DeGrom has thrown fewer than 90 pitches in nine of his past 10 starts, averaging 75.3 pitches per start over the past two-plus months. Posey led all catchers with at least 100 games played in both batting average and OPS, and he was named the NL Silver Slugger at catcher for the fifth time and an All-Star for the seventh time. He's also batting .270 and slugging .527, which are both the highest marks among Rangers who have made at least 25 plate appearances. Posey is only the second player to retire after being named Comeback Player of the Year since MLB first presented the award in 2005, along with Yankees closer Mariano Rivera after the 2013 season. On April 23, 1999, Fernando Tatis became the only player in MLB history to hit two grand slams in a single inning. The team still believes in him and now, with Alex Reyes out, they need him. The fact that he's doing this as the heart and soul of the team with the best record in baseball is like throwing gas on the comeback fire. He would join Indians righty Carlos Carrasco as fellow cancer survivors to win the honor. Anderson's 1996 season will forever be one of baseball's biggest oddities, but the other three members of that club rank among the best hitters of all time. The greater came a few months before that when his son was born. Even though he hit for power in the minors, it's almost hard to believe he's even in the majors right now, let alone as an All Star. Mancini earned American League Comeback Player of the Year honors, it was revealed on MLB Network, for a 2021 campaign during which he re-established himself as one of the games better run producers after a year away battling -- and beating -- Stage 3 colon cancer. He signed a one-year, $11-million contract as a free agent in the offseason. We were in unanimous agreement on five of the 10 awards, and there was a three-fourths agreement on four of the other five. Theyare 19-8 in one-run games and 10-1 in extra-inning games, boasting the best winning percentage in the majors in both of those categories. Like many of his Astros teammates, Bregman tailed off in the shortened '20 season and he wound up slashing .242/.350/.451 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 153 at-bats. Five starts into the season, Rodon was a perfect 5-0 with a 0.58 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP. The 2021 Major League Baseball season begins this week, and with it comes a new group of young players looking to make names for themselves in the majors. The Braves would very much welcome his 2020 form. Magontec ( ASX:MGL ) Full Year 2022 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: AU$158.6m (up 38% from FY 2021). ORIOLES: Trey Mancini, AL Comeback Player of the Year. He went two games below .500 in his two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and finished two games below .500 with the Giants last year. Ryu was excellent in his first season with the Blue Jays, posting a 2.69 ERA and finishing third in AL Cy Young voting behind only runner-up Kenta Maeda and winner Shane Bieber. Lets not forget the Aug. 25 no-hitter he threw against the Pirates and the perfect game bid that Giolito carried into the seventh inning in the opener of the AL Wild Card Series against the As. Yarbrough does not throw hard, at all, so he has less of a margin for error than almost anyone in baseball. He wont be relied on as much in 2022 -- he might not even be starting -- but even a few glimmers of what he was before would go a long way. Guardians: Triston McKenzie, RHPHeading into last year, you wondered whether the lanky, powerful McKenzie was going to become the next Cleveland pitcher to come up through their system and turn himself into an ace. The rebuilding Mariners believe they are posed to take a step forward this season and are hopeful the 29-year-old Haniger can spark their offense from the leadoff spot in the batting order. To make it through the whole season and not go on the injured list, to make it to the end, Im really happy to be here, Mancini told MLB.com in October. FILE - Seattle Mariners' Mitch Haniger is congratulated and showered with sunflower seeds after his [+] solo home run against the Houston Astros in the third inning of a baseball game in Seattle, in this Tuesday, June 4, 2019, file photo. While winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2018, he had a 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 11.0 K/9 in 10 starts. If he does, he could help the Phillies offset any potential losses to the lineup, including J.T Realmuto and/or Didi Gregorius, and win his second NL MVP Award. was originally selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. From 2016-2019, Mancini had a 162-game pace of 31 home runs, which is exactly where he's at this year with 16 dingers at the All-Star break. Giolito has been named an All-Star and finished tied for sixth ('19) and seventh ('20), respectively, in AL Cy Young voting since the start of the '19 