The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News (TSN).

• In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball.

• In 1949 and since 1951, TSN has given an award to a player from each league.

• From 1963 through 2003, TSN split the rookie award into two separate categories:
  • Rookie Pitcher of the Year
  • Rookie Player of the Year

• In 2004 those two awards were discontinued in favor of the unified award below.

This is the list of ballplayers awarded by year, name, team, league and position.

1946-1949

• 1946
  • Del Ennis (Philadelphia NL, OF)
• 1947
  • Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn NL, 1B)
• 1948
  • Richie Ashburn (Phildelphia NL, OF)
• 1949
  • Roy Sievers (St. Louis AL, OF)
  • Don Newcombe (Brooklyn NL, P)

1950-1959

• 1950
  • Whitey Ford (New York AL, P)
• 1951
  • Minnie Miñoso (Chicago AL, OF)
  • Willie Mays (New York NL, OF)
• 1952
  • Clint Courtney (St. Louis AL, C)
  • Joe Black (Brooklyn NL, P)
• 1953
  • Harvey Kuenn (Detroit AL, SS)
  • Jim Gilliam (Brooklyn NL, 2B)
• 1954
  • Bob Grim (New York AL, P)
  • Wally Moon (St. Louis NL, OF)
• 1955
  • Herb Score (Cleveland AL, P)
  • Bill Virdon (St. Louis NL, OF)
• 1956
  • Luis Aparicio (Chicago AL, SS)
  • Frank Robinson (Cincinnati NL, OF)
• 1957
  • Tony Kubek (New York AL, IF-OF)
  • Ed Bouchee (Philadelphia AL, 1B)
  • Jack Sanford (Philadelphia NL, P)
• 1958
  • Ryne Duren (New York AL, P)
  • Albie Pearson (Washington AL, OF)
  • Orlando Cepeda (San Francisco NL, 1B)
  • Carl Willey (Milwaukee NL, P)
• 1959
  • Bob Allison (Washington AL, OF)
  • Willie McCovey (San Francisco NL, 1B)

1960-1969

• 1960
  • Ron Hansen (Baltimore AL, SS)
  • Frank Howard (Los Angeles NL, OF)
• 1961
  • Dick Howser (Kansas City AL, SS)
  • Don Schwall (Boston AL, P)
  • Ken Hunt (Cincinnati NL, P)
  • Billy Williams (Chicago NL, OF)
• 1962
  • Tom Tresh (New York AL, OF-SS)
  • Ken Hubbs (Chicago NL, 2B)
• 1963
  • Gary Peters (Chicago AL, P)
  • Pete Ward (Chicago AL, 3B)
  • Ray Culp (Philadelphia NL, P)
  • Pete Rose (Cincinnati NL, 2B)
• 1964
  • Wally Bunker (Baltimore AL, P)
  • Tony Oliva (Minnesota AL, OF)
  • Billy McCool (Cincinnati NL, P)
  • Dick Allen (Philadelphia NL, 3B)
• 1965
  • Marcelino López (California AL, P)
  • Curt Blefary (Baltimore AL, OF)
  • Frank Linzy (San Francisco NL, P)
  • Joe Morgan (Houston NL, 2B)
• 1966
  • Jim Nash (Kansas City AL, P)
  • Tommie Agee (Chicago AL, OF)
  • Don Sutton (Los Angeles NL, P)
  • Tommy Helms (Cincinnati NL, 3B)
• 1967
  • Tom Phoebus (Baltimore AL, P)
  • Rod Carew (Minnesota AL, 2B)
  • Dick Hughes (St. Louis NL, P)
  • Lee May (Cincinnati NL, 1B)
• 1968
  • Stan Bahnsen (New York AL, P)
  • Del Unser (Washington AL, OF)
  • Jerry Koosman (New York NL, P)
  • Johnny Bench (Cincinnati NL, C)
• 1969
  • Mike Nagy (Boston AL, P)
  • Carlos May (Chicago AL, OF)
  • Tom Griffin (Houston NL, P)
  • Coco Laboy (Montreal NL, 2B)

