Mark Trumbo has been awarded the 2016 American League Comeback Player of the Year by Sporting News. Trumbo smashed a major league high 47 home runs and led the Baltimore Orioles with 108 runs batted in. The 30-year-old slugger was also named to his second All-Star team and participated in the Home Run Derby, getting eliminated by the eventual champion, Giancarlo Stanton.
The Orioles acquired Trumbo in the offseason via a trade with the Seattle Mariners. He played in Seattle and Arizona last year, hitting 22 homers and 64 RBI with both teams. This season he set career highs in almost every offensive category — production that the Orioles were not expecting, but were surely grateful for during the season.
Trumbo was an essential piece for the Orioles to win 89 games and appear in the AL Wild Card game. Trumbo homered and drove in two runs in the sole wild card game, however, the Orioles came up short 5-2 as the Toronto Blue Jays advanced to the division series.
This year marked the fourth consecutive year an Orioles player led the league in home runs. Chris Davis led the league with 53 homers in 2013 and 47 home runs in 2015. Nelson Cruz was the home run leader in 2014, hitting 40. Trumbo is now the third player in franchise history to win the Sporting News’ comeback award, joining Boog Powell (1966) and Rick Sutcliffe (1992).
Trumbo beat out Texas Rangers outfielder Ian Desmond by a single vote. The award is decided by 174 AL player votes and Trumbo received 40 of them. Teammate Chris Tillman received four votes after a 16-win season and 3.77 earned run average. Former Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was awarded the National League Comeback Player of the Year. Fernandez was tragically killed in a boating accident on September 25 after a 16-8 season and a 2.86 ERA.
The Orioles have a decision this offseason concerning the comeback player of the year. Trumbo will become a free agent if the team does not re-sign him. He made $9.15 million this season on a one-year deal but is expected to receive much higher offers this offseason. Trumbo is that last player since Cruz in ’14 to lead to league in homers and be eligible for free agency the following year.
Josh Belanger is the Nationals and Orioles writer for Outside Pitch Sports Network. You can connect with him on Facebook and also on Twitter.
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