Chris Sale named Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bags the award in AL
Chris Sale was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year by the Sporting News this past Thursday after he pitched his way to a triple crown, despite spending the vast majority of the previous four seasons on the IL.
The left-hander is considered the leading contender for the Cy Young Award in the National League this year after producing an incredible campaign in his first year with the Atlanta Braves.
During the first 10 years of his career with the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox, Chris Sale established himself as the best strikeout artist in the history of the game. However, he had made just 31 starts over the past four years when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves at the start of the season. The 35-year-old rolled back the years with a vintage campaign, which even he may not have foreseen.
Yet, Chris Sale had a fairly rough start in the first few weeks of the season before finding his groove during the month of May. He earned his eighth All-Star Game selection before carrying that momentum until the end of the regular season. Sale eventually ended the season with an 18-3 record, 2.25 ERA and 225 strikeouts. He also led the MLB in home runs per nine innings (0.5) and strikeout rate (11.4).
As a result, Chris Sale is in prime position to collect his first Cy Young Award, in addition to being the NL Comeback Player of the Year, after finishing inside the top-5 on six previous occasions. However, Sale didn't play any part for the Atlanta Braves in the postseason after getting injured in the final week of the regular season.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wins Sporting News AL Comeback Player of the Year
The Sporting News named Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as the recipient of its Comeback Player of the Year award in the American League. The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman enjoyed one of the best seasons of his relatively short career, but his team ended at the bottom of the AL East for the first time in 11 years.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made his fourth consecutive All-Star Game appearance this season, but he hadn't quite lived up to the high expectations from the Blue Jays in the past couple of years. He batted .323/.396/.544 this year and had an OPS+ of 166 with 75 extra-base hits and 103 RBIs, including 30 home runs.
The Blue Jays will hope to tie up the 25-year-old to a long-term contract during this off-season, as he's set to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 campaign.