season, when he moved his career on a direct path to the top after a dismal '18 campaign. And baseball definitely was on the back burner when I was going through all that.. He batted .309 and slugged .475, averaging 21 home runs per 162 games. Skubal and Casey Mize retain their rookie eligibility for next season, having been called up Aug. 18 and 19, respectively. Orioles: Anthony Santander, OFSantander was a Rule 5 pick from Cleveland who was one of the happy stories of the Orioles 2020 season -- a year in which the Orioles were in second place a third of the way through the season! Posey elected not to play in 2020, and the Giants' longtime catcher returned to lead San Francisco to the best record in baseball in '21. Whos a guy on each team due for a bounce-back year? The Bills' safety is given very short +250 odds to win the award after announcing his goal is to return to the NFL after an extremely scary incident where his heart stopped on the field. But that begs the question -- has he already returned, and can he still win? Four months ago, it wasn't even clear if Carlos Rodon would be a part of Chicago's 2021 starting rotation. Ending the '20 season batting .232 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs, Chapman is expected to be fully recovered in time for Spring Training, and there is no doubt the 27-year-old third baseman will be motivated to return stronger than ever after having to sit at home in Southern California while watching the As get eliminated by the Astros just up the road at Dodger Stadium in the ALDS. So to project a Coach of the Year, you have to look at teams who will absolutely dominate or be surprisingly good. The White Sox dont necessarily need that guy, but somewhere in the middle would be a substantial improvement. Martinez, AL Comeback Player of Year. Despite both a slow start (Tatis was batting .118 as late as April 19) and missing 17 of the team's first 43 games (minor shoulder injury and a stint on the COVID-19 list), El Nino has hit 28 home runs and stolen 20 bags. Even with Manny Pia here, hes still the primary catcher. -- but took a big step back last year, dropping 140 points off his slugging percentage. And as a baserunner, Ohtani has stolen 12 bases, putting him on pace for roughly 22 swiped bags by the end of the year. Fully recovered from Stage 3 colon cancer, Mancini aims to be back on the field by Opening Day 2021. Not quite Cy Young numbers, but he's not far off from matching the current production of Shane Bieber,last year's AL Cy Young winner: 3.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12.9 K/9. Coming off of an Achilles tear in 2021, Graham recorded a career-high 11.0 sacks in 2022. He wouldnt spend 20 on the field. Castillos 2020 season had a bit of a split personality. With Mancinis help, the Orioles and Colorectal Cancer Alliance raised $80,000 for the cause in 2020. Soto edged out MVP winner Freddie Freeman by 10 points for the batting title, and he tallied 54 hits, 13 home runs, 14 doubles, 37 RBIs and 39 runs scored in 47 games. [ November 7] Geno Smith has taken over as the new favorite to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year, as his odds improved from +225 to -135 after he led the Seahawks to a win over the Cardinals in Week 9. The defense will always be there, but he was certainly thought, at the plate, to be more than this. After he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in a stellar '19 season, Bieber climbed all the way to the top of the AL by winning the award in '20. The right-hander struck out 97 over 72 1/3 innings in 20 -- ranking second in the AL behind only Cy Young winner Shane Bieber -- after fanning 228 in 19. Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) warms up in the bullpen as pitching coach Jim [+] Hickey looks on, before the team's spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros, Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky). Soto already became the youngest player to win the NL batting title when he hit .351 in his age-21 season in 2020. The whole time I just wanted to be healthy long-term and live a long life. Even if he misses that deadline, hes a heavy favorite for Comeback Player of the Year honors after sitting out all of '20 to undergo chemotherapy treatment. He missed the majority of the 2019 season and all of 2020 because of a ruptured testicle and several subsequent surgeries, but he has hit 20 home runs already this season as the brightest star of the surprisingly good Mariners. We all knew the Miami Marlins had one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in all of baseball. After winning the 2019 AL Rookie of the Year award, Alvarez played in just two games with the Houston Astros last season. This isn't exactly a "top prospect seizes his opportunity to shine" sort of situation. As his 2020 season ended because of a left shoulder injury, Arenado fielded question after question about how the injury reduced his average to .253 -- with no extra-base hits after Sept. 9 and zero home runs after Sept. 8. Check out the full list of player odds for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2021, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. As a hitter, Ohtani is easily one of the best in the majors, if not definitively the best. His re-addition to the Dallas Cowboys has helped take them from 6-10 and a third place NFC East finish in 2020 to 11-5 and the division title this year. He made just two starts in 2020 before underdoing season-ending carpal tunnel surgery to relieve numbness in his pitching hand. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File). Baltimore Orioles' Trey Mancini runs to first base in a spring training exhibition baseball game [+] against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Fla., Monday, March 22, 2021. But along the way, too, just watching opposing players, when he was playing first base, youd see a guy get to first base and the interaction there, with how much respect Trey has around the league. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (+1400) 8. Let's dive into it all, starting with the odds courtesy of DraftKings and then some . He still finished with a 167 ERA+ and he figures to only get better with experience. Not only that, but so little was expected of the Giants that 64 percent of the money bet on that line came in on the under. Acua's chase rate dropped from 24.0 percent to 20.1 percent and his walk rate rose from 10.6 percent to 18.8 percent, despite spending a majority of the season hitting directly in front of MVP Freddie Freeman. Giants: Tommy La Stella, 2BIts not easy to find disappointments on this Giants roster from last year, but its fair to think they expected a little bit more than a .250 average from one of their more high-profile free agent signings. The 2021 Major League Baseball season is approximately 56 percent completed, which means there is a lot of time left for slumps, injuries and/or hot streaks to drastically change the current projections for the various major awards. He and the Yankees both believe a lot. Way back in February, Chapman arrived to Spring Training as a darkhorse candidate for the AL MVP Award. As is the case each year, several big-name players missed significant time due to injury last year. If he can be that star we all think he is, he could usher in the next era of Mariners baseball. Mancini is among many players poised to make a run at Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2021. Odds have been released for the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. Maybe they can shake more of that back out of him. As good as everyone already knows that Betts is, hes even better than that because of the subtleties that dont show up on a stat sheet. AL Comeback Player of the Year: Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners 1 of 10 Elaine Thompson/Associated Press Mitch Haniger was one of the Mariners' biggest question marks heading into the 2021. The games highest-paid pitcher is a four-time top-5 finisher in Cy Young voting, including each of the past three seasons. Throw in the fact that their third-highest paid player (James Paxton) lasted just 1.1 innings before undergoing Tommy John Surgery and their second-highest paid player (Kyle Seager) is batting .213, and it sure feels like Servais is some sort of wizard. JK Dobbins +1200. Henry is a superior player, but quarterbacks have the upper hand in this award. In the next 25 starts, including his '20 showing, the righty logged a 2.40 ERA with a 34.6 percent strikeout rate and miniscule 3.4 percent walk rate in 157 2/3 innings. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was arguably the best player to be sidelined, with New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley, Carolina . He's five home runs behind Shohei Ohtani and four stolen bases behind Whit Merrifield, so he probably won't wind up leading the majors in both categories. McCaffrey had back-to-back season in 2020-2021 where he ended up playing a total of 10 games due to injuries. NL Comeback Player of the Year 1 of 13 Stephen Strasburg Associated Press Fenn: Mike Soroka, Atlanta Braves Soroka is on track to return as early as mid-April after tearing his Achilles last. But I just wasn't, in the 60-game race." For the first time in college basketball history, the player of the year award is likely going to be won by a Canadian. And here are the top five betting favorites for MVP and Cy Young in both leagues entering the season (odds via William Hill Sportsbook): AL MVP Mike Trout: +200 Alex Bregman: +1100 Aaron Judge:. Ahead are our picks for who'll take home the five biggest awards in the American League and National League: Comeback Player of the Year, Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, the Cy. Mancini is the first Oriole to win MLB's Comeback Player of the Year Award. Then consider how he finished: .225/.386/.442. The MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award winners are determined by a vote from the 30 MLB.com club beat reporters. He had a 35.5 whiff percentage on the pitch in '20, an improvement from 31.6 percent in 19. One of the best-known sportsbooks on the market, DraftKings offers great MLB sports betting options . December 15, 2021 Sign In Only four weeks remain in the NFL's regular season, and the race for Comeback Player of the Year now has an overwhelming favorite. If you take away those two innings, his ERA would have been just 1.77. As Acua continues to combine his incredible power with good discipline, hell show why some consider him to be the games next Trout. Then, his pride surfaced as he said pointedly: "I felt like my defense was better than it's ever been. But it sure feels like it has been a while since he was finishing second in MVP voting? If he does manage to pull it off, though, he would become just the second player to do so. Michel Anderson February 21, 2023. In short, Ohtani is batting and running like Griffey in his prime while also pitching well enough to be the ace of at least 20 of the league's 30 pitching staffs. Alcantara is missing more bats, as his strikeout percentage rose to 22.7, compared to 18 percent when he was an All-Star who logged 197 1/3 innings in 2019. He doesnt need to get any MVP votes, but rising somewhere back toward the middle would do wonders for this lineup. NFL Comeback Player of the Year Odds 1. Heading into spring training, the fifth starting job appeared to be a toss up between Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez and highly touted prospects Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet. Nick Bosa (+1000) 7. Alcantaras four-seam fastball averaged 96.8 mph this year and his sinker sat at 96.2 mph. The man mashed 10 home runs in 18 games during the 2020 postseason. PIRATES: KeBryan Hayes, NL Rookie of the Year. AL Division Odds to Win, American League Divisional Lines | 2022 MLB Betting. He started to turn it around in the postseason, and if he can return to his MVP-caliber self, sheesh, this lineup just shoots off into the stratosphere. It was as if he was laying his '21 manifesto: He will return to the form of five straight seasons from 2015-19 in which he finished with 37 or more homers and 110 or more RBIs. Zach Edey is the runaway odds favorite and his lead over the field is absolutely laughable. against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Fla., Monday, March 22, 2021. Look at his slash line before he tweaked his back in late August in Atlanta: .343/.478/.714. Through 15 starts in 2021, the two-time (soon to be three-time) NL Cy Young winner has yet to allow more than five baserunners in a game. Even before Buster Posey opted out of the entire pandemic-shortened 2020 season, it felt like he was in the denouement of his career. 2 prospect in the organization and No. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. In what universe does Cody Bellinger hit .165? Adalberto Mondesi, Royals. The NFL season fired up once again for the 2022 season with the Buffalo Bills heading to to face the Rams on September 8. 27 overall in baseball, Kirilloff is a career .317/.365/.498 hitter in 279 Minor League appearances who should be a consistent factor in the corner outfield spots and at first base sooner rather than later. Now he's back as arguably the best hitter on the Houston Astrosarguably the best team in the American League. But Im really thankful and feeling a lot of gratitude., after a year away battling -- and beating -- Stage 3 colon cancer. Arozarenas emergence with the Rays was one of baseballs greatest stories in 2020, as the 25-year-old set Major League postseason records in hits (29), home runs (10) and total bases (64). The final treatment came on Sept. 21, 2020. He also has 19 doubles and three triples as part of a monstrous .698 slugging percentage. Thats MVP stuff. But its Tatis who seems like the best bet. The Reds' second baseman won 29 of the 30 votes -- the Marlins' Trevor Rogers got the other one -- and he firmly established himself as not just one of the best players on the Reds, but also as a cornerstone. Twins: Gio Urshela, 3BAs bizarre as it is to see an Urshela-Carlos Correa infield in Minnesota rather than The Bronx, its worth remembering that Urshela did take a step back offensively last year. Martinez was too consistent and too elite for too long to simply lose it overnight. Kansas City believes that end-of-the-season burst has allowed Mondesi to turn a corner, and that he is capable of racking up at least 40 doubles, 10 triples and 20 homers, all while stealing 60-plus bases. MLB's Comeback Player of Year candidates to watch in 2023 Last season Justin Verlander won AL Comeback Player of the Year and Albert Pujols won NL Comeback Player of the Year.. In '20, Gallen picked up right where he left off as he set the Major League record for most consecutive starts with