00:00If you had an NL Rookie of the Year ballot today, as we're recording this, who would you rank higher?
00:07Is it Carson Bench or is it Nolan McClain?
00:11Who are you going with?
00:12It's a really difficult question because there is the fandom side of me that maybe will be like, well, I'm
00:18just happy either way.
00:19But then there's the rational side of me that's like, okay, how does this voting typically go?
00:24And what has history shown us when looking at NL Rookie of the Year?
00:27And what history has shown us is that it's been far more favorable for a position player than a starter.
00:33So while Nolan McClain has all the reasons in the world to suggest that he may very well be not
00:39only a rookie of the year candidate, but actual winner this year, I think it's Carson Bench's to lose between
00:45the two.
00:45And there's a multitude of reasons as to why that is.
00:49But before we deep dive them further, and I hear your thoughts on this, it really is just simply put
00:54because of how much Bench has blossomed into a multi-tool talent that is a bit of a rarity in
01:00today's game.
01:00We have a lot of numbers we're going to throw in a second, but where Bench has separated himself against
01:06other guys in the National League, even the Sal Stewarts, who's going to have a north of 30 home run,
01:11100 RBI season as the first baseman for the Reds in that band box.
01:15Or a J.J. Weatherholt, who obviously has had a fantastic rookie year, all things considered, for the St. Louis
01:20Cardinals.
01:20Those guys have had fantastic runs, but there's something about what Carson Bench has been doing, especially since really the
01:25start of May, that's put him in a bit of a class of his own.
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