Major League Baseball’s weird 2020 is now over. They’re done with the season and weirdly in free agency. No one knows that because baseball owners are going to spend like a college kid waiting to come home to mom and dad. This means that the award finalists are out for each league. For the National League Rookie of the Year award, Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers is a finalist. He is the most deserving candidate of the bunch. If he does not win it, it is worthy of an investigation.

The two other guys that Williams is paired with are Alec Bohm of Philadelphia and Jake Cronenworth of San Diego. Both guys had strong years, but no one had a year like Williams. He was virtually unhittable this season. Williams possessed a devastating change-up. By the end of the year, it became one of the toughest pitches to hit in baseball. Even though the Brewers only played two playoff games, it is a crying shame that the nation didn’t get to watch Williams spin it against the eventual World Series winners.

Williams has already won Reliever of the Year for the National League. If we connect the dots here, a guy who wins Reliever of the Year for the National League should probably also win Rookie of the Year if nominated. The competition is not that strong either. Despite good years, Bohm and Cronenworth were hardly game-changers for their team. For example, Kyle Lewis is a game-changer in the American League. He makes the Mariners a sudden team on the rise and potential playoff contender next year. Cronenworth did not make the Padres into a playoff team. Nor did Bohm. Williams contributed to Milwaukee being competent this season and changed their bullpen.

Let’s hope the voters do the right thing and give the award to Williams.

Charlie.