three or fewer earned runs allowed to open a career when he stretched his streak to 23. . He remains an elite player and will be only 27 years old on Opening Day. 2021. It could be an award-worthy sort of combination. Flaherty was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2019, thanks to his historic second half of the season that saw him finish fifth in NL Cy Young voting. I know there are other guys coming back from injuries, but to come back from [colon cancer] is amazing.. Mancini, who has a $4.75-million salary this year, has hit at least 24 homers in each of his three full major league seasons. Astros: Alex Bregman, 3BLook, Bregman is still a terrific player: Who wouldnt want Alex Bregman on their team? That worked well a year ago, when Burnes endured one of the worst seasons of any pitcher in baseball, with an 8.82 ERA in 49 innings in '19. Mancini missed the entire pandemic-shortened 2020 season after undergoing surgery for colon cancer. His strikeout rate rose slightly from 26.3 percent to 29.7 percent this year, but there were still signs of encouraging plate discipline. What else does Cole have in the tank? He only has a 7-6 record to show for it, but Rogers has a 2.31 ERA and has held the opposition to three or fewer runs in each of his 18 starts. Theres still a ton of power left, youd think, and the Rangers can lengthen their lineup considerably if he can tap into it. The 21-year-old was expected to make his MLB debut this past year, but with only 21 games above Class A under his belt, the Mariners opted to keep Kelenic at their alternate training site in the shortened campaign. Betting on those odds with the Caesars Sportsbook Kansas Promo Code ROTOFULL will give new users a $1,250 first bet on Caesars to use on any open sports betting market with no restrictions on odds or . (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Its been a decade since any Padre has taken home a major award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. NFL Comeback of the Year Odds Analysis. Justin Verlander and Albert Pujols are two of the most decorated superstars in baseball history -- and each added one more honor to his name on Tuesday night. Mancini remains partnered with CCA, as well as cancer-free. Hes finished second and third in Cy Young voting the past two seasons (2019 came with the Dodgers in the NL), so this shouldnt be far from his reach if hes healthy and making at least 30 starts. That didnt happen (.689 OPS), but hes still got talent vibrating off him. The Orioles' Trey Mancini and the Giants' Buster Posey were named MLB's Comeback Players of the Year for 2021 on Monday. While San Francisco managed to exceed expectations and fall only one win short of the playoffs, there was no question the club missed its undisputed leader in the clubhouse and on the field. Also Considered: Jacob deGrom, New York; Trea Turner, Washington. And it's not like Kapler came into the year with a stellar managerial track record. And, by the way, Mancini singled in that first at-bat. He has slashed .259/.315/.436 while hitting 12 home runs and driving in 53 RBIs. Had it not been for the pandemic eliminating the 2020 minor-league season, Rogers probably would have spent last year in either Double-A or Triple-A. Look beyond Skubals 5.63 ERA in eight games, and his 7.9 hits per nine innings, 10.4 strikeouts per nine and 3.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio suggest better times ahead for the lanky lefty -- probably sooner than later. Mancini missed all of the 2020 season as he underwent treatment for Stage 3 colon cancer, which he was diagnosed with in March of that year after a colonoscopy revealed a malignant tumor. If the season ended today, though, many of the picks would be rather obvious. This is a BETA experience. And that doesn't even include the back-to-back starts in late May in which his combined line against the Yankees and Cardinals was 12.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 23 K, nor the seven innings of one-hit ball that he threw against the Tigers in mid-June. By the end of the season, the 29-year-old first baseman had played in 147 games, batting .255 with 21 homers, 71 RBIs and 77 runs scored. In 2019, Mancini had the best season of his four-year career and was a bright spot for an Orioles team that lost 108 games. The American League features a trio of new managers in 2021, although none are first-time skippers. Returning from a. He's also more patient at the plate these days, drawing walks at a career-best rate of 13.3 percent, which in turn translates to a career-best on-base percentage of .421. Not even an offseason, halted Spring Training, shutdown period or short Summer Camp could disrupt Darvishs rhythm. He won four games in a row with a 1.26 ERA before dropping his final regular-season outing. The Comeback Player of the Year Award was awarded by The Sporting News every season from 1965 to 2006, with one award given in each league