Season Preview: Comeback Player of the Year

Health and productivity continue to be the keys to success in a grueling 162 game regular season. Many found themselves battling both a year ago, but will look to bounce back in 2012 and return to form.

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.

Rodriguez hopes to reclaim the
magic of 2009.

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.

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.

Heyward looks to continue his
promising career in 2012.

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

And the Award Goes To: American League Predictions

The 2011 Major League Baseball season saw so many great players elevate their game to the next level, making handing out this year's major awards all the more difficult.

American League Most Valuable Player: Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS
In what should be one of the closest votes in the Award's eighty-year history, Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury should be this year's AL MVP. After missing most of the 2010 season due to an injury and playing only in 18 games, Ellsbury came back with vengeance. The 28-year-old outfielder not only became the most productive and best all around player in the Boston lineup, but one of the best in majors.

Ellsbury turned into a superstar center fielder
 in 2011.

Playing his usual Gold Glove caliber defense, Ellsbury's bat swung to new heights. The speedy leadoff hitter turned into a prolific power threat, hitting a career-high 32 home runs, nearly quadrupling his previous career high. Prior to the '11 season, Ellsbury had only totaled as many as 9 home runs in a single-season, that coming back in 2008.

In only 349 career games before '11, Ellsbury had only hit 20 career home runs, a number he nearly doubled this season.

To go along with his power, the center fielder lead the majors in total bases (364) and extra-base hits (83). He also was in the top five in hits (212), doubles (46) and runs (119). Not to mention the fact Ellsbury climbed into the top ten in RBIs (105), steals (39), average (.321), slugging percentage (.552) and on-base plus slugging (.928).

Ellsbury looked to be the clear cut favorite for this year's honor after it was a toss up most of the season, that was until his team took a nose dive in the season's final month. The Red Sox completed the worst September collapse in baseball history, blowing a nine-game wild card lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, missing the postseason for the second straight season. Despite his Sox finishing 7-20 record in September and completely floundering, Ellsbury flourished in the season's final weeks.

He hit .358 in September with 8 home runs and 21 RBIs, three of those home runs coming in a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, Sept. 26. He also recorded 43 hits that month, the most he had recorded of any month during the season.

There has been much speculation that Detroit's Justin Verlander, who is the favorite to win his first Cy Young Award, might become the 11th pitcher in major league history to win both the MVP and Cy Young in the same season. No pitcher has accomplished that feat since Oakland Athletics' closer, Dennis Eckersley, took home both honors in 1992 and don't expect it too happen again anytime soon.

Verlander started 34 game for the Tigers this season, which means he only had a hand in 34 of the 162 games Detroit played in during the regular season. There's no question if you take away Verlander's 24 wins from the Tigers' 95, they are not a playoff team. However, how can a pitcher be more valuable to a team than an everyday player, such as Miguel Cabrera, who won the AL batting title at a .344 clip, or Victor Martinez, who led the majors with a .394 average with RISP.

How can a player be deemed the most valuable player in the AL, if he might not be the most valuable to his team?

Toronto's Jose Bautista put together a case of his own after leading the majors in home runs (43) for the second straight year, also leading in slugging percentage (.608), on-base plus slugging (1.056) and base-on-balls (138). New York's Curtis Granderson and Boston's Adrian Gonzalez also put up fantastic campaigns, but don't edge out Ellsbury. Despite Granderson hitting a career-high 41 home runs, driving in an AL best 119 runs and leading the majors in runs scored with 136, his .262 average and opportunity to hit in arguably the best lineup in baseball hurts his chances.

With his 32 home runs and 39 stolen bases, Ellsbury joined the 30-30 club this season and was honored with the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award Thursday. He could add another trophy to his rapidly growing cabinet when the AL MVP is announced Monday, Nov. 21.

American League Cy Young: Justin Verlander, DET
There have been a total of 21 unanimous Cy Young Award winners since the award's inception in 1956, 13 from the National League and 8 from the American League. The last pitcher to win the award unanimously in either league came as recent as last year when Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay won in his first year in the National League. He also become the fifth pitcher in major league history to win the award both in the AL and NL.

