Every year around this time I begin the season long process
of completely embarrassing myself by trying to predict the major award winners,
playoff teams, and World Series victor before the season even begins. This
season will be no different and I will start the 2015 prediction show by
predicting the Comeback Player of the Year Awards for both leagues. I should,
and wanted to, pick Alex Rodriguez for the American League side of the award
but I feel like most would stop reading and remove your bookmark for the blog
so rest assured, it’s safe to keep reading.
For the American League I am going to stay with the Yankees,
I’m a homer sometimes what can I say, and I am going to pick Masahiro Tanaka.
There aren’t many comeback trail type stories except for Barry Zito’s this
season so I will go with the player that is coming back from a partially torn
ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow in 2014. I believe Tanaka,
after following the diagnosis and advice of four highly acclaimed doctors, did
the right thing in resting and rehabbing the elbow rather than going under the knife
and will show the dividends of that decision in 2015. Tanaka has altered his
mechanics a bit and added more of an attack to his repertoire with the addition
of a two-seam fastball that he will use more consistently and should be better
physically. The results have looked great thus far in spring training despite
what the stat line says as the velocity is consistent with what it was last
year before the injury and the command and control is as crisp as ever. I may
be totally forgetting someone and it may just be the Yankees fan in me but I am
going with Tanaka as my Comeback Player of the Year in 2015.
For the National League I thought about going with Ryan
Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals or Matt Harvey for the New York Mets but
I ultimately decided on Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies. Why you ask?
For the first time in his career the Rockies are at least toying with the idea
of trading Gonzalez and/or Troy Tulowitzki out of Colorado to a contender.
Every player wants to win and having a big season so he can be traded to a
playoff contender is the ultimate motivator. Gonzalez has done nothing to make
you believe this is going to come true so this may be a bit of a bold
prediction but I get these wrong nine times out of ten anyway so go big or go
home, just like Gonzalez is going to this season.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)