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An Interview with Red Sox Hall of Famer Fred Lynn

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I had the great pleasure and privilege of interviewing baseball great Fred Lynn the other day. Fred Lynn is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame and the Ted Williams Hitters’ Hall of Fame. He is one of only two players ever to win the Most Valuable Player Award and the Rookie of the Year Award in the same season, a memorable moment for people that like betting on the MLB. Lynn made nine All-Star Games, won four Gold Glove Awards, a batting title, an ALCS MVP and an All-Star Game MVP. He truly is both a Red Sox great and a baseball great.

BSE: I hear you’ve been busy this year.

Fred Lynn: Yeah, it’s been a busy summer and spring. At the beginning of our season we never exactly know what’s going to happen. We did some things for the Red Sox, they have a Legends sky box and I go back there probably four times a year and in a normal year do maybe 15-16 games. This year there’s been all kinds of different things popping up, like representing the Red Sox at the Major League Baseball draft. Between that and golf tournaments and charity events I’ve been really busy.

BSE: What kinds of charities you been working with?

Fred Lynn: Well we have a charity here called the FACE Foundation in the San Diego area. What this organization does is it allows people that have physically catastrophic needs for their pets, meaning surgeries that could be life-threatening, and they can’t afford it. The FACE Foundation steps in and we have a lot of deals with vets in the area that will take care of it for these people. Most of the people that use the FACE Foundation are military. They save the pets basically on the spot and we’ve saved in the last four or five years like 2200 pets.

BSE: Wow, that is awesome!

Fred Lynn: It’s not like we’re trying to save cancer down the pike, this is immediate gratification. If we save somebody’s pet from being euthanized, then that’s a big deal.

BSE: Absolutely, I have been through that recently and that is a very good cause.

So, I would like to chat some about your playing career as well as the current Sox team. You were originally drafted by the Yankees in the third round out of high school and you decided not to go there, thank you.

Fred Lynn: I was going to go to college and we had told everybody that, that’s why I didn’t go until the third round. All the scouts said “we’re interested”, but I was going to USC.

BSE: And then at USC you actually went on a scholarship for football initially?

Fred Lynn: That’s correct. I was there with Lynn Swann, he and I were teammates. Back then freshmen couldn’t play varsity football; we had our own team, but we used to practice with varsity all the time, so like Sam Cunningham and that group of guys. It was very fulfilling, I love football, it was actually my first love above baseball. When the Trojans asked me to play football there I said “yeah, I’m in.” But, I was only about six feet tall, 170 pounds.

After my freshman baseball season, which we won the College World Series and I was on the All-Tournament team, and then I played for the US in the Pan Am games and I led that tournament in home runs. I hit a home run against Cuba in the gold medal game. I could see that I was one of the better amateur players in the country already as a freshman. With my size, I played corner and flanker in football and I was giving up 50 pounds to tackle these dudes, and that’s when I decided to switch over to baseball.

BSE: You mentioned you won the College World Series your freshman year, but you won all three years at USC, correct?

Fred Lynn: Yeah, that’s correct. We won five in a row and I was on the middle three.

BSE: And the Pan Am games are when you played in Japan?

Fred Lynn: No, we played in Cali, Colombia. If you don’t know, the Pan Am games are the Americas.

BSE: Right, haha.

Fred Lynn: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia and of course Cuba. So, our oldest player was 21 and when we played in the gold medal game against Cuba their youngest player was 22 and their oldest player was 38.

BSE: Oh wow.

Fred Lynn: Yeah, we lost 4-3. That was a great experience. The next year is when I went to Japan and played in the first collegiate All-Stars, USA vs Japanese college All-Stars. I was the MVP of that tournament.

BSE: What was it like playing over there in Japan at such a young age?

Fred Lynn: We all lost. We were all like 19 years old and I’d never had Asian food before. They tried to treat us right and we ate communally for the most part. They were serving us fish eye soup and these types of things, it was like “oh man.” Most guys weren’t willing to try those kinds of things so we were just dying. But it was a great experience, we played in the Japanese Major League stadiums, and it was a great experience because the fan base there. We were drawing 45-50,000 for a college game. It was great fun, I had a great time.

BSE: You were drafted by the Red Sox in the second round out of college and you came up through the minors with Jim Rice. You two were dubbed “The Gold Dust Twins.” How did that come about?

Fred Lynn: Yeah, that’s a good question, when you find out you let me know.

BSE: Haha, okay. Not sure where it originated huh?

Fred Lynn: No, I think one of the papers had some sort of contests. We started out in Double-A together, and I was only in Double-A for about a month and a half. Then we were in Triple-A and then we came up together in the big leagues. Actually, he came up the month before I did. We got off to a really good start; I don’t remember what paper, or who won. I don’t get the genesis of “Gold Dust twins” but all of a sudden, boom, it just popped up.

Jim Rice and Fred lynn, the “Gold Dust Twins”

BSE: In ’74 when you came up in September you batted over .400, and that led into the ’75 season when you won the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Gold Glove. First ever to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same year, and still I kind of look at you as the only one since Ichiro was 27 and had played many professional seasons over in Japan. Do you kind of feel the same way?

