MLB Oscars: Best villain, story, and more
On Sunday, the biggest stars in showbiz will collide at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 88th annual Academy Awards.
Among them is best actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, who's seeking his first Oscar after starring in Alejandro G. Inarritu's critically acclaimed-film, "The Revenant." Also in search of his first Academy Award is "Creed" star Sylvester Stallone, who was nominated for best supporting actor for his reprised role as former heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa.
Boxing isn't the only sport with lineage to this year's Oscars, with "Moneyball" author Michael Lewis back in the Academy spotlight for the film adaptation of his book "The Big Short," which is among the contenders for Best Picture.
And so, in honor of this year’s Oscars, which celebrate the best in film from the previous calendar year, we thought to extend the recognition to baseball, where we recounted the achievements of the last 12 months with our own MLB-themed awards. Whether it be general managers directing their clubs to the playoffs, or big players stepping up in unheralded roles, there’s been no shortage of blockbuster storylines over the last year.
Best Player in a Supporting Role
Nominees: A.J. Pollock, J.D. Martinez, Edwin Encarnacion, Salvador Perez
Our idea of a best supporting actor isn't just a good player who doesn't get his due - we’re talking about very good All-Stars in the shadows of full-fledged superstars. This year’s nominees might be surrounded by MVP candidates, but that doesn't mean they didn't enjoy an award-winning season, too.
And the Oscar goes to ...
Edwin Encarnacion: The Blue Jays slugger somewhat quietly remains one of the best power hitters in baseball, clubbing 39 homers - the fourth straight year he's hit at least 34 - with a .929 OPS, the second-highest mark of his career. His efforts were even more impressive when you consider his damage was done on a bargain-basement salary of $10 million.
Best Villain
Nominees: Jonathan Papelbon, Yordano Ventura, Chase Utley, Jose Tabata
Baseball was chock-full - or choke-full, as it were - of drama in 2015, and just about none of it featured perennial bad guy Alex Rodriguez, who returned from a 162-game suspension and portrayed the most likable role of his career.
And the Oscar goes to ...
Jonathan Papelbon: Ventura and Utley - and even Tabata, who cost Max Scherzer a perfect game - all made strong cases to be the best bad guy this year, but Papelbon overwhelmed his way to the award with two suspensions during the final week; one for throwing at Manny Machado, and the other for choking teammate Bryce Harper.
Best Performance
Nominees: Scherzer's no-hitter, Harper's 3 homers, Cespedes' 7 RBIs, Arrieta's no-hitter
Narrowing this category down to just a few nominees is an exercise in futility, but the contenders listed can at least lay claim to producing some of the most compelling moments of the season.
And the Oscar goes to ...
Max Scherzer: If it weren't for Tabata’s elbow, Scherzer’s already historic 2015 campaign (which included two no-hitters) may very well have secured itself a lifetime achievement award after he nearly threw three perfect games in one season. None of his masterpieces was as dominant as his 17-strikeout no-hitter against the Mets during the final week of the season, though, in which he faced just one batter over the minimum and produced the highest game score of any pitcher in baseball this year.
Best Story
Nominees: Harvey’s return, A-Rod’s redemption, Stroman’s comeback, Royals' World Series win
Don't call it a comeback - because there was so many more than just one this year. From the Matt Harvey saga to Marcus Stroman’s unlikely return, there were enough Hollywood storylines this season to make a movie for every genre.
And the Oscar goes to ...
Alex Rodriguez: If there were a genre type that best described A-Rod’s season, it might, unbelievably, be of the Disney variety. A-Rod proved his critics wrong with an exceptional year on and off the field in 2015, one that included several dramatic milestones, a team-leading 33 homers, a successful foray into broadcasting, and continued praise for his role as a teammate.
Best Director
Nominees: Alex Anthopoulos, Theo Epstein, Jeff Luhnow, Sandy Alderson
In a category dominated annually by big-budget veteran executives like Brian Cashman, Dave Dombrowski, and John Mozeliak, this year’s group reflects the surprising success of several teams whose shrewd transactions and roster building made them a bona fide contender.
And the Oscar goes to ...
Alex Anthopoulos: During a 72-hour stretch in July, Anthopoulos, the former Blue Jays GM, made a series of moves so sensational that his efforts at the trade deadline may very well be adapted into a blockbuster film at some point in the future. Anthopoulos’ acquisitions of Troy Tulowitzki, David Price, and Ben Revere, among others, helped the Blue Jays to a division crown and the playoffs, and secured him our award for best director.
Best Player in a Leading Role
Nominees: Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson, Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt
Imagine some of Hollywood’s biggest stars - DiCaprio, Denzel, Hanks, and De Niro, to name a few - all competing for best actor in the same year. To make matters more competitive, consider if they were all in their prime. Our best player nominees all put forth memorable years that in any other year would have garnered them the big prize, but only one of the candidates did so under historic circumstances.
And the Oscar goes to ...
Bryce Harper: Harper won't have to wait as long as DiCaprio to finally secure the hardware, not after producing one of the most impressive seasons of the post-Bonds era. The Nationals superstar led NL players in homers and runs, and finished second in average, while pacing all major leaguers in WAR, OBP, slugging, and OPS. It should come as no surprise, then, that Harper, just 22 years, 353 days old on the final day of the season, became the youngest player in history to win the MVP by unanimous vote.