San Diego Padres: Franmil Reyes Nominated For Hank Aaron Award

The San Diego Padres nominated their power-hitting rookie outfielder for the 2018 Hank Aaron Award.

Other than fellow outfielder Hunter Renfroe, perhaps no player on the San Diego Padres roster progressed as much as Franmil Reyes did this season. After an astronomical strikeout rate and poor hitting performance characterized his initial time in the big leagues, a rejuvenated and hot-hitting Reyes re-joined the Padres, following some additional time in AAA El Paso. His progress at the plate did not go unnoticed by the organization.

Earlier this afternoon, Major League Baseball released the 2018 ballot for the Hank Aaron Award. Each team in the league nominates one player for the award that recognizes the top offensive performer in the American and National League. The San Diego Padres nominated their power-hitting rookie outfielder, Franmil Reyes.

Reyes is one of only two rookies on the 30-man ballot, joining Tampa Bay Rays infielder Joey Wendle on the list.

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Fans can vote for a winner through October 8th by going to this website and voting for one American League winner and one National League winner. The fan vote will be combined with votes from Hank Aaron and a team of fellow MLB Hall of Famers.

The 23-year-old appeared in 87 games for the Padres, finishing with a .280/.340/.498/.838 slash line, 16 home runs, nine doubles, 31 runs driven in, and 36 runs scored. Over the final month of the regular season, Reyes hit .346 with an unbelievable .419 OBP.

One of the biggest questions of this offseason for the Padres will be whether or not to keep Reyes as a part of next year’s roster. The rookie has earned a role on a major league roster, whether it’s with the Padres or another franchise. His growth at the plate was tremendous and his contagious attitude and personality provided a bright spot in a rather dark season for the Friars.

Representing the rest of the National League West on this year’s ballot are Max Muncy (Los Angeles Dodgers), Evan Longoria (San Francisco Giants), Trevor Story (Colorado Rockies), and Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona Diamondbacks).