Fred Lynn: A lot of my friends, and certainly my wife does. Can’t hold it against him personally. The rules say “everybody that comes to the United States is a rookie.” Okay, that’s kind of arrogant. But I guarantee you, he didn’t think of himself as a rookie when he came over here. There’s a big difference playing eight years of Major League Baseball over in Japan then entering at 21 or 22.

BSE: So you went on to play in the World Series as a rookie, what was that like?

Fred Lynn: To be honest with you, I had so much success as a collegian and won three national titles there. I actually won the Triple-A World Series between then too, so this is kind of the way things happened for me. I was used to playing on teams that won, I was not used to the other, so it was not unexpected for me. That’s kind of the way things were happening. We had a really good team obviously, and we beat the defending world champs in the Oakland A’s to get to the World Series. I wasn’t really surprised by it, I was just taking it in one day at a time as they say.

BSE: I guess that makes sense after winning three straight championships at USC.

Fred Lynn: Yeah, when you have won like that you expect it. You expect your teams to be good and you expect to play well. It’s unexpected when things don’t go right, so like when we lost game seven, that was unexpected. I had never been in a title game and lost, so that was a first for me. Having always been on the winning side, it was really a strange feeling for me on the other side.

BSE: Do you think the outcome may have been different if Jim Rice hadn’t gotten hurt?

Fred Lynn: Oh there’s no question about it. Losing your number four hitter makes a tremendous difference, and unfortunately the guys that replaced Jimmy didn’t get a hit. I truly believe we would have beaten those guys in six games. We were really good, so I just don’t think they could have handled us.

BSE: In game six you hit a home run and also made a catch at the wall that you got injured on but kept playing. Did that affect you at all?

Fred Lynn: I actually didn’t make that catch, Ken Griffey hit that ball. That was when the Green Monster was a monster, it was concrete. What happened was, I’d lost all feeling from the waist down and I thought I’d broken my back to be honest. So when I started getting the feeling back in my lower extremities I stayed in the game. It definitely shook me up, there’s no question. I was fine mentally, but physically I could feel some things moving around down there. I had no long-lasting effects from that that I’m aware of. I had back issues during my career but I don’t know if it all stemmed from that one play.

BSE: At Tiger Stadium that year, you had a game where you hit three home runs, a triple, 16 total bases and 10 RBI. Do you look back at that as maybe the best game you ever played?

Fred Lynn: Well, it certainly was the most prodigious offensively because I didn’t even do that in Little League. Everything went right that particular night. Hall of Famers play their whole careers and never have a chance to do those things. The first three innings there were guys on base every time I came up and I went homer, homer, triple in three innings and I drove in seven. Those kinds of things, they just don’t happen; especially to rookies. I don’t remember any other rookies doing those types of things. It’s just kind of having a once in a lifetime game in your first season. That’s what kind of made the 1975 season so magical to myself and the team, things were happening that normally don’t happen to rookies.

BSE: Your 1975 season gets a lot of the attention, and rightfully so, but do you consider 1979 as maybe your best season?

Fred Lynn: I was a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger. I had lifted weights some that offseason and gained a little bit of muscle. That was the first time that I hit balls that I didn’t think I’d hit very well and they’d be home runs. I wasn’t a big guy, I used to have to square them up. That year, I turned into a power guy. I hit for average too, so yeah, it was a really good year. Both Jim and I were doing really well that year. We struggled some on the pitching side, but boy, we could definitely hit.

BSE: I look at the MVP voting and wonder how you finished fourth. Maybe it had something to do with the standings?

Fred Lynn: Yeah, a lot of people wonder about that. {Laughter}

BSE: So, after you left Boston, what was playing elsewhere like in comparison?

Fred Lynn: I was traded to California, and I grew up here but had played collegiately, not professionally. The major difference was the fan base. Boston fans in the seventies were very energetic, let’s put it that way. They knew the game, they came early and they stayed late. On the West Coast, they’d cruise on in during the second inning, leave during the seventh or eighth inning. If the teams doing well they come out, if not, well, okay we’ll go to the beach. The weather and the fan base were the two biggest things that were different. The intensity at Fenway Park was, boy you could cut it with a knife sometimes, especially if we were playing the Yankees. Out west, even if we were playing our rivals it didn’t have that same feel to me. I really missed that East Coast fan base.

BSE: You batted .347 with an OPS over 1.000 at Fenway Park, do you ever look back and wonder what would have happened had you not been traded and played longer here in Boston?

Fred Lynn: Well, I guarantee you, they wouldn’t have had to wait until 2004 to have us win. It would have happened. You figure, they got rid of Fisk, Burleson and myself all in the same year. You trade the guts of your defense, and then a lot of your offense too, when you find out a good reason you let me know. If you have those three guys, and then you get the pitching they started to get and nah, there’s no way we don’t win at some point in the eighties.

BSE: You stayed really consistent throughout the eighties. I was looking through your numbers and was kind of taken aback. You had 21 home runs in 1982, 22 in ’83 and then four straight years at 23. Then you hit 25 the following year, so it was a seven year stretch between 21 and 25.

Fred Lynn: Yeah, and I did it unfortunately in a limited number of games. You know, I had a lot of injuries that took me out of a lot of games. If you give me another 20 or 30 games each year than those numbers would be around 30 home runs a year. I just needed to be on the field, that’s all.

BSE: Do you have certain accomplishments your most proud of?

