Major League Baseball conducted its 2024 awards show on Thursday evening. MLB revealed a host of honors, most notably Comeback Player of the Year and the Hank Aaron Award winners. The top honors from the Baseball Writers Association of America — the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year awards — will wait until next week.
Braves lefty Chris Sale and White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet were named Comeback Players of the Year. Sale rebounded from a middling final season in Boston in which he was limited to a 4.30 ERA in 20 starts. He starred for Atlanta, turning in an MLB-best 2.38 ERA across 177 2/3 innings. He’s favored to win his first Cy Young next week.
Crochet, who was limited to 12 2/3 innings of relief by elbow and shoulder problems in 2023, was one of the game’s biggest breakout performers. The former first-rounder moved into Chicago’s rotation and turned in a 3.58 ERA over 32 starts. While the Sox eased his workload late in the season, he managed 209 strikeouts across 146 innings. Crochet is the top pitcher known to be available on the offseason trade market.
Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani were named the respective winners of the AL and NL Hank Aaron award, given to each league’s best offensive player. Ohtani also picked up the Edgar Martinez award as MLB’s best designated hitter. Guardians star Emmanuel Clase and Cardinals fireballer Ryan Helsley won the respective Reliever of the Year honors in each league. Much like Crochet, Helsley is one of the winter’s top trade candidates.
MLB also announced its 1st and 2nd teams. Those are not league specific and are designed to honor the best player at each position. Those are as follows:
1st Team
- Catcher: William Contreras, Brewers
- First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
- Second Base: Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks
- Third Base: José Ramírez, Guardians
- Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
- Outfield: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
- Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees
- Outfield: Juan Soto, Yankees
- Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
- Starting Pitcher: Corbin Burnes, Orioles
- Starting Pitcher: Chris Sale, Braves
- Starting Pitcher: Paul Skenes, Pirates
- Starting Pitcher: Tarik Skubal, Tigers
- Starting Pitcher: Zack Wheeler, Phillies
- Relief Pitcher: Emmanuel Clase, Guardians
- Relief Pitcher: Ryan Helsley, Cardinals
2nd Team
- Catcher: Salvador Perez, Royals
- First Base: Bryce Harper, Phillies
- Second Base: Jose Altuve, Astros
- Third Base: Manny Machado, Padres
- Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, Mets
- Outfield: Jarren Duran, Red Sox
- Outfield: Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers
- Outfield: Jackson Merrill, Padres
- Designated Hitter: Yordan Alvarez, Astros
- Starting Pitcher: Dylan Cease, Padres
- Starting Pitcher: Shota Imanaga, Cubs
- Starting Pitcher: Michael King, Padres
- Starting Pitcher: Seth Lugo, Royals
- Starting Pitcher: Framber Valdez, Astros
- Relief Pitcher: Mason Miller, Athletics
- Relief Pitcher: Kirby Yates, Rangers
In your face, Red Sox!!
Crochet is almost guaranteed to get traded. All the talk about Helsley is pure speculation. I don’t care how many times this site says so it’s not likely to happen.
And why is Helsley not going to happen? The Cardinals are shedding payroll and his approximate 7MM $ salary are very likely to go!!
The Cardinals already shed payroll by declining the options on Gibson and Lynn while moving Contreras to 1b which means Goldschmidt is moving on. That’s almost 50 million dollars in those 3 players alone. Middleton another 5 million he’s gone. This idea that the Cardinals need to sell off the entire team is nonsense.
As is the idea that they should hold onto anyone without a ton of team control when it could improve their roster.
Whether or not Cards fans want to admit their roster needs some revamping. People might not like hearing “rebuild” and it might be easier for them to hear “revamp”. But in order for the Cards to get back to being true contenders every year improving the team with an eye on the future should be the focus.
Sure they could take a lighter approach spend on expensive Vets and possibly have a shot at a Wild Card run, but that is just a path to continued mediocrity. It is cycle nearly all times have to go through. Cards have done well at avoiding this for a long time which was impressive. That time seems to have passed though.
