It isn't as though Portland rookie
Jiao-long Ma had an exceptional rookie season. It was an ok campaign but nothing newsworthy. But when you're the only rookie on a squad, you kind of claim the honor as the team's top rookie by default. And that's what happened in 2050 as Ma was named the Portland Lumberjacks' top rookie. By default.
Ma hit .227/.316/.406 over his rookie season with 10 homeruns and 32 runs batted in. He played in 108 games, yet started in only 72. He gave guys spells of rest throughout the season, filling in the OF when McBride was injured and Alomar was shifted to DH for a brief stint. He played average defense and produced a replacement level WAR of 0.2 on the season. But hey, someone has to win the award, right? IN 2049, Portland didn't have a rookie and therefore, for the first time in team history, no one claimed the honor.
Portland expects bigger things from Ma in 2051. With the trading of Wilson Alomar to clear cap space, Ma is expected to be the replacement corner outfield in his absence. Portland's top prospect at the moment, Ma will have some big shoes to fill in 2051 and need to elevate his game if the team expects to repeat as Pacific Champions this season.
