Parker Messick finishes second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Kevin McGonigle

Parker Messick’s run for American League Rookie of the Year ended one spot short. In MLB’s postseason voting results, the Cleveland Guardians starter finished second behind Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle.

The point totals underscored how close Messick’s finish was in the eyes of voters. Messick received two first-place votes, 25 second-place votes, two third-place votes and one fourth-place vote for 122 points, while McGonigle finished with 204 points after taking more top-ballot support.

The voting came after a standout rookie workload. Messick made 32 starts, pitched 186 1/3 innings, and posted a 2.56 ERA, finishing among MLB’s qualified starters in several categories. He also totaled 193 strikeouts and, according to Baseball Reference as cited by MLB, produced 6.3 wins above replacement, ranking second among AL rookies behind McGonigle’s 7.1.

MLB also highlighted the historical context of Messick’s season. Among rookie pitchers in Cleveland franchise history, only Vean Gregg (1911) had a higher bWAR, and only Herb Score (1955) recorded more strikeouts. The league further noted that Messick became the fourth rookie starter in MLB history (with at least 150 innings) to combine an ERA of 2.60 or below with a 9.0-plus strikeouts-per-nine rate, joining Dwight Gooden, Hideo Nomo and José Fernández.