5 players snubbed from MLB awards
The Baseball Writers' Association of America named the finalists for Major League Baseball's four major annual awards on Monday, and while a number of players were obvious choices after brilliant 2016 campaigns, there were also a number of head-scratching snubs.
Here are five names who didn't appear as finalists for an award despite excellent seasons.
Zach Britton
Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter was stunned when left-handed closer Zach Britton wasn't listed as a finalist for the American League Cy Young award, and he may have a point. The 28-year-old was a perfect 47-for-47 in save opportunities while posting a ridiculous 0.54 ERA over 69 appearances. "It's shocking," Showalter told MASN's Roch Kubatko. "That's a real poor reflection on the people who are evaluating."
Trevor Story
Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story was the biggest spectacle in baseball to begin the 2016 campaign, after setting multiple records during a historic opening week of his career. The 23-year-old also set a National League rookie record for home runs by a shortstop and added another offensive weapon to the already dangerous, young lineup of the Rockies, but he was not one of three finalists for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Story only appeared in 97 games because of a torn ligament in his thumb, but his power numbers were on par with Corey Seager, who is a favorite to win the award.
David Ortiz
During the final campaign of his professional career, 40-year-old slugger David Ortiz put up MVP-caliber statistics, while helping lead the Boston Red Sox to an AL East division crown. Despite leading all of baseball with a 1.021 OPS, hitting 38 home runs and 48 doubles, and knocking in 127 RBIs, Ortiz was not included among the three finalists for AL MVP, which included teammate Mookie Betts.
Madison Bumgarner
Perhaps Madison Bumgarner's consistent success is working against him? Or maybe wins do still matter to some people, but he was another exclusion from the NL Cy Young race. The 27-year-old workhorse pitched 226 2/3 innings, posted a 2.74 ERA, struck out 251, was tied for the NL lead in starts (34), and tossed four complete games. But his 15 wins ranked him 10th in the NL, and he did allow the sixth most home runs (26) in the league, although the total was still five less than finalist Max Scherzer.
J.A. Happ
In what may have been the biggest surprise of the Toronto Blue Jays' season, veteran left-hander J.A. Happ easily posted the best numbers of his 10-year career, becoming just the sixth different pitcher in franchise history to hit the 20-win mark. Happ was nearly unbeatable during the regular season, losing just four games, while posting a 3.18 ERA (good for sixth in the AL), and tossing a career-high 195 innings. Happ was left off the list of AL Cy Young finalists, however, in favor of Rick Porcello, Justin Verlander, and Corey Kluber.