBIs and 172 hits in 160 games. Agee would not remain with the organization for much longer, instead joining the New York Mets for much of his career, hitting 130 career home runs with 433 RBIs and a frustrating 999 hits in 1,130 games, winning the 1969 World Series before retiring after the 1973 campaign.

4. Tom Tresh (1962)

Tresh secured the RotY title in 1962 with the Yankees, as he had 20 home runs, 93 RBIs and 178 hits in 157 games played. He would go on to play nearly all of his career in pinstripes, hitting 153 home runs, 530 RBIs and 1,041 hits in 1,192 games played, scoring a World Series ring with the team in his 1962 rookie season before retiring in 1969.

3. Lou Piniella (1969)

Piniella took RotY honors in 1969 in the inaugural season of the Kansas City Royals, getting 11 home runs, 68 RBIs and 139 hits in 135 games played. However, Piniella spent most of his career with the Yankees, hitting 102 home runs with 766 RBIs and 1,705 hits in 1,747 games, winning the World Series with the team in 1977 and 1978 before retiring in 1984. Along with his lengthy playing career, Piniella would become well known for his managerial career, which included winning the 1990 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds and leading the Seattle Mariners to their first postseason series victory in 1995.

2. Tony Oliva (1964)

Oliva earned RotY honors in 1964 with the Minnesota Twins, taking 32 home runs, 94 RBIs and an MLB-leading 217 hits on the way to the a top-five finish in the AL MVP race. Oliva played his entire career in the City of Lakes, continuing to dominate with MVP runner-up finishes in both 1965 and 1970 before retiring after the 1976 season. His #6 jersey number would be officially retired by the Twins in 1991 and would enter the Twins Hall of Fame in its first year of operation in 2000, before finally being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

1. Rod Carew (1967)

Speaking of legendary Twins players, Carew claimed the RotY award with Minnesota in 1967, getting eight home runs, 51 RBIs and 150 hits in 137 games. Carew spent most of his career with the Twins with a successful stint on the California (now Los Angeles) Angels, nabbing 92 home runs, 1,015 RBIs and 3,053 career hits. After several years of hanging around the top-five of the MVP fight, Carew broke through to win the award in 1977 before retiring after the 1985 season. Both the Twins and Angels would retire his #29 jersey shortly after his retirement and would not not have to wait long before being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. Carew would be inducted into Angels Hall of Fame in 1991 and Twins Hall of Fame in 2000 as well.