Fred Lynn: The All-Star Game home run ranks up there, not because of a personal thing, but back then the American League and the National League were two entirely separate entities. It was a real grudge match, the All-Star Game, and the National League had been beating us on a regular basis. After ’83, when we won that game, the American League has pretty much dominated the National League since that point. It was a real turning point for the American League and I’m glad I was a big part of that.

BSE: Who is the best player you ever saw?

Fred Lynn: Well, there’s two of them; Mays and Clemente. Those two guys were five-tool players. They did everything and they did it with flair. They had fun, you could see it. As a kid, those were the guys I really liked to watch play. Teams weren’t on the TV much back then but any chance I got to see those two I’d try and watch anything I could about those guys.

BSE: Who was the toughest pitcher you ever faced?

Fred Lynn: That’s a pretty long list. Any particular day you could bring up somebody from Triple-A and they could shut you out, so you just never know. On a consistent basis, Frank Tanana was always tough on me when he was with the California Angels. He and Ryan were number one and two in the league in strike outs and he just had my number. I didn’t pick him up well and if I did hit one on the screws someone would catch it. Some guys you just don’t see, and I didn’t see Frankie so it was a tough day every time I faced him.

BSE: Any pitchers in particular you did see really well?

Fred Lynn: I had a week against Bert Blyleven. He was with the Minnesota Twins and I was with Baltimore. We were playing them at their place in Minnesota and I hit two two-run homers off him. Then we got them at our place in Baltimore and I hit two three-run homers off him. I hit four homers and drove in ten off him in a week.

BSE: Wow, that’s impressive. Hall of Fame pitcher there.

Fred Lynn: Yeah, it works the other way there. I don’t care who he is, if he’s a Hall of Famer or not, sometimes you just see him. Maybe he’s making bad pitches or he catches you on a day your swinging a hot bat, but probably a little combination of both for Bert.

Fred Lynn of the Baltimore Orioles bats during a game in the 1988 season. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

BSE: Moving on to the current Sox team. Have you been following them?

Fred Lynn: Oh yeah, I follow them extensively. I knew they were going to be a pretty good team but nobody knew the impact that JD Martinez was going to have on the club. He solidifies the lineup and he makes it tough to walk guys ahead of him, so they have to pitch to these guys. Now it’s made everybody around him better. Mookie is having a sensational season and you’d be hard-pressed to figure out which one of those two is more valuable. Is it Mookie leading off and setting the table and doing all those things, or is it JD solidifying the lineup in the heart of it? Right now it’s a flip of a coin.

But 50 games over .500? You’re in uncharted waters right there. This is crazy, they just won’t lose. You look at their lineup and say, “there’s a hole here, there’s a hole there,” it doesn’t seem to matter. Or if they have an injury, somebody steps in or they grab a guy like Pearce from Toronto and all of a sudden he’s hitting home runs like crazy. They have tremendous depth.

BSE: Seems that way. During the Yankees series when Steve Pearce hit four home runs I was calling him Jimmie Foxx reincarnated {laugh}.

Fred Lynn: Yeah, he’s got a short swing, and obviously Fenway is good to his type of swing. He pulls the ball, he kind of reminds me, he’s got a swing like Rico {Petrocelli}. A short, compact swing, perfect for Fenway. He hooked everything and that’s what Pearce does. You need some right-handed power at Fenway Park and now they have it. It’s a complete team, they’re leading the Major Leagues in every category. It’s all going to come down to the playoffs, and the front line guys have to perform well in the playoffs, because they’re going to play other teams who won 100 games.

BSE: Yeah, a team like the Astros is struggling right now but they have injuries, those guys are going to come back and they’ll be right back there.

Fred Lynn: Well, they have three front line pitchers. They have three number ones basically. They’re going to be tough in a short series, there’s no question. It’s just going to be, which star pitcher pitches the best. It always comes down to one key at bat; you get a key hit, maybe a two-out hit to drive in some runs. It’s intense. Playoff baseball is intense. Whoever wins the American League pennant is probably going to have to go through two teams that won 100 games. Now Oakland’s charging, and the National League doesn’t have anything like that. It’s going to be fun to watch.

BSE: What do you think of the Andrew Benintendi comparisons to yourself? There have been a lot of them made the last year or two.

Fred Lynn: Obviously he’s left-handed and he’s got a real nice stroke when he hits. He has a different swing; he’s got a short, compact swing. My arms, I got funky arms, they’re really long. My swing was a little longer. Both have a fluid swing, but he lets the ball get in on him more. In my day we’d hit the ball in front of the plate more. So that’s what makes him tough; he’s strong, compact and he can move the ball the other way. If he sees the shift on he’ll hit the ball the other way, which is smart. Those comparisons, I get it, sort of. But to me, in my eye, my swing was longer than his, but it was similar. He’s his own guy, he’s going to make it on his own merit and he’s having a super year too.

BSE: Speaking of shifts; what do you think of all the shifting in baseball nowadays?

Fred Lynn: Well, I can remember shortstops going to play me behind second base, {chuckles} I’d just hit it to short. I mean, there’s ways around it. If you’re not a power hitter…bunt! Get on base, the onus is on you. They’re going to play you this way until you make an adjustment, and if you keep hitting the ball on the screws and making outs then you need to make an adjustment and start going the other way. If you don’t know how to do it, then bunt, but you need to get those guys back where they belong and the only way to do it is to start going the other way.

