The only major question was whether it would be unanimous — and it was.
Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are baseball’s Rookies of the Year, after their record-setting home run binges left no need for any dissenting opinions.
Judge led the American League with 52 homers, the most ever by a rookie.
Bellinger hit 39 and had to settle for the National League’s rookie record.
Judge and Bellinger received every first-place vote available from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Judge became the first New York Yankees player to receive this award since Derek Jeter in 1996. Bellinger gave the Dodgers a record 18th Rookie of the Year winner.
This was the first time both Rookie of the Year awards were unanimous since 1997, when Nomar Garciaparra of Boston and Scott Rolen of Philadelphia won.
This season’s votes were announced Monday night. Boston outfielder Andrew Benintendi finished second in the American League, followed by Baltimore slugger Trey Mancini.
St. Louis infielder Paul DeJong was the National League runner-up, with Pittsburgh first baseman Josh Bell finishing third.
Judge is also an MVP finalist.
Ichiro Suzuki in 2001 and Fred Lynn in 1975 are the only players to win the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same year.
Bellinger is the second straight Dodgers player to win Rookie of the Year. Shortstop Corey Seager did it last year.