Texas Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara has been named American League Rookie of the Month for April.
Mazara batted .333 (21-for-63) with 10 runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and seven walks to claim his first monthly award. He is the first Ranger to win Rookie of the Month honors since Delino DeShields, Jr. did so in May of last season. Among AL rookies with at least 20 at-bats, Nomar finished first in on-base percentage (.392), second in runs scored and hits, tied for third in home runs and RBI, tied for fourth in extra-base hits (4), tied for fifth in doubles and sixth in slugging percentage (.460).
In Mazara's Major League debut on April 10th against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, the left-handed-hitting outfielder went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, becoming the 23rd player in ML history and the fourth Ranger with at least three hits, including a homer in his Major League debut (George Wright, 4/10/82; Rusty Greer, 5/16/94; Joey Gallo, 6/2/15). At 21 years, 350 days old, Mazara was the youngest player to ever accomplish the feat, surpassing his teammate Gallo (21, 195 days). Additionally, the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native became the eighth Ranger to homer in his first ML game, with Gallo being the last on June 2, 2015 vs. Chicago White Sox. The only other Rangers player to accomplish that feat since 2000 was Jurickson Profar on September 2, 2012 vs. Cleveland. Mazara is the third player to go deep in his big league debut in 2016, following Colorado's Trevor Story on April 4th and the Dodgers' Kenta Maeda on April 6th. Texas' heralded prospect recorded a career-opening eight-game on-base streak, becoming the first Rangers rookie ever to reach safely in his first eight career games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Mazara, who just celebrated his 21st birthday on April 26th and is the youngest active player in the Majors, was just the second player in Rangers/Senators history with at least 12 hits in his first seven Major League games (also Senators' Del Unser in 1968). Providing a spark to the club, the Rangers, who currently sit atop the AL West, are 11-7 in games their young outfielder has played in.
Others receiving votes for AL Rookie of the Month included Tyler White (4 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, .500 SLG) of the Houston Astros; Mychal Givens (2-0, 3.00 ERA, 12 IP, 21 SO) and Joey Rickard (.280, 11 R, 5 2B, 26 H) of the Baltimore Orioles; Byung-Ho Park (9 R, 4 2B, 6 HR, 8 RBI) of the Minnesota Twins; Tyler Naquin (.341, 8 R, 2 2B, 2 3B) of the Cleveland Indians; Rafael Ortega (.282, 4 R, 11 H, 1 SB) of the Angels; and Ryan Dull (1.93 ERA, 12 G, 14.0 IP, 14 SO) of the Oakland Athletics.
In recognition of his American League Rookie of the Month Award, Nomar Mazara will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for his accomplishment.