BSE: Which you knew how to do, I’m surprised they actually shifted.

Fred Lynn: Yeah, I came to Fenway Park and I pulled the ball, I never hit the ball to left field. And I saw that wall and I said, “wait a minute.” So I just changed my swing just to make sure I could do that. Nobody taught me how to do it, I just kind of figured it out. Some guys are pretty stone-headed and they won’t change. Well, if you won’t change you’re going to hit .210.

BSE: Well, that’s all the questions I have for you. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this with me.

BOSTON SPORTS EXTRA’S MLB AWARD PREDICTIONS (MIDSEASON EDITION)

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With the Major League Baseball season halfway over, our baseball writers have collaborated to make our award picks for the rest of the season. In this article we detail who will win the major awards for 2018; Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year for both leagues. This is a follow-up to our preseason predictions.

AMERICAN LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Scott Frizzell – At the start of the season I took Mike Trout, and the only reason to change my mind now would be due to the Angels record. Trout is the best player in baseball. Then again, this year Mookie Betts has been better so far and has to be the favorite at the break. My dark horse was Francisco Lindor, who is batting .291 with 25 home runs, so I’m feeling good about him too.

Matt O’Halloran – Mike Trout was my preseason pick with Jose Altuve being the runner-up. I am now changing my pick to Mookie Betts as the MVP with Trout as the runner-up. Betts has a higher batting average, OPS, and two fewer home runs despite playing in 19 fewer games. Also, Betts’ team is 38 games above 500 and the Angels will not come close to making the playoffs.

Kyle Porch – Betts is still lighting it up this season. There are very few reasons he shouldn’t be MVP.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Mike Trout, New Pick: Mookie Betts

This is tough for me to change but having Mike Trout as my answer for 2018 AL MVP is not a bad thing what so ever. However, the numbers that Mookie Betts is putting up are unreal. He has a mind-boggling 202 wRC+, .359/.448/.691 slash line with 23 homers and 51 RBIs. Mind you, he has 20 fewer games played than Mike Trout. All in all, Betts is having a historic season and he deserves to beat Trout this year for the award.

Jun 1, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles after at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-259846 ORIG FILE ID: 20160601_ajw_gb3_093.jpg

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Scott Frizzell – Well, my Bryce Harper pick has proven to be garbage. Christian Yelich as a dark horse is having a good year, but certainly no threat for MVP. Right now, Jesus Aguilar of the Brewers has a serious argument for first half MVP, and yet his inclusion in the All-Star Game somehow came down to the final vote

Matt O’Halloran – Arenado was my preseason pick with Corey Seager being my runner-up. Seager was decent stats but has only played in 26 games. I am sticking with Arenado at MVP, with Jesus Aguilar being the runner-up. The third baseman is hitting .312 with 24 home runs and a .395 OBP. Both players are on teams that will come close to making the playoffs, so no significant gap there.

Kyle Porch – Bryce Harper. After picking Arenado in the beginning, I realized Harper is going to tear it up in the second half.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Bryce Harper, New Pick: Nolan Arenado

This is an easier change from my original pick. Basically, Harper could go on a tear for the rest of the season and still not win the MVP award. He’s batting an abysmal .213 on the season and has a 1.5 fWAR for the first half; Not good. Instead, I will go with Colorado Rockies phenom Nolan Arenado. 23 homers, 68 RBIs, 145 wRC+ along with his stellar defense is hard to beat. Best of all, his BABIP of .335 says that he will more or less sustain this level of performance for the rest of the season, barring injury.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD

Scott Frizzell – I like going with sleeper picks for Cy Young, but going with the usual candidates this year would have been better. Lance McCullers is having a good season at 10-4 with a 3.77 ERA and 9.5 K/9 after a poor final start before the break. James Paxton was my dark horse, he has thrown a no-hitter and struck out 11.7 batters per nine innings on the year. Both are good, but neither will win the award.

Matt O’Halloran – My preseason pick was Verlander taking home the award with Sale being the runner-up. I am going with the same players but flip the order. Sale has a 2.23 ERA while Verlander’s is 2.29. Sale has struck out 16 more batters in 8.2 fewer innings. I am a bit worried about Sale because of his performance in August and September, but Cora seems to have managed him well over the season.

Kyle Porch – Chris Sale. Leading the al in strikeouts again, Sale is still dominant. End of story.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Chris Sale

I’ll be sticking with the best pitcher in the AL as of right now, and it’s easy to see why. He has some ridiculous numbers this season (2.23 ERA, 4.9 WAR, 188 strikeouts, .90 WHIP) and best of all, the Red Sox are starting to score some runs for the guy. It’s a combination that makes opposing teams crumble.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD

Scott Frizzell – I took Noah Syndergaard, who hasn’t pitched a ton. I feel very good about my dark horse candidate though, Aaron Nola. Nola has continued his second-half breakout from last season into this year, going 12-3 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and over a strikeout per inning. He is arguably the Cy Young of the first half.

Matt O’Halloran – My Clayton Kershaw preseason pick is a dud. He has good numbers, but injuries have caused him to only throw 75.2 innings. Max Scherzer as a runner-up is looking good, but I am now going with Jacob DeGrom to win the Cy Young. His jaw-dropping 1.68 ERA should guarantee him this award, however trade rumors could mess that up.

