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

Originally published on Dec. 8, 2023 

By Zane Miller

10. Ken Hubbs (1962)

Hubbs won the RotY award in 1962 with the Chicago Cubs on the strength of five home runs, 49 RBIs and 172 hits in 160 games played, capturing a Gold Glove during the season as well. Hubbs played all 324 of his MLB games with the Cubs, claiming 14 career home runs, 98 RBIs and 310 hits. Tragically, on February 13^th, 1964, Hubbs and his friend Denny Doyle were killed in a plane crash near Provo, Utah.

9. Ted Sizemore (1969)

Sizemore took the RotY trophy in 1969 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting four home runs, 46 RBIs and 160 hits in 159 games played. Sizemore went on to spend most of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, getting a total of 23 home runs, 430 RBIs and 1,311 hits in 1,411 games before retiring in 1980.

8. Tommy Helms (1966)

Helms claimed RotY in 1966 with the Cincinnati Reds, earning nine home runs with 49 RBIs and 154 hits in 138 games played. Helms played most of his career with the Reds, as he scored a total of 34 home runs, 477 RBIs and 1,342 hits in 1,435 games played prior to his 1977 retirement.

7. Jim Lefebvre (1965)

Lefebvre secured RotY honors in 1965 as a member of the Dodgers, swatting 12 home runs with 69 RBIs and 136 hits in 157 games. If that wasn’t enough, Lefebvre went on to win the team’s fourth World Series title in his rookie season as well. Lefebvre played his entire career in a Dodgers uniform, hitting 74 home runs, 404 RBIs and 756 hits over the course of 922 games before leaving the MLB after the 1972 campaign.

6. Dick Allen (1964)

Allen captured the RotY award in 1964 with the Philadelphia Phillies, garnering an impressive 29 home runs, 91 RBIs and 201 hits while playing in all 162 games. Allen played the majority of his career in Philadelphia, collecting a total of 351 home runs, 1,119 RBIs and 1,848 hits in 1,749 games played. In addition, Allen would win the American League MVP award in 1972 with the Chicago White Sox before retiring in 1977. In 1993, Allen joined the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame, while his #15 jersey would be officially retired by the Phillies in 2020.

5. Frank Howard (1960)

Howard took the RotY honors in 1960 as a Dodger, getting 23 home runs, 77 RBIs and 120 hits in just 117 games. However, Howard would play most of his career with the Washington Senators (now Texas Rangers), nabbing 382 career home runs, 1,119 home runs and 1,774 hits in 1,895 games played. Howard would also help the Dodgers to the 1963 World Series championship and finish top-five in AL MVP voting twice before retiring after the 1973 campaign. In 2016, Howard would be inducted into the Washington Nationals Ring of Honor as the only player for the second iteration of the Senators franchise to receive the nomination.

4. Billy Williams (1961)

Williams nabbed the RotY title in 1961 with the Cubs, securing 25 home runs, 86 RBIs and 147 hits in 146 games. Williams played almost his entire career with the Cubs organization, as he hit a total of 426 home runs, 1,475 RBIs and 2,711 hits in 2,488 games played while finishing runner-up in the National League MVP race in both 1970 and 1972 before announcing his retirement after the 1976 season. Williams’ #26 jersey was retired by the Cubs in 1987, the same year he was officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

3. Johnny Bench (1968)

Bench scored the RotY trophy in 1968 with the Reds, getting 15 home runs, 82 RBIs and 155 hits in 154 games played, along with a Gold Glove Award. Bench spent his entire career in Cincinnati, capturing 389 home runs, 1,376 RBIs and 2,048 hits in 2,158 games played. A prominent member of the Big Red Machine, Bench won the World Series twice in 1975 and 1976, along with taking the NL MVP awards in 1970 in 1972. After retiring following the 1983 season, Bench was inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately upon becoming eligible in 1989, to go along with his induction into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1986 and having his #5 jersey retired by the team in 1984.

2. Pete Rose (1963)

Rose claimed RotY in 1963 as a member of the Reds, hitting six home runs, 41 RBIs and 170 hits in 157 games played. Rose played the majority of his career in Cincinnati, earning 160 home runs, 1,314 RBIs and an MLB-record 4,256 hits in 3,562 games played, which also stands as an MLB record to this day. Like Bench, Rose played a major role in the Reds’ World Series victories in 1975 and 1976, though he also scored a third World Series in 1980 during his stint with the Phillies. In addition, Rose won the NL MVP award in 1973 after finishing in the runner-up spot for MVP in 1968. Retiring from his playing career after the 1986 season, Rose was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2016, with his #14 jersey also being retired by the team the same year.

1. Tom Seaver (1967)

The only pitcher on this list, Seaver won the RotY award in 1967 with the New York Mets, as he nabbed 16 wins and 170 strikeouts for a 2.76 ERA in 35 games played, pitching over 250 innings in the process. Seaver would go on to become arguably the greatest player in Mets history as he spent most of his career in New York, scoring 311 career wins with 3,640 strikeouts for an impressive career ERA of 2.86 in 656 games played. Seaver earned a World Series ring with the Mets in 1969 for the first championship in franchise history, as he would also have three NL Cy Young Awards coming in 1969, 1973 and 1975 while finishing as a finalist in 1971 and 1977 for the Mets and in 1981 as a member of the Reds. Despite qualifying as an MVP candidate being rare for a pitcher, Seaver would do so in 1969 as he finished runner-up for the award in a tiebreaker with San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey. After retiring in 1986, Seaver would be a first-ballot inductee into the Hall of Fame in 1992. Tom Terrific was also named to the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1988 with his jersey officially retired by the team that same year, before also joining the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.