Toronto Blue Jays’ BBWAA Winners

According to Shi Davidi, the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted on their choices for the best of the 2014 Blue Jays. If the everyday fan were to vote for this, the results would probably be quite similar. Let’s take a look:

Rookie of the Year:

Marcus Stroman. After experimenting in the bullpen, the Blue Jays stretched him out and made the right choice to put him back in his starting role. Once a starter, #StroShow brought a swagger to the mound that fans embraced. Of course, the results of his performances also helped make him a fan favorite. Compiling an 11-6 record, 111K, 28BB, 1.171 WHIP, 107 ERA+, 3.53 FIP and 3.3 WAR (Fangraphs.com) from a 5’9″ frame was a pleasant surprise. In case you’re wondering, Stroman’s Steamer projections have him at 13-10, 3.76 with a 3.3 WAR. 

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Pitcher of the Year:

Mark Buehrle. Buehrle narrowly beat out R.A. Dickey for this honour. He was undoubtedly helped out by his blazing start to the season. In April and May, Buehrle appeared unbeatable, going 9-1. The fact that he ended the year with a 13-10 record tells the story of the rest of his season. While it may seem like a disappointment, we must remember that it is exactly what you get from Mark Buehrle. For me, though, what stands out is his 202 innings; his 14th consecutive season with 200+ innings. We can only dream of such a run from Marcus Stroman. Marky Mark was worth 3.5 WAR in 2014. His Steamer projection has him going 11-11, 189 IP over 32 starts (which speaks to not going deep into games) and a 1.5 WAR. Oh, and he’ll be making $19M.

Most Improved Player:

Melky Cabrera. Funny what playing without a tumor on your spine can do for you. Hitting .301, 16 HR, 73 RBI, 35 doubles, 126 OPS+ and a 2.6 WAR is quite the improvement. His offensive production overshadowed the fact that he was not exactly a defensive whiz in left field where he put up a -4.8 UZR/150, which was certainly a HUGE improvement over his tumor induced -14.8. It seemed like all season, fans were screaming for the Blue Jays to re-sign Melky. In particular that sentiment grew as he became one of the lone bright spots in an increasingly disappointing season. 

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The Blue Jays, feeling like they just couldn’t come together with Melky on a new contract, decided to go another route for 2015 when they traded for Michael Saunders. They’ll hope to replace Melky’s production through a much cheaper option. Or will they? Due to the additions of Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson, Saunders doesn’t even have to be ‘Melky good’. The way this offense looks, Cabrera’s production will be made up elsewhere.

Player of the Year:

Jose Bautista. Like there was any doubt. This is the third time Joey Bats has been selected as the Player of the Year. And, why not? The right fielder hit .286/.403/.524/.928 with 35 HR, 103 RBI in 155 games and was worth 6.3 WAR. He was selected to his 5th consecutive All Star game. Much is made of Bautista’s offensive contributions, and rightfully so. But, we shouldn’t ignore his 5.7 UZR/150. His glove is an asset, despite his low -4 DRS. I guess what he lacks in glove, he makes up for with an arm strength rating of 90. His Steamer projections have him at 146 games, 36 HR, 99 RBI, .267 and 5.3 WAR.

We should also note that former Blue Jays closer, Casey Janssen received the John Cerutti Award, “given to the person associated with the day-to-day workings of Blue Jays baseball who displays the goodwill”. One has to wonder if the Blue Jays will look to exercise some good will and bring back Janssen for 2015. If they do, they’ll be doing taking a chance on a once shut down closer who struggled in the second half of last season. Having said that, it should not take away from the spirit of this award. Congratulations Casey!