Soto wins NL Rookie of the Year

Nov 11, 2008 - 12:01 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto was rewarded for his big season Monday as he was named the National League Rookie of Year.

A major reason why the Cubs cruised to the best record in the NL, Soto won in a landslide, capturing 31 of 32 first-place votes by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He also picked up one second-place vote to finish with 158 total points.

"It's kind of surreal. It really hasn't sunk in yet," Soto said on a conference call from Puerto Rico.

Soto easily outdistanced Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who had 76 total points.

Soto became the fifth player in franchise history to earn rookie honors and first since teammate Kerry Wood in 1998. The last catcher to win the award was Mike Piazza of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993.

After earning playing time late in the 2007 season following a September call-up, Soto emerged as a star in his first full season.

The 25-year-old earned rave reviews from manager Lou Piniella and the Cubs' pitching staff for his defense, leadership and game-calling ability, but it was with the bat that he truly shined.

Soto led all NL rookies with 86 RBI, 60 extra-base hits and 35 doubles while batting .285, clubbing 23 homers and posting an .868 OPS.

He became the first rookie catcher ever to start an All-Star Game when he was selected by the fans, and capped his tremendous regular season by catching Carlos Zambrano's no-hitter against the Houston Astros on September 14.

"I worked really, really hard in past years," Soto said. "I feel very, very special right now. It's a very good moment in my life."

Votto also enjoyed a fine season, leading all rookies with a .297 batting average, 24 homers, an .874 OPS and 96.3 runs created.