Atlanta Braves OF Jason Heyward is one of two serious contenders for the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year Award, along with San Francisco Giants C Buster Posey. The award will be announced in about half an hour. Heyward has already won the BBWAA's rookie award, which may or may not be a good sign regarding his chances today.
While we're rooting for Heyward, we get to claim a piece of the award either way. Both players hail from the Peach State and were Georgia high school stars. Posey, in fact, was once named the state's player of the year by Gatorade and Louisville Slugger. They played against each other while in school, with their presumably friendly rivalry continuing into this year's NL playoffs.
The debate has been sending baseball fans into stats-quoting frenzies since September. And you'll excuse me, as this is just a Pavlovian reflex tic I have, but Buster Posey was out. Sorry about that. Some picks and predictions:
Big League Stew seems to be leaning Heyward, but thinks Posey has it. Rob Neyer agrees, but sort of talks himself in circles afterward. Dave Sheinin goes Heyward. Craig Calcaterra thinks Posey comes up just a hair short, if at all. Marlin Maniac would vote Heyward, as would Crawfish Boxes and Purple Row. Andrew Baggarly uses the torture word again while writing about a team that just won the World Series, hoping for Posey. Giants pitchers objectively study each player's qualifications and conclude, after much debate, that they think Posey should win.