2015 MLB Esurance Awards: Blue Jays up for Several GIBBY Awards

Aug 14, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher David Price (14) watches game action from the bench after being pulled in the eighth inning against New York Yankees at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

As the 2015 season winds down the inevitable question of individual awards comes up. Aside form his team making their march toward glory, Josh Donaldson is in the thick of a battle (that he is winning, by the way) for the American League MVP award. There are a number of players around MLB who may find themselves playing to take home some hardware since their team’s season will be ending.

This year, MLB will be handing out some awards in just about every imaginable category with the 2015 Esurance MLB Awards. According to the official voting page, the awards are explained thusly:

“The 2015 Esurance MLB Awards are officially sanctioned by Major League Baseball and its voting will culminate with a first-of-its-kind multi-platform special, The 2015 Esurance MLB Awards Show, airing Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on MLB Network and MLB.com.

Toronto Blue Jays

The 2015 Esurance MLB Awards represents a comprehensive award-balloting process based on nearly two months of voting, encompassing the entire awards season. The five different groups of voters — fans, members of the baseball media, club front-office personnel, former MLB players and Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) members — each count for 20 percent of the winner selection. Winners in each category will receive the trophy known as the GIBBY (Greatness in Baseball).”

Tuesday was the first day of voting and the early categories for fans to consider include Best Big Leaguer, Best Everyday Player, Best Pitcher and Best Rookie. There are a whole boat load of other awards that run the gamut from Best Manager to Best Interview to Best Catch to Best Social Media Personality and so much more! You can vote HERE.

On the first day of voting, your Toronto Blue Jays are well represented with at least one candidate in each of the early categories. It may not come as a surprise that the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays are getting some award love. This has been an electric year that has created a lot of buzz. Folks are standing up and taking notice.

Let’s take a look at how the Blue Jays stack up against the other nominees in each category. Feel free to chime in on where you think the hardware will go. Do your Blue Jays have a chance against the best of the best? Let’s see.

Next: And the Nominees for Best Big Leaguer Are...

August 22, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson  (20) comes up to hit in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Best Big Leaguer

This is a tough award to call given that it is meant to recognize the top overall star in MLB. It is quite the list. NL Cy Young candidate, Jake Arrieta and his 19-6 record are among your choices. His second half ERA is out of this world and he’s a big reason why the Cubs are hanging on. Yoenis Cespedes has been on fire since joining the New York Mets. It can be argued that he single handedly changed the NL East.

Of course, the usual names of players you would expect to see are there. Mike Trout is a nominee. Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw form the double headed dragon in Los Angeles and they’re on the list. Bryce Harper rides his amazing start to the 2015 season onto this list. That is not to take away from his whole season, but can you remember a start to the season like his? Canadian boy, Joey Votto also appears on this list. His 27 HR campaign has been sparked by a great second half. But, he might be a better choice for Best Bounceback Player after his 2014 season.

Toronto Blue Jays

But, of special interest to Blue Jays fans is the fact that not one, but two Blue Jays are nominated as the top star in baseball. Josh Donaldson and David Price represent Canada’s only team. Donaldson is having a monster year. Not only is he taking baseball by storm and carrying his team toward the post season, he is doing so after putting up a disappointing second half last season. When he was brought to Toronto, some pointed to that as reason to not be so optimistic about his contribution. Wonder where those folks are now.

Price has been worth every penny…er… prospect for the Blue Jays. He has been the dominant starter this club has been missing for years. Not since Roy Halladay have we seen a true ace around these parts. Price has been that, and more. We knew he was good, but he seems to have taken his game to another level. And, Blue Jays fans are loving it.

Is it enough for him to take home the GIBBY? The votes will tell us. Could the two Blue Jays lead the pack? They are up against some stiff competition. Perhaps, if someone on this list wins Best Pitcher or Best Everyday Player, that frees up this one. But, should it? Let’s not make this into a big debate like the All Star voting. It’s fun.

Next: And the Nominees for Best Everyday Player Are...

August 22, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) celebrates after he hits a three run home run in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Best Everyday Player

Again, we find the name of Blue Jays third baseman, Josh Donaldson. Separating the players into “Everyday” and “Pitcher” is a good idea. It is difficult to compare the job Donaldson has done to that of, say, Arrieta. Can you compare 40 HR to 20 wins? Not easily. So, instead, the Bringer of Rain gets the nod in another category.

And, he’ll face some pretty stuff competition here as well. Nelson Cruz is having another incredible year as the Seattle Mariners’ DH. He’s collected 41 HR and is hitting .311 on a rather disappointing Seattle team. If he were getting any kind of help, the club might be in a different position. This is interesting because you have to look at what your definition of an everyday player is. Does DH count for you?

Toronto Blue Jays

Andrew McCutchen is putting another good season together. It might not be MVP worthy, but it is still solid. Anthony Rizzo of the Chicago Cubs is also nominated. Buster Posey and his .327 average make the list. His average is nice, but his power numbers (17HR) don’t really compare to the others on this list.

Donaldson will also be joined by fellow Best Big Leaguer nominees Mike Trout, Joey Votto, Bryce Harper and Yoenis Cespedes. But, also joining him on both ballots is the Diamondbacks’ All Star, Paul Goldschmidt. His batting numbers stack up well, but he also adds 21 stolen bases, which is something he has over most of the other nominees. Blue Jays fans will also notice that Orioles’ 3B, Manny Machado is nominated. Blue Jays fans would likely have strong feelings about his winning this thing.

Does Donaldson impress you enough to vote for him? Probably. But, will all voters feel the same way? The argument can be made that he is the talk of baseball. He has contributed heavily to his team winning. Many of his HR and RBI have given his team the lead or have come in tight situations. Of course, we can be blinded by the “home town” effect, too. Which is why you should get out and vote.

Next: And the Nominees for Best Pitcher Are...

Aug 27, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher David Price (14) in dugout during a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Best Starting Pitcher

Man, when you look at the nominees for Best Starting Pitcher, you see a lot of talent. Big Time. You also see a lot of dollar signs. There is a reason these guys are paid so much. They’re good. Shocking, I know. But, what might surprise you with this list is the young talent. Chris Archer, Sonny Gray and Jake Arrieta are among the best in the business. Each has had his own level of success. Archer has been arguably the lone bright spot for the Tampa Bay Rays. He always seems to baffle the Blue Jays.

Toronto Blue Jays

Gray has been the target of many GMs, fantasy or otherwise. Imagine how many calls Billy Beane has taken (and rejected) for him. But, he’s fallen off the pace in comparison. He’s still really good, but when asked to choose the BEST pitcher in baseball, fans will likely vote elsewhere. deGrom is following up his 2014 Rookie of the Year with 184 strike outs in 176 innings. But, is it enough?

But, this list belongs to the big boys. Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw combine for a whopping 31-9 record and 446 whiffs! Kershaw has 264 of his own. In Seattle, Felix Hernandez is strolling right along with yet another solid season. His 17-8 record has him tied for 3rd most on this list. Madison Bumgarner leads the way with 18. We should not be surprised to see one of these guys win.

And then there is David Price. He’s always been good. He was having another good season in Detroit. But, since he’s come to Toronto, he has been that much better. He’s totaled a 15-5 record and an ERA of 2.46. His numbers fit quite nicely with the rest of this list. But, in comparison, he may fall behind the likes of Dallas Keuchel who very well could ride his hot first half. Likely, one of the above will take this award home. Unless, Blue Jays fans show up en masse. He certainly stands a better shot than Chris Sale of the White Sox or Max Scherzer of the Nationals. Right?

Next: And the Nominees for Best Rookie Are...