Players Choice Awards: Altuve repeats as MLB and AL Player of the Year
The honors keep piling up for Jose Altuve.
The diminutive Houston Astros second baseman, a favorite to win AL MVP next week, is clearly revered throughout baseball. On Wednesday, Altuve's incredible 2017 season, which saw him reach the 200-hit mark for a fourth straight year and win his third batting title in four seasons, was recognized by his peers when he was named the Players Choice 2017 Major League Player of the Year for a second straight season.
Altuve is only the fifth player in Players Choice Award history to win the league-wide honor more than once, joining Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera.
Here's a look at all of the 2017 Players Choice Award winners:
Player of the Year
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros 2B
Runners-up: Nolan Arenado (Rockies); Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins)
| Player | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | RBI | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Altuve | .346/.410/.547 | 24 | 81 | .957 | 7.5 |
| Nolan Arenado | .309/.373/.586 | 37 | 130 | .959 | 5.6 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | .281/.376/.631 | 59 | 132 | 1.007 | 6.9 |
(Bold indicates league leader)
NL Outstanding Player
Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins OF
Runners-up: Nolan Arenado (Rockies); Charlie Blackmon (Rockies)
Stanton's monster 59-homer season was enough to push him past the two Rockies stars for the honor. He previously won NL Player of the Year in 2014.
| Player | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | RBI | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nolan Arenado | .309/.373/.586 | 37 | 130 | .959 | 5.6 |
| Charlie Blackmon | .331/.399/.601 | 37 | 104 | 1.000 | 6.5 |
| Giancarlo Stanton | .281/.376/.631 | 59 | 132 | 1.007 | 6.9 |
AL Outstanding Player
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros 2B
Runners-up: Aaron Judge (Yankees); Jose Ramirez (Indians)
Altuve is the fifth player to win AL Player of the Year at least twice, joining Frank Thomas, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Hamilton, and Miguel Cabrera.
| Player | AVG/OBP/SLG | HR | RBI | SB | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Altuve | .346/.410/.547 | 24 | 81 | 32 | .957 | 7.5 |
| Aaron Judge | .284/.422/.627 | 52 | 114 | 9 | 1.049 | 8.2 |
| Jose Ramirez | .318/.374/.583 | 29 | 83 | 17 | .957 | 6.6 |
NL Outstanding Pitcher
Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals RHP
Runners-up: Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers); Zack Greinke (Diamondbacks)
Scherzer, a strikeout machine, led NL pitchers in WAR and will look to win his third Cy Young Award next week.
| Pitcher | IP | W-L | ERA | WHIP | K/BB | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Greinke | 202.1 | 17-7 | 3.20 | 1.072 | 215/45 | 5.1 |
| Clayton Kershaw | 175.0 | 18-4 | 2.31 | 0.949 | 202/30 | 4.6 |
| Max Scherzer | 200.2 | 16-6 | 2.51 | 0.902 | 268/55 | 6.0 |
AL Outstanding Pitcher
Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians RHP
Runners-up: Chris Sale (Red Sox); Luis Severino (Yankees)
Kluber's dominant year in Cleveland pushed him above Sale and Severino as the top AL pitcher in the eyes of his peers.
| Pitcher | IP | W-L | ERA | WHIP | K/BB | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Kluber | 203.2 | 18-4 | 2.25 | 0.869 | 265/36 | 7.3 |
| Chris Sale | 214.1 | 17-8 | 2.90 | 0.970 | 308/43 | 7.7 |
| Luis Severino | 193.1 | 14-6 | 2.98 | 1.040 | 230/51 | 5.7 |
NL Comeback Player
Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals 1B
A year after posting a .642 OPS amid injury struggles, Zimmerman rebounded in a big way in 2017, earning an All-Star berth with a .303/.358/.573 slash line, 33 doubles, and a career-best 37 homers.
Runners-up: Greg Holland (Rockies); Eric Thames (Brewers)
AL Comeback Player
Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals 3B
Moustakas, now a free agent, returned from a torn ACL that cost him all but 27 games one year ago to slug 38 home runs - a new Royals single-season record - in 2017.
Runners-up: Justin Smoak (Blue Jays), Jason Vargas (Royals)
NL Outstanding Rookie
Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers 1B-OF
One of the two most unsurprising winners of the evening, Bellinger's 39 homers set a new National League rookie record.
Runners-up: Josh Bell (Pirates); Paul DeJong (Cardinals)
AL Outstanding Rookie
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees OF
Judge, a finalist for AL MVP honors, became the first rookie to hit 50 homers and won this honor to the shock of no one.
Runners-up: Andrew Benintendi (Red Sox); Trey Mancini (Orioles)
Marvin Miller Man of the Year
Awarded to the player whose on-field performance and contributions to his community inspire others to higher levels of achievement.
Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs 1B
Rizzo, a cancer survivor, oversees the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation supporting pediatric cancer patients and donated $3.5 million to the Children's Hospital of Chicago this year. In October, he was named the 2017 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award.
Runners-up: Buster Posey (Giants); David Robertson (Yankees)
Majestic Athletic Always Game Award
Awarded for consistently exhibiting tenacity and hustle.
Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies 3B
Runners-up: Francisco Lindor (Indians); George Springer (Astros)
Arenado played in 159 of 162 games last season.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)