That’s a logical response. Unfortunately, the electronic ballot for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America doesn’t allow voters – the writers who cover the sport – to select two first-place names. Writers must rank their selections.

And because of that, we’ve heard one topic debated over and over: Who is the NL Rookie of the Year? Harris or Strider?

Harris and Strider are finalists for NL Rookie of the Year. The other is the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan. The winner will be announced Nov. 14.

Harris and Strider boast great cases to win the award, but they’re different players.

Here’s a look at the cases for each. (Note: This writer didn’t vote for this award).

The case for Michael Harris

He played every day

This is a popular talking point among voters and fans.

Unlike Strider, who is ridiculous in his own way – we’ll get to that – Harris can impact the Braves for nine innings every day. He isn’t limited to a rotation. He plays daily.

Among NL rookies with enough at-bats to qualify, Harris ranked first in batting average (.297), OPS (.853), doubles (27), home runs (19) and RBI (64). He finished second with 20 stolen bases. Oh, and he played elite defense in center field.

Some voters will take into account that Harris, because of his position, helped the Braves win every day. Fair or not, this is usually one method used to compare players for these awards.

All five tools

In an outstanding rookie campaign, Harris flashed all five tools. He hit – both for contact and power. He showcased incredible range. He displayed unreal arm strength. He stole bases.

Five-tool players are the rarest of all in this sport. Harris has the ability to be one of them throughout his MLB career.

His strikeout rate was a bit high and his walk rate a bit low, but those are fixable issues. For the most part, Harris adjusted well to the sport’s highest level.

He displayed every tool in 2022. To some voters, it may have been difficult to put him in second place.

He changed the Braves’ season

Harris and Strider share this argument in their respective cases.

Here’s how you would use it for Harris: The Braves struggled for almost two months to begin the season. They needed a spark.

Harris gave them another stud in a powerful lineup, plus an elite defender at a premium position. The Braves would not have been the same team without Harris.

Adam Duvall had season-ending wrist surgery and had not hit his stride to that point. Eddie Rosario underperformed. At times, Ronald Acuña didn’t play in the field due to various ailments.

The Braves needed Harris.

In late May, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos called up Harris, believing he would be ready to make some sort of impact. No one could’ve expected what Harris actually did, though.

The case for Spencer Strider

Historical season

Strider’s case begins with this: His rookie season is historically relevant.

In 2022, Strider reached the 200-strikeout mark in 130 innings – the fastest (by innings) a pitcher has compiled 200 strikeouts in MLB history. (Take a second to read that again).

Then there’s a franchise record: In September, Strider set an Atlanta Braves record with 16 strikeouts in a game. Of all the elite pitchers who have played for the Braves since they moved to Atlanta, Strider is the only one to achieve that.

His 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings was the highest mark by a rookie pitcher in MLB history (minimum 12 starts).

Strider went 11-5 with a 2.67 ERA. He recorded 202 strikeouts. He led rookie pitchers with 3.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.

All of that is great, but this is most impressive: Strider touched the record books during his rookie campaign.

Near the top of the sport

On the day Strider picked up his 200th strikeout, Braves outfielder Robbie Grossman chatted with Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins at first base.

Grossman asked Hoskins about Strider’s fastball.

“It’s a really good 98 (mph), 100,” Hoskins told Grossman.

Asked where he would rank Strider’s stuff versus the pitchers he had faced to that point, Harris – who might be biased – said he would put it right under Jacob deGrom.

All season, Strider befuddled hitters with an insane fastball that hits triple digits, plus a great slider. He mixed in the change-up at times.

One reason people could have voted for Strider: He isn’t simply the best rookie pitcher – he might have been one of baseball’s top arms.

Among pitchers with at least 110 innings this season, Strider’s 38.3% strikeout rate led the majors – by almost 5 percentage points. Opponents hit only .179 versus Strider, the lowest mark in baseball among pitchers who logged at least 130 innings.

Incredible addition to the rotation

A couple days after Harris debuted, Strider entered the rotation.

He, uh, might be there to stay.

The righty gave the Braves one more stud starting pitcher. Along with Max Fried and Kyle Wright, Strider provided the Braves with a terrific top three in their rotation.

Like Harris, Strider helped the Braves turn around their season. He is pure talent mixed with intelligence and work ethic.

Strider became one reason why the Braves won a fifth consecutive National League East crown.