Top five National League Rookie of the Year candidates

The 2023 Major League Baseball season is heading into the home stretch. Who will take home the hardware as the National League's Rookie of the Year? Here are the top five contenders in reverse order (YB's NL and AL Manager of the Year candidates are here and here. YB's NL and AL MVP candidates are here and here. YB's NL and AL Cy Young Award candidates are here and here).

All stats are through Sunday, Sept. 3.

5. Elly De La Cruz | Cincinnati Reds, SS

KEY STAT: .325 batting average over first 30 games

The 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic was called up on June 6 and made an immediate impact. The Reds won 22 of the first 30 games he played in, and he collected 41 hits in that span. But in his 46 games since the All-Star break, De La Cruz's numbers have plummeted. His average is down to .241, and he has struck out 83 times in those 46 games. Baseball-Reference estimates this as the equivalent of 286 strikeouts in a full season. Because of this prolonged slump, De La Cruz has gone from Rookie of the Year frontrunner to honorable mention.

4. Tom Cosgrove | San Diego Padres, LHP

KEY STAT: 1.58 ERA

Over 41 appearances out of the bullpen, Cosgrove has one of the lowest ERAs of any relief pitcher in baseball. Surprisingly, he wasn't even on the Padres' Opening Day roster. He made his major league debut on April 29. Along with closer Josh Hader, Cosgrove is one of the few steady arms in San Diego's bullpen and one of the few bright spots on a Padres team that has disappointed mightily this season.

3. Spencer Steer | Cincinnati Reds, 1B

KEY STAT: 134 hits, most among Reds

Steer also leads Cincinnati with 19 home runs, 73 RBIs and 134 games played. Given the aforementioned struggles of fellow rookie Elly De La Cruz and frequent injuries to other position players, Steer has stepped up to become the most dependable player on a Reds team still in relative striking distance of their first National League Central division championship since 2012.

2. Kodai Senga | New York Mets, RHP

KEY STAT: 176 strikeouts, eighth among NL pitchers

No team has disappointed more this season than the Mets. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer were both traded at the deadline, which has turned a 30-year-old right-hander from Gamagori, Japan into the unlikely ace of Queens. Senga struggled with his command early in the year, issuing 40 walks over his first 12 starts. Over his last 13 starts, however, he's issued only 26 bases on balls. Senga is also able to tally double-digit strikeouts, most recently notching 12 K's in the Mets' win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday.