American League Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Rodriguez, NYY
The New York Yankee third baseman was plagued by injuries much of 2011, playing in a career-low 99 games since becoming a full-time starter. After dealing with a major hip procedure prior to the start of the 2009 season, Rodriguez underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this past July, causing him to miss 38 straight games.
Upon his return on Aug. 21, Rodriguez suffered a sprained left thumb fielding a ground ball off the bat of Minnesota's Joe Mauer. The injury effected the way he swung the bat the rest of the season, batting .191 with just three home runs and ten runs batted in.
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| Rodriguez hopes to reclaim the magic of 2009. |
Not to mention his forgettable American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers.
Rodriguez hit .111 in the series, recording two hits in his 18 at-bats. He struck out six times, including ending the Yankees postseason for the second straight year with a punch-out.
The now 36-year-old slugger batted .276 last season, driving 16 out of the ballpark and 62 runs overall, ending Major League record of 13 consecutive seasons with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs. His 172 total bases, .461 slugging percentage and .823 on-base plus slugging were all career-lows with a minimum of 150 plate appearances.
After famously opting out during Game 4 of the 2007 World Series, Rodriguez re-signed with the Yankees not long after, signing the a record 10-year $275 million contract.
Since that time, Rodriguez's numbers doesn't warrant him as the highest paid player in the game. He has averaged 124 games, 27 HRs and 97 RBIs a season. And while those are may be career-years for many other players throughout Major League Baseball, they are far removed from Rodriguez's '07 and third AL Most Valuable Player Award campaign.
That year Rodriguez led the majors with a record 54 HRs for a Yankee right-handed hitter, 156 RBIs and 143 runs scored.
All signs point to an aging and declining third baseman, but don't write Rodriguez off yet.
He took Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant's advice in the offseason, seeking knee treatment in Germany. Bryant has found his second wind in his unbelievable 16-year career, leading the NBA in scoring.
Expect the same on the diamond from Rodriguez.
Notable Considerations: Carl Crawford, BOS & Kendrys Morales, LAA
In his first year as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Crawford was one of the team's biggest disappointments. Fresh off his 2010 season, that saw him win his first career Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, the former Tampa Bay Ray left fielder signed a seven-year $142 million contract in the offseason.
Crawford struggled to get a acclimated to his new surroundings, batting just .155 in the season's first month. He missed some time with a left hamstring injury, but finished the year with a .255 batting average and just 18 stolen bases.
It should be noted Crawford averaged 45 stolen bases during his nine years with Tampa Bay, leading the AL four different times.
However, despite Crawford undergoing offseason wrist surgery and expected to miss Opening Day after a recent setback, the 30-year-old's second year in Boston should be much better.
As for Morales, he hasn't seen big league action in nearly two years after breaking his leg in a celebration at home plate following his walk-off grand slam against the Seattle Mariners on May 29, 2010. Unlike Crawford, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are aiming towards Morales' return on Opening Day.
The Cuban defector will take most of his swings as the team's designated hitter with the signing of Albert Pujols and emergence of Mark Trumbo. If healthy those two players hold the key to Morales' future success, adding protection for the switch-hitter.
Others: Adam Dunn, CHW
National League Comeback Player of the Year: Jason Heyward, ATL
Heyward opened his career with a bang, homering in his first career at-bat on Opening Day 2010. He finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after batting .277 with 18 HRs and 72 RBIs and was drawing comparisons as the left-handed version of Hank Aaron.
The 22-year-old become only the second player in Major League to homer in his first career at-bat on Opening Day and then follow it up with a home run in his first at-bat the next Opening Day, joining former New York Mets infielder Kazuo Matsui.
Matsui also homered in his first at-bat on two straight Opening Days from 2004-05.
However, Heyward couldn't avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and with that came a nagging injury.
Heyward played in only 128 games last year, batting a dismal .227 with 14 HRs and just 42 RBIs. His on-base percentage dropped from .393 in his rookie season to .319.
And while a shoulder injury hampered him most of the year, Heyward's step backwards could been attributed to a lack of confidence. The smooth swinging right fielder struggled in Atlanta's '10 division series matchup with the San Francisco Giants.
He batted just .125, and those struggles could have carried over into his second year in the majors.
Sandwiched in between Dan Uggla and '11 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Freddie Freeman, Heyward has the protection he needs to succeed. Who knows, maybe we'll see a third straight Opening Day home run.
Notable Considerations: Buster Posey, SF & Jayson Werth, WAS
Posey was the one that came in a stole Heyward's '10 NL Rookie of the Year Award after batting .305, commanding an electric pitching staff and leading the Giants to an improbable NL West Division title. The San Francisco backstop would eventually help the Giants win their first World Series title since moving west.
Posey's sophomore season was cut short after a home plate collision that torn ligaments in his ankle and caused him to miss the team's final 117 games.
Prior to the injury, Posey was hitting .284 with four HRs and 21 RBIs.
And while his presence in the lineup was missed, the pitching staff missed him dearly. With his ankle processing nicely and on track to start the season with the club, Posey will return as the game's best young catcher.
In the nation's capital, Werth is coming off his first season with a new club. He shocked everyone when he signed a mega seven-year $126 million contract with the Nationals last offseason, but quickly learned what he left behind was pretty special.
Werth batted .232 for Washington, adding 20 HRs and 58 RBIs - numbers that didn't follow the ones he put up in bandbox in Philadelphia.
An All-Star and World Series champion with the Phillies, Werth played four years under Charlie Manuel, averaging 23 HRs and 75 RBIs per year. He hit .282 as a Phillie, now raising the question, was he a product of a great lineup and hitter friendly ballpark?
I don't think so.
Werth showed he can still run, stealing 19 bases after swiping just 13 the year before. He stole a career-high 20 bases in back-to-backs seasons (2008, '09) for the Phillies.
Washington continues to be one of the more spacious fields in the majors, but with the injection of youth and optimism heading into the season, Werth could actually prove his worth.
Others: Johan Santana, NYM & Adam Wainwright, STL
Notable Considerations: Carl Crawford, BOS & Kendrys Morales, LAA
In his first year as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Crawford was one of the team's biggest disappointments. Fresh off his 2010 season, that saw him win his first career Gold Glove and Silver Slugger, the former Tampa Bay Ray left fielder signed a seven-year $142 million contract in the offseason.
Crawford struggled to get a acclimated to his new surroundings, batting just .155 in the season's first month. He missed some time with a left hamstring injury, but finished the year with a .255 batting average and just 18 stolen bases.
It should be noted Crawford averaged 45 stolen bases during his nine years with Tampa Bay, leading the AL four different times.
However, despite Crawford undergoing offseason wrist surgery and expected to miss Opening Day after a recent setback, the 30-year-old's second year in Boston should be much better.
As for Morales, he hasn't seen big league action in nearly two years after breaking his leg in a celebration at home plate following his walk-off grand slam against the Seattle Mariners on May 29, 2010. Unlike Crawford, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are aiming towards Morales' return on Opening Day.
The Cuban defector will take most of his swings as the team's designated hitter with the signing of Albert Pujols and emergence of Mark Trumbo. If healthy those two players hold the key to Morales' future success, adding protection for the switch-hitter.
Others: Adam Dunn, CHW
National League Comeback Player of the Year: Jason Heyward, ATL
Heyward opened his career with a bang, homering in his first career at-bat on Opening Day 2010. He finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after batting .277 with 18 HRs and 72 RBIs and was drawing comparisons as the left-handed version of Hank Aaron.
The 22-year-old become only the second player in Major League to homer in his first career at-bat on Opening Day and then follow it up with a home run in his first at-bat the next Opening Day, joining former New York Mets infielder Kazuo Matsui.
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| Heyward looks to continue his promising career in 2012. |
However, Heyward couldn't avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and with that came a nagging injury.
Heyward played in only 128 games last year, batting a dismal .227 with 14 HRs and just 42 RBIs. His on-base percentage dropped from .393 in his rookie season to .319.
And while a shoulder injury hampered him most of the year, Heyward's step backwards could been attributed to a lack of confidence. The smooth swinging right fielder struggled in Atlanta's '10 division series matchup with the San Francisco Giants.
He batted just .125, and those struggles could have carried over into his second year in the majors.
Sandwiched in between Dan Uggla and '11 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, Freddie Freeman, Heyward has the protection he needs to succeed. Who knows, maybe we'll see a third straight Opening Day home run.
Notable Considerations: Buster Posey, SF & Jayson Werth, WAS
Posey was the one that came in a stole Heyward's '10 NL Rookie of the Year Award after batting .305, commanding an electric pitching staff and leading the Giants to an improbable NL West Division title. The San Francisco backstop would eventually help the Giants win their first World Series title since moving west.
Posey's sophomore season was cut short after a home plate collision that torn ligaments in his ankle and caused him to miss the team's final 117 games.
Prior to the injury, Posey was hitting .284 with four HRs and 21 RBIs.
And while his presence in the lineup was missed, the pitching staff missed him dearly. With his ankle processing nicely and on track to start the season with the club, Posey will return as the game's best young catcher.
In the nation's capital, Werth is coming off his first season with a new club. He shocked everyone when he signed a mega seven-year $126 million contract with the Nationals last offseason, but quickly learned what he left behind was pretty special.
Werth batted .232 for Washington, adding 20 HRs and 58 RBIs - numbers that didn't follow the ones he put up in bandbox in Philadelphia.
An All-Star and World Series champion with the Phillies, Werth played four years under Charlie Manuel, averaging 23 HRs and 75 RBIs per year. He hit .282 as a Phillie, now raising the question, was he a product of a great lineup and hitter friendly ballpark?
I don't think so.
Werth showed he can still run, stealing 19 bases after swiping just 13 the year before. He stole a career-high 20 bases in back-to-backs seasons (2008, '09) for the Phillies.
Washington continues to be one of the more spacious fields in the majors, but with the injection of youth and optimism heading into the season, Werth could actually prove his worth.
Others: Johan Santana, NYM & Adam Wainwright, STL
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