every season. The Yankees brought him to New York to be the best pitcher in baseball. And during one three-game stretch in late May, the M's won three consecutive games saved by three different relievers. The New York Giants' offense had a plethora of issues up and down the roster. Comeback Player of the Year finalists RB Saquon Barkley, Giants. Could that be an offseason adjustment that assures he retains his title? Lets take a look: Blue Jays: Hyun Jin Ryu, LHPRyu has said in the past that his personal goal is to make more than 30 starts every year and have a 3.00 ERA. D-backs: Madison Bumgarner, LHPHe finally made a (mostly) full season of starts in 2021, but he still was barely a league average pitcher. Who's to say he would've even been in the big leagues this year were it not for Sanchez's shoulder injury? Simply put, Giolito has top-of-the-rotation stuff and he has figured out how to make the most effective usage of his repertoire. Whether it was the long layoff because of coronavirus or the hangover from the sign-stealing scandal that seemed to permeate the club, Bregman will be looking to shake off a disappointing season in 21. Coming off a breakout 2019 season, Mancini underwent a colonoscopy in early March 2020 that revealed a malignant tumor. Castillo has established one of the best changeups in baseball to go with his near triple-digit fastball velocity. RAYS: Randy Arozarena, AL Rookie of the Year. Posey is now a two-time Comeback Player of the Year -- he also won the award in 2012 and is the only Giants player to win. Updated: Mar 4, 2023 / 02:59 PM EST. If Harper can stay healthy in 2021, there is no reason to think he cannot continue to crush the baseball like he did in the first half of '20. The more Alcantara refines his pitch arsenal, the closer he gets to stacking up with the usual suspects in the Cy Young Award conversations. Christian McCaffrey (+700) 3. Over his first seven starts, the right-hander was 0-5 with a 4.10 ERA. deGrom may have become the third pitcher in Major League history to three-peat had he had the luxury of a full, six-month season, given how brilliantly he pitched down the stretch in both 18 and 19. Presented annually to one player in each league since 2005, the Comeback Player of the Year Award aims to honor an individual who re-emerged on the field during each season. But the Pirates favorite to win an award next year is Hayes, who finished sixth in this years NL Rookie of the Year balloting and maintains his rookie status heading into next season. But while Arozarena has managed just 10 home runs thus far during the 2021 regular season, a different rookie outfielder crushed his way onto the All-Star roster. 2023 MLB Cy Young Award Odds. Rick Scuteri/USA Today Sports Mookie Betts has the next-best odds at +900 after slugging a career-high 35 home runs in 2022. Kluber made just seven starts for the Cleveland Indians in 2019 as his season ended May 1 when he sustained a fractured right forearm when struck by a line drive off the bat of the Miami Marlins Brian Anderson. The 2023 MLB regular season will begin on Thursday March 30, 2023 and bettors can start placing wagers on the futures odds for Cy Young winners. Is it possible we just got too excited about McKenzie just a year early? The following year, those numbers dipped to .257 and .368, respectively. Though he is coming off his worst finish in the balloting for AL MVP, finishing fifth in the shortened 2020 season, Trout is showing no signs of slowing down and he should put up monster numbers yet again in '21. Gallen doesnt get the attention of some pitchers in larger markets, but if he continues to pitch as he has in his first year-plus in the big leagues, that could change in a hurry. He had a 4.99 ERA to go with an 11.7 percent walk rate in 137 innings in that time period, which had been defined by injury issues and command troubles. Saquon Barkley (NYG) +550. The 25-year-old is starting to back that up, and if he continues to make strides like he has in the past two seasons, the hard-throwing right-hander could find himself in the NL Cy Young Award mix. Sync your sportsbook(s) and analyze bet performance, view your top splits, betting trends, and compete against users on the leaderboards. Also Considered: Gerrit Cole, New York; Lance Lynn, Chicago; Nathan Eovaldi, Boston. In 20, he won eight of his 12 starts, posted a 2.01 ERA, had 93 strikeouts against 14 walks in 76 innings and finished as the NL Cy Young runner-up. However, he has been slowed by tightness in his left calf that caused him to miss a Grapefruit League start. Martinez loved playing for Cora and the two have already started brainstorming about a plan for a rebound season. Being the leader of America's Team certainly has its privileges, with more national TV games and chances of exposure. He hit 35 home runs and drove in 97 runs in 154 games while batting .291/.364/.535. Theres no telling what the 21-year-old shortstops ceiling is.