November 10, 2008 As expected, Evan Longoria has been named the AL Rookie of the Year for 2008, according to the Associated Press.
Our View:He became the first member of the Rays to win the award in their 11-year history. He only played in 122 games, but blasted 27 homers and 85 RBI for the AL champs.
November 9, 2008 Evan Longoria is the odds on favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year award which will be announced on Monday, according to MLB.com. Others with a shot to win the award would include Alexei Ramirez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Armando Galarraga David Murphy and two A's pitcher Brad Ziegler and Joey Devine.
Our View:Longoria is almost a lock to win the award given his power numbers (27 HR, 85 RBI) and excellent defense at the hot corner. We wouldn't argue at all with his selection as he begins what could be a HOF career.
October 27, 2008 Mired in a dismal slump in the World Series (0-for-16), Evan Longoria has been demoted to fifth in the order for Game 5, according to the Tampa Tribune. Carl Crawford will move from fifth to second, B.J. Upton will drop to third, and Carlos Pena will drop to fourth.
Our View:This is the right move. The Rays can't play for tomorrow anymore, so the reordering of the batting order makes the most sense for the present.
October 26, 2008 Evan Longoria continued his dismal World Series performance on Sunday as the Rays fell 10-2 in Game 4. The clean-up hitter went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Our View:He is now 0-for-16 with nine strikeouts and the up-and-coming star's brightness is fading. Longoria was arguably the most important hitter for the Rays this season, and should this streak continue, Tampa Bay has little hope of winning their first World Series.
October 21, 2008 Evan Longoria has been named AL rookie of the year by the Sporting News.
Our View:Once Longoria was brought up by the Rays, he absolutely killed the ball. He'll go early in drafts next year, as if he played a full 162 game season this year, his projected stats would have been 36 home runs, 113 RBI, and 41 doubles.
