2019 MLB Comeback Player of the Year: Josh Donaldson, Carlos Carrasco
The MLB Comeback Player of the Year award for the AL and NL were announced Wednesday. Carlos Carrasco wins it in the AL while Josh Donaldson takes the award for the NL.
The MLB Comeback Player of the Year award winners, Josh Donaldson (NL) and Carlos Carrasco (AL) had stellar bounce-back years following some adversity.
Carrasco’s story is probably the most feel-good of these two cases. The Cleveland Indians pitcher was diagnosed earlier in the year with a chronic myeloid leukemia condition during the year. This diagnosis caused him to miss three months of the regular season.
He was able to return to the active roster on September 1st and made appearances out of the bullpen for the rest of the season. He finished with a 6-7 record and a 5.29 ERA. He ended making 11 appearances out of the bullpen collecting 1 save and finishing three games.
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Look for Carrasco to re-establish himself as one of the games’ dominant pitchers as he continues on the comeback trail.
Donaldson battled injuries for most of 2018, which resulted in the Toronto Blue Jays trading to the Indians. He only played in 52 total games. This past off-season he bet on himself by signing a one-year $23 million deal with the Atlanta Braves.
That bet is sure to pay off this year after he re-established himself as one of the better third basemen in the league. Donaldson finished the season with 37 home runs and 97 RBI’s while slugging .521 with a WAR of 6.1.
He also established his longevity by playing in 155 of the 162 games this season. It will be interesting to see where he signs and the amount the contract will be. We’ll have to wait until he signs to see how big that bet ends up paying off.
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The 2019 MLB Comeback Player of the Year is one of my favorite awards of the award season. It rewards players who have encountered adversity in their career and how they are able to work back and it paying off in the end. I don’t know a single team who wouldn’t want a Carrasco or a Donaldson on their team.