Kyle Porch – Max Scherzer is on the rise. Kershaw hasn’t been his normal self.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Clayton Kershaw, New Pick: Jacob DeGrom

Clayton Kershaw has not been the dominant pitcher we all knew him as. He has had issues staying healthy and as a result, only started 13 games this season. Granted, he can pick it up in the second half but Jacob DeGrom is just having a Kershaw type of season. Posting a first-half ERA of 1.68 to go along with a WHIP of 0.97 and an xFIP of 2.73 to support his sustainability, it is now officially his award to lose. The most interesting thing about this whole thing will be the number of wins he ends up with. As we all know, wins do not solely reflect a pitcher’s season or skills but he can’t help the fact that he is pitching for one of the worst offenses in the league. I have faith that voters will see through this and give him the award, rightfully so.

Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire

AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Scott Frizzell – My pick of Willie Calhoun isn’t coming to fruition as he has spent most of the season in the minor leagues. Calhoun has been hot of late but who knows when a call-up may occur. Gleyber Torres is the front-runner at the moment.

Kyle Porch – Shohei Ohtani, even though he can’t pitch the rest of the season. He can still light it up offensively as a DH.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Eloy Jimenez, New Pick: Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres has been on an amazing pace since he got called up from the minors. Posting a .294/.350/.555 slash line in 63 games is impressive. Imagine being a rookie and doing that and you have a superstar in the making on your hands. He shows all the attributes to be an extremely successful player in the majors and I am pretty excited to see what kind of player he turns into down the road.
Matt O’Halloran- I did not make preseason ROY picks, but I will go with Yankees slugger Gleyber Torres now. He has 15 home runs and 42 RBI’s in just 42 games. Ohtani is my runner-up pick, but injuries and his schedule are the reasons why I would not vote for him.

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Scott Frizzell – Ronald Acuna has been okay, but not what many expected yet. He is very young though and holding his own. Currently, he is behind several in the race, most notably Juan Soto, but I am not ready to concede the pick. Acuna could still win this award with a big second half.

Kyle Porch – Ronald Acuna has been a bit of a letdown, but look for him to make a run in the second half.

Justin Gonzalez –  Original Pick: J.P. Crawford, New Pick: Juan Soto

This was harder than you may realize. The Marlins also have a contender for rookie of the year named Brian Anderson. Both players are having terrific seasons but Soto’s is a bit better. With a rookie leading 151 wRC+ figure, he looks to be the clear-cut winner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Anderson gave him a run for his money. All in all, I’ll bet on Soto.

Matthew O’Halloran-  Juan Soto is my pick to win it, with Ronald Acuna being the runner-up. They’ve had polar opposite seasons with Acuna being a letdown and Soto coming from out of nowhere. Soto has two more home runs and his batting average is 52 points higher.   

 

Agree or disagree? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter

@TheFrizz87, 

@porchie16

@ELJGON 

Jayson Tatum Named 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year Finalist

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Boston Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum was recently named a finalist for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. He joins Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz in what has been one of the most hotly contested races in recent history.

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum has his team on the cusp of the NBA Finals. In his rookie campaign, Tatum averages 18.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game in the playoffs. This postseason, he joined fellow rookie Donovan Mitchell as the only rookies since Julius Erving in 1972 to string together seven straight 20+ point playoff games. Tatum also became the youngest player in NBA history to score 200 points in the playoffs, surpassing Kobe Bryant in the process. If the award included postseason accolades, Jayson Tatum is a shoe-in for the award.

https://twitter.com/MidRangeBR/status/994409422834294784

Playoff performances aside, Jayson Tatum is considered by many to be the most complete player of the 2017 draft class. He showcases his ability to score at ease from all three levels. Tatum broke the Celtics’ rookie record for three pointers made in a season with 105 and scored 43% of those attempts. He possesses a smooth as butter shot and the ability to play staunch man defense on the other end. Tatum can also knock down step back shots, and finish at the rim at an efficient rate. Tatum averaged 13.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists during the regular season.

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons is the favorite to win the award, as he dominated the league with stellar performances all season long. Simmons averaged 15.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists (fifth in NBA) and 1.7 steals per game. With 2017’s first pick Markelle Fultz injured on the sidelines, Simmons opened eyes and dropped jaws with his high basketball IQ, stellar passing ability and court awareness, and the ability to finish efficiently at the rim.

As a 6’10” point guard, Simmons’s versatility helped fuel one of the NBA’s top ranked defenses. He was also one of 16 players to get two steals per 100 team plays, and block at least 2% of shots.

https://twitter.com/jtylerconway/status/991142320107147265

Simmons averaged 16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists during the postseason. He led the 76ers past a tough Miami Heat team, where he then clashed with fellow rookie Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. Philadelphia was eliminated in five games.

Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell is considered by many as the fan favorite for the Rookie of the Year award. After Gordon Hayward’s departure, the Utah Jazz looked for Mitchell to step up and provide much of the offense this season. Consequently, Mitchell responded impressively, producing 20.5 points (top among rookies), 3.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Mitchell displayed a unique ability to create his own shot, getting separation between him and his defender with ease as he used his first step quickness. He was also a difference-maker as part of the NBA’s second ranked defense. Coming into the league known more as a defensive player, Mitchell certainly has overall exceeded his potential.