Detroit's Justin Verlander should become the 22nd pitcher in baseball history to be named the Cy Young Award winner unanimously. The four-time All-Star went 24-5 for Jim Leyland's Tigers and tossed his second career no-hitter in '11. Verlander is the first pitcher to win 24 games in a single-season since five-time Cy Young Award winner, Randy Johnson, won 24 back in 2002 while pitching for the then-defending World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks and went on to win what would be his final Cy Young.

Verlander drenched by his teammates after
his no-hitter May 3 in Toronto.

Verlander started the off rather slow, going 2-3 in his first 7 starts, but after throwing his no-hitter on May 7 against the Blue Jays, the right-hander went 22-2 in his final 27 starts of the season and almost inevitably ensuring his first career Cy Young.

Along with his major league best 24 wins, the Tiger's ace lead the AL in strikeouts (250) and ERA (2.40), winning the AL pitching Triple Crown. All that being said many believe Verlander is the front-runner to also come away with the AL MVP honors as well, but that simply should not be the case.

Not even the spectacular season of that Verlander put together deserves that honor. Johnson's '02 season couldn't even capture him both honors and believe it or not his numbers were even better than Verlander's. That season to go along with his 24-5 record, Johnson threw 260 innings, the second most of his career, and posted a career-low 2.32 ERA. He led the majors in strikeouts with 334 and tossed 8 complete games, four of those were shutouts.

Not to mention the fact Johnson pitched in the midst of the steroid era while playing in the same league as slugger Barry Bonds, who was fresh off his record-breaking 73 home run season.

Compare those to Verlander's '11 numbers, that also consisted of 251 innings with 4 complete games and 2 shutouts. Johnson would not finish the top five in the NL MVP voting, finishing seventh, that season.

There is no question Verlander should this year's unanimous selection for the AL Cy Young, but as for  the MVP, not so much.

American League Rookie of the Year: Jeremy Hellickson, TB
In another tough decision, the Rays Jeremy Hellickson seemed to stand out the most of any other first-year AL player. Hellickson helped orchestrate Tampa Bay's improbable September comeback, going 13-10 with a 2.95 ERA in his 29 starts this season. The rookie right-hander got his first taste of the big leagues last season, tossing 36.1 innings in 4 starts and 10 total appearances.

Still eligible for the award, Hellickson could be the second Rays player to win the honor in the last four years. All-Star Evan Longoria was the first, being named the AL ROY in 2008.

Hellickson was among not only one of the best
rookie pitchers, but best in the majors
in '11.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Mark Trumbo was a close second. The 25-year-old slugger batted .254, but his pop and overwhelming offensive contributions are what drove this Angels offense most of the regular season.

Trumbo's 29 home runs and 87 RBIs led the team, becoming the first rookie in franchise history to lead in both those categories.

The Anaheim native also came two home runs shy of tying Tim Salmon's rookie franchise record of 31 set back in 1993. Trumbo also added two crucial walk-off home runs during the season to keep Los Angeles in contention. Without the welcoming surprise of his bat, the Angels could have been playing meaningless games as early as July.

New York's Ivan Nova also gave a later surge, winning 16 games and posting a 3.70 ERA. If not for being sent down in early July to make room for Phil Hughes in the rotation, Nova might have won a lot more games. That being said, his ERA was a bit high and benefited from some of the best run support in the majors.

Another one of Joe Maddon's rookies burst onto the scene and played a pivotal part to their late season surge. Desmond Jennings played in only 63 games this season, but filled in nicely for the departed Carl Crawford. Jennings hit .259 with 10 home runs and stole 20 bases for the Rays and if he would have been called up sooner, we might be talking about him instead of his fellow teammate.

Despite Hellickson having a record hovering around .500, the right-hander saw his offense average only 6.43 runs per game in his starts. That's nothing compared to Nova's 8.82 per game which was second in the majors.

