The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have two of baseball's most exciting rookies playing at the major league level. Evan Gattis has assaulted MLB pitching this season and Yasiel Puig is wasting no time leaving his mark on baseball as he's made a lot of noise in his debut. Here are the similarities and differences between both players and if things continue rolling this way for the Dodgers' outfielders, here's why he can give Gattis a run for his money as both guys could end up competing against each other for the 2013 Rookie of the Year Award.
Now, without a doubt, Gattis is the front runner among all rookies in the National League. As a matter of fact, if, like the NBA, only one rookie was awarded with the honors, Gattis would probably win the award. With a .269 batting average, 12 home runs and 32 RBI, Gattis is leading all rookies in production. He has double the number of home runs as the next two rookies in baseball, Jedd Gyorko and Aaron Hicks, who each have six. Not only has Gattis proven he can hit professional pitching, he has been super clutch as a lot of his home runs have given the Braves leads or tied the game.
On the other hand, Puig was recognized as a sensation in his debut as he's currently filling in for Carl Crawford. He only has played two games in the majors and immediately, Twitter is going crazy with #Puigmania. Puig, who is Cuban and only 22 years of age, got two base hits in his MLB debut. Then, Tuesday night, he followed this performance with a two-home run night as his second bomb ultimately became the game winner.
There's the legend of El Oso Blanco that states a lot of ridiculously funny things, but, they seem believable. Then there's a legend of Puig slowly building, one that states that the youngster promised his scout he would homer Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres. Puig followed his promise with a two-homer, five-RBI night.
More importantly, the Dodgers look like they have something going on. Puig has given them a boost and the Dodgers have now won two games, coinciding with their young player's debut. The Braves are also cruising as they are in first place in the N.L. East posting one of the best records in baseball as Gattis' versatility and bat has given them a huge boost.
Can Puig continue this tear and catch up to Gattis to officially be considered a threat in the Rookie of the Year voting? Let's continue watching these guys play and worry about that later. Gattis better keep his work up because if there is anything people love it's a lot of flash and dash, something Puig possesses to the max. However, mixed in with his human interest story, Gattis has caught everybody's heart while Puig has attracted the hype.