1970-1979

• 1970
  • Bert Blyleven (Minnesota AL, P)
  • Roy Foster (Cleveland AL, OF)
  • Carl Morton (Montreal NL, P)
  • Bernie Carbo (Cincinnati NL, OF)
• 1971
  • Bill Parsons (Milwaukee AL, P)
  • Chris Chambliss (Cleveland AL, 1B)
  • Reggie Cleveland (St. Louis NL, P)
  • Earl Williams (Atlanta NL, C)
• 1972
  • Dick Tidrow (Cleveland AL, P)
  • Carlton Fisk (Boston AL, C)
  • Jon Matlack (New York NL, P)
  • Dave Rader (San Francisco NL, C)
• 1973
  • Steve Busby (Kansas City AL, P)
  • Al Bumbry (Baltimore AL, OF)
  • Steve Rogers (Montreal NL, P)
  • Gary Matthews (San Francisco NL, OF)
• 1974
  • Frank Tanana (California AL, P)
  • Mike Hargrove (Texas AL, 1B)
  • John D'Acquisto (San Francisco NL, P)
  • Greg Gross (Houston NL, OF)
• 1975
  • Dennis Eckersley (Cleveland AL, P)
  • Fred Lynn (Boston AL, OF)
  • John Montefusco (San Francisco NL, P)
  • Gary Carter (Montreal NL, OF-C)
• 1976
  • Mark Fidrych (Detroit AL, P)
  • Butch Wynegar (Minnesota AL, C)
  • Butch Metzger (San Diego NL, P)
  • Larry Herndon (San Francisco NL, OF)
• 1977
  • Dave Rozema (Detroit AL, P)
  • Mitchell Page (Oakland AL, OF)
  • Bob Owchinko (San Diego NL, P)
  • Andre Dawson (Montreal NL, OF)
• 1978
  • Rich Gale (Kansas City AL, P)
  • Paul Molitor (Milwaukee AL, 2B)
  • Don Robinson (Pittsburgh NL, P)
  • Bob Horner (Atlanta NL, 3B)
• 1979
  • Mark Clear (California AL, P)
  • Pat Putnam (Texas NL, 1B)
  • Rick Sutcliffe (Los Angeles NL, P)
  • Jeffrey Leonard (Houston NL, OF)

1980-1989

• 1980
  • Britt Burns (Chicago AL, P)
  • Joe Charboneau (Cleveland AL, OF)
  • Bill Gullickson (Montreal NL, P)
  • Lonnie Smith, Philadelphia OF
• 1981
  • Dave Righetti (New York AL, P)
  • Rich Gedman (Boston AL, C)
  • Fernando Valenzuela (Los Angeles NL, P)
  • Tim Raines (Montreal NL, OF)
• 1982
  • Ed Vande Berg (Seattle AL, P)
  • Cal Ripken, Jr. (Baltimore AL, SS-3B)
  • Steve Bedrosian (Atlanta NL, P)
  • Johnny Ray (Pittsburgh NL, 2B)
• 1983
  • Mike Boddicker (Baltimore AL, P)
  • Ron Kittle (Chicago AL, OF)
  • Craig McMurtry (Atlanta NL, P)
  • Darryl Strawberry (New York NL, OF)
• 1984
  • Mark Langston (Seattle AL, P)
  • Alvin Davis (Seattle AL, 1B)
  • Dwight Gooden (New York NL, P)
  • Juan Samuel (Philadelphia NL, 2B)
• 1985
  • Teddy Higuera (Milwaukee AL, P)
  • Ozzie Guillén (Chicago AL, SS)
  • Tom Browning (Cincinnati NL, P)
  • Vince Coleman (St. Louis NL, OF)
• 1986
  • Mark Eichhorn (Toronto AL, P)
  • José Canseco (Oakland AL, OF)
  • Todd Worrell (St. Louis NL, P)
  • Robby Thompson (San Francisco NL, 2B)
• 1987
  • Mike Henneman (Detroit AL, P)
  • Mark McGwire (Oakland AL, 1B)
  • Mike Dunne (Pittsburgh NL, P)
  • Benito Santiago (San Diego NL, C)
• 1988
  • Bryan Harvey (California AL, P)
  • Walt Weiss (Oakland AL, SS)
  • Tim Belcher (Los Angeles NL, P)
  • Mark Grace (Chicago NL, 1B)
• 1989
  • Tom Gordon (Kansas City AL, P)
  • Craig Worthington (Baltimore AL, 3B)
  • Andy Benes (San Diego NL, P)
  • Jerome Walton (Chicago NL, OF)