Much like Jayson Tatum, Mitchell raised his game when the lights shined the brightest. He led the Utah Jazz into the playoffs, dropping 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He led his team into the Conference Semis, where the Jazz were ousted by the Houston Rockets in five games.

Though it is a regular season award, it is a sign of something special. Watching each of the three candidates battle in the playoffs this young into their careers is great for the NBA.

The Rookie of the Year award winner will be announced June 25th on TNT.

Boston Sports Extra’s MLB Award Predictions

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With the Major League Baseball season almost upon us (finally), our baseball writers have collaborated to make our picks for the coming season. In this article we detail who will win the major awards for 2018; Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year for both leagues. We will follow this one up with a part two article covering our picks for the division winners and the postseason.

American League Most Valuable Player

Scott Frizzell – Mike Trout is my pick for this year’s MVP winner because he is awfully hard to pick against. Trout is the best player in baseball, and his first six seasons match up pretty favorably with just about any player in the game’s history. He could be a top ten player of all-time once he hangs them up.    Dark Horse Candidate – Francisco Lindor

Matt O’Halloran – Mike Trout seems like the best pick, as he has been for the past five years. He won the award in 2014 and 2016, and has been close to winning it in the other years. The Angels missed the Wild Card by five games in 2017, and a playoff run combined with a healthy season should guarantee a third MVP for the outfielder.    Runner up – Jose Altuve

Kyle Porch – Mookie Betts will win MVP this year because he has a lot to prove. Simply put, he got robbed of the award two years ago by Mike Trout, and he needs the numbers to get the extension he wants. With a third straight gold glove award in sight, the five tool player can rip it up offensively to which we have seen the last two seasons.

Justin Gonzalez – It has always been Mike Trout’s award to lose ever since he stepped foot in the MLB. Widely renowned as baseball’s best player, Trout seems to be catapulting himself towards a first ballot hall of fame vote already at the age of 26. Last year was seen as a down year for him since he only played in 114 games but was still able to post a 1.071 OPS, 33 HR, 72 RBI, .306 batting average while swiping 22 bags. Now batting in the best lineup he has ever been in, it is time for Trout to show us what he is truly capable of and all we can do is sit back and enjoy the show.

David Latham – It’s Altuve’s world, and we’re all just living in it. I’ve been a huge fan of Altuve ever since he entered the league, and outside of Mike Trout, there’s no other player I’d rather have on my team. He’s everything you want in a baseball player: he can hit for average, power, he’s a great athlete, and he gives 110% every single play.

Brandon Fazzolari – Carlos Correa is in the middle of a lineup that tests pitchers every step of the way, setting Correa up to produce huge numbers.

National League Most Valuable Player

Scott Frizzell – Bryce Harper has more or less become the player he was supposed to become over the last three seasons. Last year, his season was derailed by injury, but he was putting up big numbers before he went down. Now entering his first contract season, expect Harper to play as well as he ever has. I think numbers similar to his 2015 campaign are within reach.  Dark Horse Candidate – Christian Yelich

Matt O’Halloran – Nolan Arenado has been consistently great during his career, but never really talked about. It could be the Colorado market or blind fans chalking up the success to Coors, but that silence changes this year. Arenado is in a contract year, which should bolster his already impressive stats. The young third baseman is an outstanding defender and great hitter (even out of Coors). The Rockies made the wild card game last year, and another postseason berth combined with impressive numbers should get him the MVP.   Runner up – Corey Seager

Kyle Porch – Nolan Arenado will win the NL MVP award simply because of a continuation from last season. The Rockies third baseman will continue on his upward trend while earning a massive payday next season.

Justin Gonzalez – It must really suck to be Harper. I mean think about it: he has luscious hair, a beard that a lumberjack would approve of, a career WAR that is one point higher than his actual age (26 over 25), and is heading into one of the biggest contract years ever. Okay, maybe that doesn’t suck, but what I was getting at is imagine a baseball world without Mike Trout. We would be talking about Harper like he was the second coming of Ken Griffey Jr. I believe that this contract year for Harper is what will put him on the map clearly as the second best baseball player in the world.

David Latham – There are very few baseball players more talented than Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper. Another guy that can do it all, Harper is set to hit unrestricted free agency at the end of 2018. Look for Harper to have an absolutely crazy 2018 before breaking the bank in 2019.

Brandon Fazzolari – Bryce Harper is a versatile performer that can hit for average and power from the left side. Barring injury, this award should be his.

Photo by Patrick Smith

American League Cy Young Award

Scott Frizzell – I like to dig a little deeper on AL Cy Young oftentimes, so my pick is going to be Lance McCullers this season. McCullers just needs to stay healthy, as he has never pitched more than 22 games in a season. His first two seasons he had a 3.22 ERA, and he struck out 11.8 batters per nine in 2016. When he went down with an injury last June, McCullers had a 2.58 ERA and 10.4 k/9. He pitched well in the postseason and so far this spring he has been lights out.   Dark Horse Candidate – James Paxton

Matt O’Halloran – Justin Verlander posted a 1.06 regular season ERA after he was traded to the Astros on August 31st. The ace was a big part of their world series run and should put up impressive numbers again. He won the award in 2011, and was a runner up in 2016. He has been consistently dominant since he entered the league in 2006, and there is no reason to believe that will stop.  Runner up – Chris Sale

Kyle Porch – Chris Sale will give hitters deja vu of his 2017 season to win the award. While working out with Jason Groome over the offseason, he has built muscle and the velocity has improved while under-exerting himself during spring training.

