Jose Fernandez wins National League Rookie of the Year Award - MLB

Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez was announced as the winner of the National League Rookie of the Year Award by the BBWAA this evening, beating out finalists Yasiel Puig and Shelby Miller. Fernandez received 26 out of 30 first-place votes while Puig received the other four.

Fernandez becomes the first Cuban-born player to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Tony Oliva won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1964 as a member of the Twins.

The National League produced an impressive crop of rookies this season — and the vote likely would have been much closer if Puig was around for the entire season — but Fernandez was the best of the bunch. While the Marlins surprised many around the game by including him on their Opening Day roster despite no experience above High-A, he quickly established himself as a legitimate ace, finishing second in the majors (behind the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw) with a 2.19 ERA to go along with a 187/58 K/BB ratio over 172 2/3 innings. He ranked first in the majors with a .182 batting average against while his 9.75 K/9 was second-highest in the National League behind the Pirates’ A.J. Burnett.

Fernandez got better as he adjusted to major league lineups, putting up a 1.50 ERA over 18 starts after June 1. Nobody was better in that time. He also thrived at the spacious Marlins Ballpark, going a perfect 9-0 with a 1.19 ERA. And given the lack of offense from the Marlins this past season, that’s pretty impressive. His ERA was the lowest by a rookie since Dave Righetti (1981) and the lowest by a pitcher in his age-20 season since Dwight Gooden (1985). As a result of his historic rookie campaign, Fernandez is a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award, which will be announced on Wednesday. While Kershaw is considered a near-lock for the award, Fernandez should be a serious threat in future seasons if his health cooperates.

Complete voting results for the National League Rookie of the Year Award can be found at BBWAA.com.

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.