Tigers catcher/outfielder Eric Haase and Reds second baseman Jonathan India were named the Rookies of the Month for July on Monday.
Prior to Monday, Detroit hadn’t had a Rookie of the Month Award winner in more than a decade — Brennan Boesch in May and June of 2010 was the last Tigers rookie to win the award.
Haase earned American League honors after hitting .265 with nine homers, 29 RBIs and a .945 OPS over 23 games in July.
The 28-year-old has broken out this season, 10 years after being selected in the seventh round of the 2011 MLB Draft by Cleveland. The Michigan native had cups of coffee in the Majors in each of the past three years before becoming a fixture in Detroit’s lineup this year.
India’s road to regular playing time in MLB wasn’t nearly as lengthy, as he was selected fifth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft and became the Reds’ starting second baseman to open this season.
The 24-year-old has gotten stronger every month this year. His National League Rookie of the Month Award-winning performance in July included a .319/.470/.527 slash line with four homers and 12 RBIs over 25 games. He’s the first Reds player to win NL Rookie of the Month honors since Aristides Aquino in August 2019.