1990-1999

• 1990
  • Kevin Appier (Kansas City AL, P)
  • Sandy Alomar (Cleveland AL, C)
  • Mike Harkey (Chicago NL, P)
  • David Justice (Atlanta NL, OF)
• 1991
  • Juan Guzmán (Toronto AL, P)
  • Chuck Knoblauch (Minnesota AL, 2B)
  • Al Osuna (Houston NL, P)
  • Jeff Bagwell (Houston NL, 1B)
• 1992
  • Cal Eldred (Milwaukee AL, P)
  • Pat Listach (Milwaukee AL, SS)
  • Tim Wakefield (Pittsburgh NL, P)
  • Eric Karros (Los Angeles NL, 1B)
• 1993
  • Aaron Sele (Boston AL, P)
  • Tim Salmon (California AL, OF)
  • Kirk Rueter (Montreal NL, P)
  • Mike Piazza (Los Angeles NL, C)
• 1994
  • Brian Anderson (California AL, P)
  • Bob Hamelin (Kansas City AL, DH)
  • Steve Trachsel (Chicago NL, P)
  • Raul Mondesi (Los Angeles NL, OF)
• 1995
  • Julián Tavárez {Cleveland AL, P)
  • Garret Anderson (California AL, OF )
  • Hideo Nomo (Los Angeles NL, P)
  • Chipper Jones (Atlanta NL, 3B)
• 1996
  • James Baldwin (Chicago AL, P)
  • Derek Jeter (New York AL, SS)
  • Alan Benes (St. Louis NL, P)
  • Jason Kendall (Pittsburgh NL, C)
• 1997
  • Jason Dickson (Anaheim AL, P)
  • Nomar Garciaparra (Boston AL, SS)
  • Matt Morris (St. Louis NL, P)
  • Scott Rolen (Philadelphia NL, 3B)
• 1998
  • Rolando Arrojo (Tampa Bay AL, P)
  • Ben Grieve (Oakland AL, OF)
  • Kerry Wood (Chicago NL, P)
  • Todd Helton (Colorado NL, 1B)
• 1999
  • Tim Hudson (Oakland AL, P)
  • Carlos Beltrán (Kansas City AL, OF)
  • Scott Williamson (Cincinnati NL, P)
  • Preston Wilson (Florida NL, OF)

2000-2004

• 2000
  • Kazuhiro Sasaki (Seattle AL, P)
  • Mark Quinn (Kansas City AL, OF)
  • Rick Ankiel (St. Louis NL, P)
  • Rafael Furcal (Atlanta NL, SS)
• 2001
  • C.C. Sabathia (Cleveland AL, P)
  • Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle AL, OF)
  • Roy Oswalt (Houston NL, P)
  • Albert Pujols (St. Louis NL, 3B)
• 2002
  • Rodrigo López (Baltimore AL, P)
  • Eric Hinske (Toronto AL, 3B)
  • Jason Jennings (Colorado NL, P)
  • Brad Wilkerson (Montreal NL, OF)
• 2003
  • Rafael Soriano (Seattle AL, P)
  • Jody Gerut (Cleveland AL, OF)
  • Dontrelle Willis (Florida NL, P)
  • Scott Podsednik (Milwaukee NL, OF)
• 2004
  • Bobby Crosby (Oakland AL, SS)
  • Jason Bay (Pittsburgh Pirates NL, OF)