New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey and Texas Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder were announced as the 2015 NL and AL Comeback Player of the Year award winners today by the MLB.
.@Rangers 1B/DH @RealPFielder28 named 2015 AL Comeback Player of the Year, @Mets RHP @MattHarvey33 takes NL honors. pic.twitter.com/VlciqssQLV
— MLB (@MLB) November 5, 2015
On the surface, Harvey and Fielder both had decent years, but were they really worthy of the award? Harvey missed all of 2014 following Tommy John surgery and returned to start 29 games, winning 13 of them with a 2.71 ERA. Fielder, on the other hand, missed a majority of 2014 with neck surgery and because his stats were inflated by a great May, where he hit nine home runs, he finished the season with 23 home runs and a .305 average. Both certainly made great comebacks but were given the award not because they overcame anything special (players miss full seasons all the time) but because MLB doesn’t understand what the award should mean.
The award has turned into “star player gets injured, and continues to put up solid production despite missing time.” It’s why Jacoby Ellsbury, Tim Hudson, Lance Berkman, and Buster Posey have all won the award in the past. Instead, the award should be about players who despite all odds, have made it back to the show and are performing unexpectedly.
Prince Fielder, particularly, is a horrible choice for the award considering the other candidates. We’ve seen some amazing comebacks this season.
New York Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez is an obvious choice. He battled injuries for years, looked washed up and was suspended by the league for an entire season after violating the league PED policy. Nobody had any expectations for the embattled slugger, and A-Rod, despite massive hatred from fans and media alike, had an MVP-caliber season, hitting 33 home runs with a .356 OBP. It was unlikely and amazing. Unfortunately, being A-Rod guaranteed he wasn’t going to win. He could hit 10,000 home runs and he still wouldn’t draw consideration.
Kansas City Royals pitcher Ryan Madson, last seen closing games competently for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011, was out of the league for three seasons following Tommy John surgery before returning in 2015. He had a difficult time recovering, signing with the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels but never ended up pitching a game for them. His career looked over. He told the Kansas City Star he quit the game in 2014. If it wasn’t for Royals exec Jim Fregosi Jr., who asked Madson to tutor a high school prospect which led to Madson’s passion being rediscovered, he wouldn’t be pitching at all. He didn’t miss a beat on his return, posting sublime numbers becoming a valuable part of a stacked Royals bullpen, helping the club win the World Series. He overcame adversity, and then some. Those all seem like qualifications for the award, but nah, give it to Fielder.
I’m not saying there haven’t been worthy candidates in the past, but the award is pointless when it’s given to players who basically miss time with an injury and continue on with their expected performance trajectory.
The National Hockey League has an award, the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to players who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication” to the game. It’s an award given to players for overcoming obstacles and making comebacks, and most of the time the recipients are deserving. It’s not all about the numbers, but the journey a player takes in getting there.
The MLB should reclassify the Comeback Player of the Year award to a similar description as the NHL’s version because right now, it doesn’t carry the weight it should. We aren’t amazed by these comebacks or stories – they’re mostly expected. It makes the whole thing seem meaningless.
