Last 3 NL ROY: Who is better?

The Rookie of the Year award has been a fairly solid indicator of who the top players in the league will be. From Albert Pujols in 2001 to Ryan Howard in 2005, almost every player to receive the honor has gone on to All-Star status. Let's take a look at the past three rookies and decide who is better of the three.

2007: Ryan Braun, Brewers

Ryan Braun came up a month late to hit .324 with 34 home runs in 113 games. The Brewers will thrilled to add him to the fold that already included slugger Prince Fielder and a formidable shortstop in J.J. Hardy. Since then, he has hit .297 (including 2010), with 90 home runs, but he has averaged about 30 home runs in his first three seasons.  

The switch to left field was a great decision by the Brewers, and it has certainly paid off for Braun. He is one the best hitters in the NL, but he may be on his own if the Brewers decide to unload Fielder this month or in the offseason. 

2008: Geovany Soto, Cubs

Soto received a lot of attention at the end of the 2007 season when he hit .389 in the final 18 games of the season to essentially win over the catching position for the 2008 season. He continued right where he left off to hit .285 with 23 home runs in 141 games, exciting Cubs fans who had been looking for a reliable catcher since the departure of Michael Barrett. 

Soto struggled in 2009 to hit a disappointing .218, but the Cubs have not given up faith. So far this season, Soto is hitting .282 with 10 home runs and an impressive .405 on-base percentage. 

2009: Chris Coghlan, Marlins

After hitting his way out of the minor leagues, Coghlan continued his impressive run with the Marlins to win a roster spot and garner national attention for his impressive play. He hit .321 in 128 games with 9 home runs, but showed off his solid fielding and hustle by scoring 84 runs and hitting 37 extra-base hits. 

This season, Coghlan got off to a slow start but hit .377 in June with a .463 on-base percentage. He is posting his lowest monthly totals of the season in July, but he hit .372 in the second half last season and the team hopes he can go on a similar run to end the season. 

2010 Candidates

Buster Posey, Giants

Stephen Strasburg, Nationals

Tyler Colvin, Cubs