Justin Gonzalez – The 2017 Cy Young award runner up has some unfinished business to take care of in 2018. He got his inaugural Red Sox season out of the way and is looking to take back what was clearly his in the first half of the season. Sporting the highest career SO/W (strikeout per win) figure in MLB history, Sale does two things extremely well: strikeout batters and win games. Pitching in front of a better lineup than last season, he has a chance to have a career year. Pair all of this with his longevity boosting workout regimen and he is really in line for another spectacular season.

David Latham – For the first four months of the 2017 season, this award was Sale’s to lose. Unfortunately, fatigue set in and Sale had a rough end of the season. He ended up finishing second for the award, behind Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber.

Brandon Fazzolari – Chris Sale is the consummate power pitcher. He shows no signs of slowing down in his prime.

National League Cy Young Award

Scott Frizzell – Sticking with my theme of underdogs for Cy Young, I am taking Noah Syndergaard to win in the NL this year. Syndergaard isn’t quite the underdog McCullers is, but anyone not named Kershaw or Scherzer in the National League seems like a bit of one. After missing most of last season, Syndergaard is healthy and strong for this season. He came out firing 100 miles per hour early in spring.  Dark Horse Candidate – Aaron Nola

Matt O’Halloran – I could have flipped a coin between Kershaw and Max Scherzer. It is a two man race barring a major injury because they are the only best pitchers in the NL and whoever is third is a distant third. I predict Kershaw just because the Dodgers should finish ahead of the Nationals in the standings. He won the award in 2011, 2013, 2014, and was a runner up in 2017.   Runner up – Max Scherzer

Kyle Porch – Clayton Kershaw will continue his dominance by winning another Cy Young award. The Dodgers pitcher could opt out and with his 4th award he can get a huge payday.

Justin Gonzalez – Want to read a preposterous sentence? Clayton Kershaw could possibly have a better career than Trout when it is all said and done. Everyone knows that he is the best pitcher in baseball (you do know that, right?) but just how good is he? Well for starters, he hasn’t had an ERA over 2.50 since 2012 (2.53) and has only had an ERA over 3.00 ONCE in TEN seasons (his rookie year). Get my point? He already has a career WAR of 60.6 and is heading into a contract season. His recent injuries would be the only thing that would stop him from winning the award for the 4th time, but then again, injuries could happen to anybody on this list. I would be absolutely floored if Kershaw didn’t run away with the award yet again.

David Latham – Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball, and it’s not even that close. Until someone dethrones him as the best, this award will always be his to lose.

Brandon Fazzolari – Joining most others, I am picking Clayton Kershaw to win this award. It’s hard to believe Kershaw is still just 30 years old because he has been so good for so long.

Clayton Kershaw during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies, Wednesday, April 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

American League Rookie of the Year

Scott Frizzell – Shohei Ohtani seemed to be the clear favorite for this award before his lousy spring training. I wanted to go elsewhere with this pick anyways, Ohtani was too easy. Willie Calhoun of the Rangers is starting the season in the minors, but I think he will be up by the end of April. A former fourth round pick, Calhoun batted .300 with 31 home runs in AAA last season. In a hitter’s paradise in Arlington, Calhoun should make his mark this season.   Dark Horse Candidate – Austin Hays

Kyle Porch – Willie Calhoun has great speed not only in the outfield, but on the base path as well. If he can continue his hot hitting from the minors, he should be a lock for Rookie of The Year.

Justin Gonzalez – Eloy Jimenez ranks as the number four prospect in all of baseball and seems to be overshadowed by another soon to be star, Yoan Moncada. Originally from the Cubs organization before being traded to the ChiSox in exchange for Jose Quintana, Jimenez seems to be a player that can really be a pivotal piece towards the White Sox rebuild. The 21 year old has an eye-popping OPS of 2.381 in his first Spring Training. Jimenez recently got optioned to double-A, but there should not be any reason why the White Sox wouldn’t promote him at some point during the season.

David Latham – If Rafael Devers were eligible, I’d pick him here. However, he’s not, so the award goes to Texas Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun. Calhoun is a power bat on a popular organization that should be average at least, so why not him?

Brandon Fazzolari – There’s a lot to like about the multi-talented Ohtani, but mostly that he’s in a lineup alongside Mike Trout.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

National League Rookie of the Year

Scott Frizzell – It is hard to pick against Ronald Acuña at this point. He will start the season in the minor leagues, but that is only to extend his years under team control. Acuña will be up before long and he is one of the most talented prospects to come up in sometime. Acuña has some all-around ability to his game in the vein of Mike Trout. In three stops last season. Acuña batted .325, hit 21 home runs and stole 44 bases. So far this spring, he has batted .432 with 4 homers and 4 steals.   Dark Horse Candidate – A.J. Minter

Kyle Porch – Ronald Acuña has flown through the Braves minor league system. Their number 1 prospect is expected to branch out in the majors this season.

