Gunnar Henderson winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award last year felt like a formality. By the time the season ended, it was a guarantee that the Orioles rookie would take home the award — and he did so unanimously.

This year, Henderson’s teammate Colton Cowser was up for the honor, but it was expected to be a tight race for the top spot between the Orioles outfielder and New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil. And that it was, ending as one of the closest Rookie of the Year votes ever.

Cowser on Monday finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Gil, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced. Gil won 15 games and posted a 3.50 ERA for the AL champions.

Gil won the vote with 106 points to Cowser’s 101. Since the BBWAA moved to a three-player ballot in 1980, that difference marks the second-closest election for the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The only vote closer was in 2003 when Kansas City Royals shortstop Angel Berroa beat Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui, 88-84.

Cowser received 13 first-place votes, 11 second-place votes and three third-place votes. That means three voters did not have Cowser on their ballot.

The 24-year-old outfielder hit .242 with a .768 OPS while leading all AL rookies with 24 homers and being a Gold Glove finalist in left field. Had Cowser won the Rookie of the Year Award and the Gold Glove, he would have been the first player to do so in the same season since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. Cowser lost out on winning the Gold Glove Award to the Cleveland Guardians’ Steven Kwan.

Despite falling short Monday, Cowser will receive $500,000 from the pre-arbitration player bonus pool. Gil will get $750,000.

Cowser debuted in 2023 and struggled mightily, hitting .115 in 26 games before his demotion to Triple-A. He entered 2024 with a new mindset, and it allowed him to realize the potential he flashed as a top prospect after the Orioles drafted him No. 5 overall in 2021. Cowser’s 4.0 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs’ estimation, ranked second on Baltimore, while his .768 OPS was third. But his defense was perhaps the most impressive part of his rookie campaign. His 11 outs above average led all AL left fielders and was fourth among Junior Circuit outfielders.

Had Cowser earned the honor, it would have given the Orioles back-to-back winners after Henderson took home the award in 2023. It also would have netted the Orioles an extra draft pick at the end of the first round next year as part of MLB’s prospect promotion incentive program. Baltimore earned the PPI pick in the 2024 draft — the No. 32 overall selection they used to take Virginia shortstop Griff O’Ferrall — after Henderson won. The Yankees will not receive a PPI pick for Gil winning because the 26-year-old wasn’t considered a top prospect by the program’s criteria.

Cowser would have been the eighth Oriole to win the award, joining Henderson, Gregg Olson (1989), Cal Ripken Jr. (1982), Eddie Murray (1977), Al Bumbry (1973), Curt Blefary (1965) and Ron Hansen (1960).

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, a Severna Park native, finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting, losing to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes. Merrill, who received seven first-place votes to Skenes’ 23, burst onto the scene in 2024 with a .292 average and .826 OPS at just 21 years old.

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