Aikens could almost be considered straight up “missing” for the 1978 set, as he played in 42 games for the California Angels in 1977, hitting .198 with 18 hits over 91 at-bats.
He’d spend all of 1978 in the Minors before coming back for good in 1979, putting in a very nice rookie year when he hit 21 homers with a .280 batting average and 81 runs batted in in only 116 games.
Strange that the AL Rookie of the year Award went to co-winners Alfredo Griffin and John Castino, as Aikens would have been my pick.
Nevertheless, Aikens played for eight seasons in the Big leagues, hitting 110 homers and driving in 415 runs for the Angels, Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue jays between 1977 and 1985.
Of course, the highlight of his career would have to be the 1980 World Series when he tried his best to help the Royals win the title, though falling to the Philadelphia Phillies, when he hit an even .400 over six games with four homers and eight RBIs.
Certainly, if the Royals pulled it out, he would have been the Series MVP.
He would go on to play in Mexico for another six seasons before his pro career was done, playing to the age of 36 in 1991.