Price, Kemp among Players Choice comeback finalists
Finalists were announced Tuesday afternoon for the 2018 Players Choice Awards' Comeback Player of the Year. Consideration is given to players whose careers were stalled by injury or by spending time away from the field.
Both the American League and National League have three finalists apiece as voted on by their peers throughout their respective leagues.
American League
| Name | Team | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Brantley | CLE | OF |
| David Price | BOS | P |
| Edwin Jackson | OAK | P |
Brantley was finally healthy, appearing in 143 games for the Cleveland Indians after playing in only 101 over the previous two seasons. He hit .309/.364/.468 with 17 home runs and 12 stolen bases.
Despite his postseason struggles, Price rebounded on the mound and avoided a prolonged absence due to injury after making 11 starts in 2017. He went 16-7 with a 3.58 ERA, and was especially impressive in the campaign's second half with a 2.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.
Jackson, meanwhile, proved effective after joining the Oakland Athletics in late June. He went 6-3 with a 3.33 ERA over 17 starts and pitched more innings than he has in any season since 2014.
National League
| Name | Team | Pos |
|---|---|---|
| Clay Buchholz | ARI | P |
| Miles Mikolas | STL | P |
| Matt Kemp | LAD | OF |
Injuries derailed Buchholz's first season away from Boston in 2017, when he appeared in just 7 1/3 innings. With a new home in 2018, Buchholz filled a gap in the Arizona Diamondbacks' rotation by going 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA over 16 starts.
The St. Louis Cardinals struck gold by prying Mikolas from his tenure pitching in Japan. He showed durability (200 2/3 innings), effectiveness (2.83 ERA), and issued walks less frequently than any other qualified pitcher in the majors (1.30 BB/9).
Kemp's return to the Los Angeles Dodgers came with next to no expectations. He proved doubters wrong, especially early on, hitting .310 with 15 home runs and 18 doubles in the season's first half. Kemp's remained on the Dodgers' roster through the first two rounds of the postseason.
The winners of all 10 Players Choice Awards will be announced Nov. 27. The winners and the second and third-place finishers will receive grants from the Major League Baseball Players' Trust to donate to charity.