WAR won't reflect this sentiment, but I think JP Arencibia had a more valuable season than Mark Trumbo.

Not that it matters, but the AL decision is horrible. Hellickson was pretty clearly the ROY. Trumbo wasn't even close. Trumbo was not even the best rookie 1Bman (Hosmer). Still, he hit HRs which is what the voters still love. It doesn't matter in terms of the award, but for best bet to have great careers, there are about ten rookies I'd take ahead of Trumbo. (Hellickson, Pineda, Lawrie, Hosmer, Jennings, Moore, Montero, Arencibia, Ackley, maybe others)

WAR says that Brett Lawrie contributed the most of any position player in the AL, with Ackley and Jennings close behind.  Those were the best of the position players (by quite a distance), but they all played about half a season or less, and answering the question about who had the best season is difficult for that reason.  As for the starting pitchers, it is pretty difficult.  My gut tells me that it was Pineda.  Pineda got a boost from the park, while Hellickson got a boost both from the park and the very fine Rays defence. 

Trumbo might very well not even be their starter next year - Morales is a considerably better hitter.

(and if they are fool enough to do it - I'd take him off their hands pretty quick)

Well, we are talking about the same organization that continually starts Matheson.

*Mathis, sorry for double post.

What a game last night!.... 

My gut tells me that it was Pineda.

He probably has the brightest future, but Nova was better than Pineda in 2011. And Hellickson was better than both, of course, and would have received my vote. But I warned you that Trumbo would do well in the voting!

This is not the official MLB award, right? This is just the Sporting News take on it?

The Nova/Hellickson/Pineda comparison is not simply about comparing ERA+ (with all three pitching about the same number of innings), and W/L has nothing to do with it.  The Yankees and Rays had good defences, while the Mariners had a poor one.  If pushed to the wall, I'll admit that Hellickson probably had a somewhat better season than Pineda, but when a pitcher strikes out less than 6 per 9 innings and has an opposition BABIP of .223 (as Hellickson did), I can't take the ERA+ that seriously.  Mind you, Hellickson pitched great in 2010 and had a higher ERA.  He has a good chance to be a great pitcher, but he is not likely to do it pitching as he did in 2011. 

Jpnny, correct.

The Nova/Hellickson/Pineda comparison is not simply about comparing ERA+

I like Nova's actual ERA, in that ball park! And I don't care too much about BABiP when you're assessing how effective the guy just was. It's extremely relevant if you're wondering how good he'll be going forward. But for the year just past... I'd much rather have had the guy with the good luck!

I agree about the Yankees defense - it's very good, and it's interesting to ponder how that came to pass. I'm pretty sure no one thinks very highly of some very key parts of that defense. I would certainly think that having the best left fielder in the game wouldn't be enough to make up for the senior citizens in the infield.

I must admit, I like Nova quite a bit. He actually reminds me a little of Pat Hentgen. His stuff is pretty good but not all that great - still, he attacks hitters with absolute confidence in it. He pitches bigger and tougher than he really is. Hentgen was like that...

It's a good thing the Yankees decided to send him down for a month (after he'd gone 4-0, 3.41 in his previous five starts.) He would have had a real chance at winning 20 games otherwise, and I believe only one rookie's done that in the last 50 years.

I must admit, I like Nova quite a bit. He actually reminds me a little of Pat Hentgen

Co-sign.

So, for fun, I checked BBRefs comps for each of them.  Nova's were, unsurprisingly, totally mundane, with a career  ERA+ of 99 and 1000 innings.  Top matches included William Van Landingham (remember him?) and Anibal Sanchez.  Jeremy Hellickson's were surprisingly poor  for a pitcher with a career ERA+ of 123.  The top names were Doc Medich, Rich Gale, Pedro Astacio and Joey Hamilton.  On the other hand, Pineda's were awesome.  The three closest comparables (according to BBRef, caveat emptor) were Beckett, Halladay and Black Jack McDowell, and five of them (the above three plus Daryl Kile and Bill Monbouqette) went on to have good careers. 

This does not, of course, have anything to do with which player had the best rookie season.