There are some years where you don't have a rookie. There are years where you only have one and you give the award to them by default. And then there are years like 2059 where Portland had four very worthy candidates for their top rookie award. In some seasons, all 4 of these guys would have taken the hardware. But that's how the chips fall and Portland was loaded with great rookie performances.
First there was Erasmo Gonzalez. A candidate for our top reliever award as well, Gonzalez's 1.4 WAR was actually the lowest of the four rookies up for the award. He finished the season with a 5-0 record in 37 games. He pitched 62.1 innings and posted a 2.02 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. Yes, he could have very easily won the award in most seasons.
Then there is Mynorli Gaajlimitz. He was the front runner for the award going in to the season and I think most thought he was a slam dunk for the award. He led the team in hits and broke the franchise single season hits record with 217 hits. He finished second on the team with a .336 batting average and led the team in RBI with 90. Oddly enough though, despite those great numbers, his 1.5 WAR was only the 3rd best on the team among rookies.
The next guy who didn't win had a great story in his own right. 23 year old Bill Beals was left unprotected by Charm City in the Rule 5 draft. He had to stay on the roster all season and was never a threat to go down. Beals started in the bullpen then really flourished when moved to the rotation. He appeared in 34 games and made 23 starts. He finished the season with a 14-5 overall record with a 3.07 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a look at the Nebraska Award in the Frick. So how was that not good enough to win the team's top rookie honors? Well his 1.7 WAR just didn't quite do it when compared to......
Murali Patachli. Patachli was a winner in large part due to his 3.2 WAR that led the rookie crop. His 2.85 ERA was the 2nd best on the entire staff and the 2nd best in the entire Brewster! His 1.05 WHIP also ranked 2nd best in the Frick League. Not to mention his hits per 9 and opponents batting average topped the Frick League. He finished the season with an impressive 13-5 record. It wasn't quite enough to earn him the Gillstrom Award in the Frick League, but was enough to nab him the top rookie honor in Portland this season!