If a team intends to revamp or rebuild, the immediate priority is not contending the following season. The last thing such a team needs is an elite closer with one season remaining on his contract. That’s why Helsley should be traded — to help the Cardinals with their revamp/rebuild.
Nobody said rebuild. Nobody said that. Nobody said contending wasn’t a priority.
The nice thing here is we will see what happens. This site had 7 Cardinals in their top 35 trade candidates list. I bet no more than 1 gets dealt. We will see.
Wow pretty surprised to see JoRam on here. Yes his power dipped a bit in 2023 but he still hit 24 HRs tho with little lineup protection and played to the tune of 5.1 WAR.
Sale very deserving of this honor for NL.
Jose put up a 40/40 this year…
Yes he had an amazing year. He became my favorite player when he took less to stay with CLE. Although I believe he sold himself short and just lined pockets of owners, I still respect the meaning of what he did.
I’m just shocked because although he had an amazing 2024 I have to assume they re looking at 2023 in a negative light. Which he still had a pretty good season in 2023. So I just found his name as a surprise here. I expected it to just be a matter if he’s 3rd in MVP voting to Judge and Witt or where he lands there in regards to 2024.
Tigers: Confusing.
Maybe I’m being overy critical here. Just view this as kind of a slight to JoRam. For a player such as Sale I can see how this would be an honor due to the path that led to his 2024 resurgence. In JoRam’s case I just don’t see any similar path, he’s been beast for years, some better than others but never truly dropped off.
Tiger, the 1st and 2nd teams are all MLB Team squads. Completely separate from the comeback player of the year awards that sale and crochet won. The 1st and 2nd are for who’s considered to had the best year
Ah got yah. Makes much more sense. I scanned over article oppos we d to viewing, misinterpreted since I was lazy.
On a positive note tho well deserved foe JoRam. And I believe I was responded to u as well about Teo on same topic. With ot appearing as OFs being lumped together collectively I ve gotta agree, seems like someone should ve been more deserving than Teo for 2nd team.
No, the 1st and 2nd Teams are simply the best players at each position this year. They have nothing to do with the Comeback awards
Skull made the list for the Tigers because he’d led the majors in wins(18) and strike outs(228), also led the AL in 5 other categories!!
@Hank Yeah I see my mishap now. I read the headline and just kind of scanned over the article. In hindsight don’t think they ve ever listed a by position all comeback team. I messed up and deserved to as I’m often critical of others passing judgment by a headline and there I go and do so myself.
No, it was only 39 homers
Oh no. In a sport over 150 years old the Red Sox had a few things backfire. Nothing compared to the horror of the 1918 off-season. Bring it on.
Crochet doesn’t really seem like a “Comeback Player of the Year” type because he didn’t really do much before this year. Can you really come back if you haven’t ever gone anywhere. I could see him being named “Breakout Star of the Year” or something, but not Comeback Player.
How did Teo make the list? Had to be someone out there with better numbers. Maybe nobody played enough to qualify?
I’d think others qualified. Statistically maybe hard to find someone noteworthy. Teo’s did rebound nicely from the 2023 dip they took in SEA. But I agree doesn’t really seem to fit here to me either.
He’s 15ish in fangraphs WAR for OF, including Mookie as he was on 1st team. If Mook was considered an OF, he played more SS this year, than I’m not sure what the qualifications could be
I’m not sure either. I scrolled up to reread after seeing you mention his name I expected to see RF not outfielders grouped collectively. Reason being is that when Soto was a Gold Glove finalist it was mentioned how few qualified in RF in the American League. Thought maybe it was something similar here.
Sheez baseball season was over like months ago. Whos paying attention? Going to roll out awards every week until April?
Seth Lugo was a 34th round draft pick of the Mets in 2011? Wow!
He beat some odds!
I’m confused about how switching from reliever to starter equals a comeback.
Maybe there would be a Giant player in the third or fourth team.