American League Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, TB
Three months ago if you would have said the Tampa Bay Rays were headed to the postseason, you would have been called crazy. Manager Joe Maddon didn't think so, with his unorthodox methods and never say die attitude, he lead his team to their second straight playoff appearance and third in four years.

Nine games back of the wild card as late as Sept. 3, the Rays came all the way back and capped off their magical run with an unbelievable walk-off win in the final game of the regular season that launched them into the postseason. Maddon was the architect of this club and with the departures Crawford, Carlos Pena, Rafael Soriano, and Joaquin Benoit, he saw his team win 91 games, good enough for second in the AL East, after they were pronounced dead before the season even started.

Maddon never let his team quit and the
end result was a wild card berth.

Cleveland's Manny Acta had the Indians in first-place most of the first half, but the Tribe trailed off after the All-Star break and settled for second in the division at 80-82, 15 games behind the AL Central champion Tigers.

Mike Scioscia kept the Angels in contention most of the season and may be the best manager he baseball when it comes to getting the most out of his players.

Maddon, who at one time was Scioscia's bench coach, is a close second in that regard, but should be this year's AL Manager of the Year.

On Their Way Back

Kotchman Making The Most Of An Opportunity

It looks like Kotchman may have found a
home in Tampa Bay.

With the departures of Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Rafael Soraino this offseason many believed the defending American League East champion Tampa Bay Rays would take a step back in 2011.


And while they have done just that, they've still exceeded many expectations with a surprising supporting cast.

First basemen Casey Kotchman is no longer a feel good story around the majors, but a prime candidate for the AL Comeback Player of the Year.

In Tampa's 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals Monday, Kotchman put this stamp on the game once again. With the Rays trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning the eight-year veteran singled home Ben Zobrist for the game-tying run. Then in the ninth he launched the first pitch he saw from reliever Blake Wood over the center field wall for his his career walk-off home run. It was his seventh home run on the year.

Kotchman finished the game 3-4 and could have just as easily had a four hit game if not for an outstanding play by Royals' rookie second baseman Johnny Giavotella. With those three hits Kotchman raised his season average to .341, trailing only Boston's Adrian Gonzalez not only for the American League lead, but throughout the majors as well.

Along with his bat, the twenty-eight-year-old has wowed many with his glove this season, making only 1 error in 754 chances, accumulating to an AL best .999 fielding percentage among first basemen.

The Gold Glove caliber first baseman's story is similar to that of the first baseman he replaced. Pena, who won his first and only Gold Glove in 2008 with the Rays, called Tampa his home the past four seasons before signing a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs this offseason.

Pena signed with the Rays following the 2006 season after limited playing time in Boston, joining his fifth team in seven years. His first year in Tampa, Pena hit career-high 46 home runs, finished ninth in the MVP voting, and captured his first career Silver Slugger, launching his career in the right direction.

The same now could be said for Kotchman.

Pena helped lead the Rays to their first
World Series appearance back in '08.

In January, the Rays signed Kotchman to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league camp, rejoining former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon, hoping a change in scenery could ignite a spark. Kotchman was coming off a season where he batted .217 in 125 games with the last-place Seattle Mariners and his career at a crossroad.

Kotchman was originally drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the first-round of the 2001 amateur draft, becoming a fixture and fan favorite in Southern California upon making his debut in 2004. In 2008, the Angels, in a debatable move, shocked many by trading Kotchman at the trading deadline to the Atlanta Braves for fellow first baseman and All-Star Mark Teixeira.

Kotchman had been having arguably the best season of his career batting .287 with 12 home runs in the teams' first 100 games, but was seen as expendable with a player of Teixeira's caliber on the market.

The former Angel struggled to get comfortable in the National League batting only .237 the rest of the way. Tampa Bay is now Kotchman's fifth major league team and might just be the one that saves his once highly touted career.

The St. Peterburgs native has returned to where it all began, proving once again there's no place like home.