Niko Goodrum hauls in Tigers rookie of the year honors

The Detroit News

A second-round pick by the Twins, Niko Goodrum never really found a home in Minnesota.

Well, he found one in Detroit. And on Tuesday, the utility player was named the Tigers rookie of the year, as voted by the Detroit Sports Media group, formerly the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Goodrum, 26, who signed as a free agent last offseason, surprisingly made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster, and ended up staying all season. He batted .245/.315/.432 with 16 home runs, 29 doubles, 53 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 131 games.

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His 22 multi-hit games ranked seventh among major-league rookies, his 109 hits ranked fourth and his 55 runs ranked fifth. He played six positions on the season, mostly at second base and first base.

Niko Goodrum

Goodrum was drafted out of high school by the Twins in 2010, and played 11 games with Minnesota in 2017 before the Twins released him.

He will be presented the award, handed out since 1969, prior to a home game at Comerica Park in 2019.

Other recent winners included Dixon Machado, Michael Fulmer, James McCann, Nick Castellanos and Jose Iglesias.