Vladimir Guerrero Jr. named Sporting News American League Comeback Player of the Year

With the baseball calendar coming to a close, award season is just beginning, and the Sporting News were one of the first to give out their annual honours. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the sole Blue Jay to given a nod by the outlet, winning American League Comeback Player of the Year for his outstanding 2024.

Guerrero was coming off back-to-back underwhelming seasons in 2022 and 2023, where he slashed just .269/.342/.462 for a 125 OPS+, a significant dip from his 2021 campaign where his 167 OPS+ led the AL.

As the title of the award would suggest, he bounced back in a major way, slashing .323/.396/.544 with a 166 OPS+ that ranked fifth in MLB and was a 50-point jump from his 2023 mark. Despite a brutal April and March that saw the 25-year-old first baseman hit just .229 and record a .678 OPS, Guerrero was absolutely dominant down the stretch and finished just one hit shy of the big 200, and recorded his third 30 home run season of his career. He drastically improved on his 2023 season in almost every possible category, notably jumping from just 2.0 rWAR to 6.2 in 2024.

While the award is often given to players who are returning from injury rather than simply players who struggled the previous year, like the National League's winner Chris Sale, who pitched his first full season since 2017, there's no doubt that Guerrero is a worthy recipient. Following 2021, he looked like a lock to be one of the best players in baseball for years to come, and although he was still an above-average hitter in 2022 and 2023, it was still a far cry from what he was expected to be.

2024 was more than just a comeback performance, it was a reminder of the type of game-changer he can be. His performance becomes even more impressive when you consider the circumstances surrounding this season for the Blue Jays. As the team crumbled around him, Guerrero had little to no lineup protection and had more resting on his back than ever, even spending some time significant time at third base, something he hadn't done since his rookie year in 2019. While 2024 was a disaster for Toronto by most measures, their best hitter refusing to let it get to him was a much-needed bright spot.

While the nominees and winners for the main MLB awards have yet to be announced, Guerrero should be considered one of the favourites for their Comeback Player of the Year award. No matter what though, 2024 was a huge bounce back from one of baseball's brightest young stars.