"Mike Trout won 2 MVPs with teams 15 games under .500" - Padres analysts evaluate MLB voting criteria after Jackson Merrill’s 2024 NL ROY snub

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes was named the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year on Monday, beating San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (2nd place) for the prestigious award.

Despite Skenes' seemingly one-sided win, claiming 23 of the 30 first-place votes compared to Merrill's seven, fans have argued if the Padres rookie had a more impactful season for his team.

Padres analysts and host of the "Jon & Jim" podcast, Jon Schaeffer and Jim Russell, argued the voting criteria for the award.

Russell cited Merrill's clutch play for the Padres in August when they were struggling offensively. He felt the Padres rookie was influential in his team making it to the postseason, comparing it to Skenes, who didn't make the playoffs with the Pirates.

"What Jackson Merrill did this season, he was infinitely more impactful to his team than anything Paul Skenes did for the Pirates," Russell said (5:25).

His co-host Jon Schaeffer countered the argument, with one of the guys in the background citing the example of three-time MVP Mike Trout, who won it twice without the Angels making it to the postseason.

"It's (team's season) not part of the criteria, it truly is not," Schaeffer said (5:50).

Russell replied, wondering if Skenes was a runaway winner (6:05):

"Go back and look at all the MVPs that Mike Trout won. Were there any MVPs he won that was like 51-49 with another player? You can say Paul Skenes was a runway here, he got 23 of the 30 votes. But I think there were a majority of the 23, maybe half, that this was a very difficult decision. This wasn't a slam dunk runaway."

Schaeffer concluded the discussion by pointing out the Angels' underwhelming seasons in Trout's last two MVP seasons. He said (9:00):

"In 2016, the Angels went 74-88; that's awful. In 2019 they go 72-90. I mean irrelevant all year, no chance of qualifying for the postseason. He (Mike Trout) won two of them with the team finishing 15 games under .500."

Mike Trout won his first MVP title in 2014, it was a unanimous decision and it was also the last time the Angels made it to the postseason. Trout's next two MVP wins, 2016 and 2019, came with the team finishing below the .500 mark.

Jackson Merrill made a strong Rookie of the Year case after breakthrough year

Although Jackson Merrill lost the title to Paul Skenes, the Padres rookie made a strong case after a breakthrough season that saw him move to the outfield to accommodate the team's needs.

Merrill led MLB rookies with the most hits, extra-base hits, RBIs, and batting average. He was also tied for the most home runs by a rookie this season with the Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser.

While the Padres fans feel Merrill was snubbed after his stellar season, the Pirates rookie was exceptional from the mound. Skenes not only battled for the Rookie of the Year title but was also nominated for the NL Cy Young, a testament to his pitching dominance. He came third in the Cy Young votings as the Atlanta Braves' veteran hurler Chris Sale clinched the title.