A-Rod and Harvey among Comeback Player of the Year candidates
Alex Rodriguez and Matt Harvey are among the leading candidates for the 2015 Comeback Player of the Year awards.
By
Mike Axisa
•
3 min read
All week we've been taking one last look at the baseball's major award races for the 2015 season. On Monday we tackled Manager of the Year (AL | NL), on Tuesday it was Rookie of the Year (AL | NL), Wednesday it was the Cy Young award (AL | NL), and on Thursday we covered the MVP (AL | NL).
Now it's time to look at one final award: the Comeback Player of the Year. There is one for each league and it is voted on by the media. There used to be a fan vote, but not any longer. The award goes to the player who has "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season" and come back from either injury or personal problems. Casey McGehee and the pitcher Chris Young were named the Comeback Players of the Year in 2014.
Here are the four main candidates for each league's Comeback Player of the Year award this season. If you feel another player deserves the award, or at least deserves to be mentioned as a candidate, please, tell us about it in the comments or on Twitter at @CBSSportsMLB. Players are listed alphabetically.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Prince Fielder, Rangers: Neck surgery limited Fielder to only 42 games last season, during which he hit .247/.360/.360 (102 OPS+) with three home runs, 16 RBI and -0.2 WAR. Prince is healthy and back with a vengeance in 2015, hitting .313/.383/.475 (131 OPS+) with 21 home runs, 83 RBI and 2.1 WAR. He has played in 142 of the team's 146 games.
Ryan Madson, Royals: Guys like Madson are the reason the Comeback Player of the Year award was created. Madson returned to the big leagues this season after missing the 2012-14 seasons due to Tommy John surgery, setbacks and complications. He has a 2.40 ERA (172 ERA+) with a 0.98 WHIP, 53 strikeouts, 12 walks and 1.2 WAR in 56 1/3 relief innings in 2015. Remarkable comeback story.
Kendrys Morales, Royals: Unlike Fielder and Madson, Morales did not deal with injury in 2014. He signed late and simply didn't hit, putting up a .218/.274/.338 (75 OPS+) batting line with eight home runs, 42 RBI and -1.0 WAR in 98 games for the Twins and Mariners. This season Morales has bounced back with the Royals, and is hitting .290/.352/.465 (122 OPS+) with 17 home runs, 101 RBI and 1.8 WAR in 145 games.
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: A-Rod missed the entire 2014 season after being suspended for ties to performance-enhancing drugs and Biogenesis, though there is precedent for a player with PED ties winning the Comeback Player of the Year award. Jason Giambi won the award in 2005 after being caught up in the BALCO scandal earlier that year. Rodriguez is hitting .255/.357/.502 (135 OPS+) with 32 home runs, 83 RBI and 3.1 WAR this season. He was also limited to 44 games in 2013 following hip surgery.
Other Candidates: Chris Davis, Orioles; Jose Iglesias, Tigers; Jason Kipnis, Indians
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Brett Anderson, Dodgers: Injuries limited Anderson to 43 1/3 innings in 2014 and 206 1/3 innings from 2011-14 combined. He has stayed healthy this season and pitched to a 3.35 ERA (112 ERA+) with a 1.31 WHIP, 111 strikeouts, 44 walks and 2.0 WAR in 28 starts and 164 innings for Los Angeles. Anderson also has a 66.5 percent ground ball rate, highest in baseball by 4.8 points.
Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies: Knee and finger problems limited CarGo to 70 games last summer, during which he hit .238/.292/.431 (89 OPS+) with 11 home runs, 38 RBI and -0.7 WAR. Gonzalez has stayed healthy this year -- his 138 games played are the second most of his career and most since he played 145 in 2010 -- and produced a .265/.322/.540 (115 OPS+) batting line with 37 homers, 88 RBI and 3.2 WAR. A whopping 24 of those home runs have come since the All-Star break.
Matt Harvey, Mets: Our unanimous preseason pick in the NL has done nothing to change anyone's mind this season. Harvey has a 2.88 ERA (130 ERA+) with a 1.03 WHIP, 164 strikeouts, 36 walks and 3.6 WAR in 171 2/3 innings across 26 starts this his. He, of course, missed the entire 2014 season following Tommy John surgery. Innings limit or no innings limit, Harvey's been excellent in his first year with his new elbow ligament.
Joey Votto, Reds: A quad injury sabotaged Votto's 2014 season, limiting him to 62 games, during which he hit .255/.390/.409 (126 OPS+) with six home runs, 23 RBI and 1.9 WAR. Votto has stayed healthy this season and has performed like vintage Votto, hitting .313/.460/.551 (176 OPS+) with 27 home runs, 73 RBI and 6.9 WAR in 143 games. His second half has been unreal: .374/.558/.665 (233 OPS+) in 58 games.
Other Candidates: Ryan Braun, Brewers; Andre Ethier, Dodgers; Jaime Garcia, Cardinals