Justin Gonzalez – J.P. Crawford seems to be one of the more overlooked players to get excited about in today’s baseball world. In a league where shortstop seems to be a position abundant with raw talent, it is hard to get noticed. However, Crawford will be the everyday shortstop for a Phillies team that has suddenly become decent. The acquisition of Carlos Santana, a full season of Rhys Hoskins and a hopeful season for Maikel Franco will really help Crawford out from the get go. His patience at the plate along with his ability to hit to all fields as well as his plus defending makes him one of the early front-runners for the NL Rookie of the Year.

David Latham – The Dodgers will be good this year, and Walker Buehler should be a big part of that. He won’t be the top arm in the rotation, which honestly should help his win total. He’s got a lot of talent, making it to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2016.

Brandon Fazzolari – If spring training is any indication, Acuña should win this award in a cakewalk.

Jayson Tatum Wins Eastern Conference Rookie of Month for December

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NOT A TRADE CHIP, A BUILDING BLOCK

When I was 19, I was just trying to figure out how to pay rent and tuition. At the same age, Jayson Tatum is proving he can play at a high level in the NBA despite still being in his teens. Plus, I can only assume has no problems paying bills on time. It’s easy to see Tatum is light years ahead of his peers, but hard to imagine what his ceiling might be.

“I don’t think water will find its level because I don’t think there’s a level with Tatum, because he’s so young. I think he’s untouchable. He has the potential, from what we’ve seen … to be a multi-time All Star in this league.” -Mike Gorman, Boston Celtics Broadcaster (reeling Tommy Heinsohn back in for over 30 years)

STRONG ROOKIE CLASS

Ben Simmons is better than anyone in this class right now, but he’s not exactly in this class. It’s almost a shame he’s considered a rookie. It’s robbing us of what is probably going to be an incredible race for second in the ROY running. This is a strong rookie class, with some guys showing star potential. Lottery picks like Donovan Mitchell, Lauri Markkanen, Dennis Smith Jr. and Tatum are showing the future of the league is in good hands. Others further down the draft board such as Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Bell & Dillon Brooks are a testament to the depth of the class. Plenty of other rookies are getting opportunities and showing signs of being contributors early in their careers.

Even without Simmons in the mix, Tatum would have a tough time winning the award. This is a strong class with the unique blend of depth to compliment the heavy hitters at the top. Donovan Mitchell has already had a 41 point game, something that hasn’t been done by a rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011. He was the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December. Tatum winning the same award in the East over Simmons shows the race for ROY isn’t over yet.

At the end of the day, Tatum just doesn’t have a big enough role offensively to win the award. While it is increasing by the game, he won’t come close to the usage rate of Simmons (23.9) or Mitchell (27.6). Tatum is sitting at 17.7, but is also chipping in 4.9 win shares through 42 games, good for 13th in the entire NBA. This is where you can start to see the difference in Tatum and rookies on teams that aren’t winning. He is learning how to win from guys that have done it early in his career. This is something that can’t be overstated for his development. The sky really is the limit with this kid.

TAKING IT IN STRIDE

Stevens trusts Tatum despite his teenager status. Further, he wants the youngster in the game late, especially if it’s close. Some might say Stevens leaves him in so he can learn and get better. It’s also because he is one of the best options Stevens has at his disposal. The rookie has shown the ability to make the right play, and is starting to find his spots to be aggressive offensively. This has resulted in some big-time finishes at the rim in addition to his elite shooting from deep. He has been in the top 10 in 3pt% the entire season thus far. If Stevens is serious about upping Tatum’s touches in the second half of the season, teams could be in trouble. His efficiency might take a hit, but his overall production should be on the rise.

CLUTCH TIME

Tatum has been impressive late in games, and definitely has the clutch gene. His calm and collected approach towards life is unwavering in heated moments on the big stage. It’s rare for a rookie to have such a big role, especially in the 4th quarter on a talent-rich team. More impressively, his clutch time numbers are truly jaw-dropping. He has 45 points on 71% shooting in the last 5 min when the game is within 5.

“Some people have it and some people don’t. It’s just as simple as that. I think he’s pretty much shown that he can play, as people say, with the big boys at the end of the game.”       -Kyrie on Tatum in the clutch

Further, he’s 3/4 in the last minute when the game is on the line. When the game gets hectic, it slows down for Tatum. Nothing seems to shake his confidence. After his recent Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award, Stevens did his part to keep Tatum level-headed, not that he needed it.

“I sent him a text that there’s a lot of things that can derail forward progress.” -Stevens, when asked about Tatum’s achievement

WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

Danny Ainge traded the #1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft fro the #3 pick and a future pick. After selecting Tatum 3rd overall, he stated he would’ve taken the Duke product at 1 if he didn’t make the deal. It was a risk, but he got his man. Still, the rookie has gone above and beyond what Ainge thought he was capable of already in his young career.

“We’ll see what minutes [Tatum] will earn. I’m not worried about how they will play when the lights go on. It will be unlikely that Jayson is Rookie of the Year because it will probably come from a team that starts their rookies and plays them 35 minutes a night.” -Danny Ainge, before the season started

A guy who should be a sophomore in college right now is instead beating out NBA vets for starting roles on the NBA’s best team. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He is already able to impact the game on both ends of the floor, and is contributing to winning on the highest level. Yet, he still has a long ways to go. What is sure to be a long and achievement-filled career has only just begun. The Tatum hype train, now far past Boston and still gaining steam, is running out of room for passengers.

“It will be four, five, six years before we see his best,” Ainge said. “The question will be how badly he wants to keep working to get better.”