TORONTO -- Sebastian Giovinco has scored prettier goals but his April 4 strike against the Chicago Fire, his first in Major League Soccer, offered a glimpse of what lay ahead.

The goal capped a slick 17-pass sequence for TFC that criss-crossed the field before the Italian international forward poked a shot through the legs of a defender and beat goalkeeper Jon Busch, who was going the wrong way.

His last goal of the season, Oct. 14 in a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls, assured Toronto of its first ever playoff berth. Giovinco left at least four Red Bull players twisting in his tracks before banging a left-footed shot past Luis Robles, the MLS goalkeeper of the year.

In between, Giovinco scored 20 more times in a spectacular rookie season in North America, elevating his own team while tormenting opposition defenders. The 28-year-old Italian known as the Atomic Ant was rewarded Monday when he was named Major League Soccer's Newcomer of the Year by a huge margin.

The honor added to an already impressive 2015 trophy haul.

Giovinco won the league's Golden Boot award as the league's top scorer and is a leading candidate for MVP, due to be announced Dec. 2. Giovinco is up against midfielder Benny Feilhaber of Sporting Kansas City and forward Kei Kamara of Columbus Crew SC for the MVP trophy named after Landon Donovan.

Two of Giovinco's goals are among the top eight in voting for the AT&T Goal of the Year, which is decided by a vote on MLSsoccer.com.

Giovinco proved he could score from almost anywhere this season. His goals came from free kicks, long-range rockets or precise shots from within the penalty box. He even scored from the byline, swerving the ball off his foot.

He danced between bigger defenders, often making them look like plow horses.

The Italian was originally slated to arrive mid-season but ended up landing in time for the opening kickoff. He recorded an assist in the season opener and scored his first goal in his fourth outing.

GM Tim Bezbatchenko said he expected class from Giovinco but thought it might take time to show it given the transition to North America.

"Seba came and right from the start showed that he had some flair and a knack for the spectacular," Bezbatchenko said Monday during a scouting trip to Europe. "I'm not surprised he got the goals but I am surprised at the quality of the goals. I mean they truly are world-class goals, a number of them, not just one or two."

Bezbatchenko also pointed to the "moments" the elusive Italian created on the pitch,

"This game is about moments and he made some special moments for our team this year."

The five-foot-four forward, who was ineligible for rookie of the year consideration because of his previous pro experience in Europe, was a runaway winner as top newcomer.

Giovinco got 67.27 per cent of voting by MLS club management, 83.1 from media, and 57.39 from MLS players for a weighted total of 207.76.

Montreal striker Didier Drogba was second at 31.55 (14.55, 5.63 and 11.37 ) and Mike Grella of the New York Red Bulls third at 13.84 (3.64, 2.82 and 7.38).

It's the second year in a row that the newcomer award has gone to a Canadian-based player. Pedro Morales of the Vancouver Whitecaps won in 2014.

Giovinco set an MLS single-season record for most combined goals and assists (38). He was directly involved in 66 per cent of Toronto's 58 goals.

He was also involved in two or more goals in 12 games during the 2015 regular season, the most of any player in MLS history. And he is the first player in league history to record 20-plus goals and 10-plus assists in a single season.

He has single-handedly rewritten the TFC record book.