The 26th annual Players Choice Award winners were revealed Wednesday on MLB Network for a second consecutive year. Among the honorees include Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger, who was recognized for his historic rookie campaign at the plate and on the field.
Each award was voted on by players in both the American and National League. Winners of the two most prestigious honors, Player of the Year and Marvin Miller Man of the Year, received a $50,000 grant from the Players Trust for a charity of their choice.
The additional winners earned a $20,000 grant for a charity of their choice. A total of $260,000 in grants was awarded this year, extending the all-time amount to approximately $4.7 million dating back to 1992.
Player of the Year: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
It was a magical year for the Houston Astros star, who led the AL in batting average (.346) and hits (204). Altuve accumulated a career-best 8.3 WAR (Baseball-Reference) and went on to slug seven home runs in 18 postseason games — capping off his incredible season with a World Series championship.
Altuve is additionally in the running for AL MVP Award, which will be announced on Nov. 15.
Marvin Miller Man of the Year: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
The Cubs’ first baseman was honored for his contributions on the field and in the community. Rizzo clubbed 32 doubles and 32 home runs during the regular season and posted an .899 on-base plus slugging over 691 trips to the plate.
Rizzo created the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation in 2012 after overcoming Hodgkin lymphoma, and raised millions of dollars this season for various hospitals that treat patients with the same disease.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was honored as Marvin Miller Man of the Year in 2014. Previous winners include Curtis Granderson (2016), Adam Jones (2015) and Mariano Rivera (2013).
AL Outstanding Player: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
To no surprise, Altuve was named AL Outstanding Player by his peers. He slashed .346/.410/.547 in 662 plate appearances during the regular season and earned his fifth All-Star selection. The 27-year-old added 32 stolen bases and scored 112 runs over the course of the regular season.
NL Outstanding Player: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
Stanton, who’s also a finalist for the MVP award, earned NL Outstanding Player honors.
He led the league in home runs (59), RBI (132) and slugging percentage (.631). The 28-year-old slugged 18 of those home runs in the month of April alone, and posted 7.6 WAR, per Baseball-Reference’s calculations.
AL Outstanding Pitcher: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians ace was named AL Outstanding Pitcher behind a Major League-best 18 wins, 2.25 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.
Kluber added 265 strikeouts over 203.2 innings and allowed an AL-low 6.2 hits and 1.6 walks per nine. His efforts on the mound equated to career-best 8.0 WAR, and he’s among the three finalists for AL Cy Young honors.
NL Outstanding Pitcher: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
The NL Outstanding Pitcher honor belongs to Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer.
The 33-year-old went 16-6 and posted a 2.51 ERA, 2.90 FIP and 0.90 WHIP with a league-best 268 strikeouts to 55 walks in 200.2 innings. Scherzer allowed the fewest hits per nine (5.7) and racked up 7.1 WAR over 31 starts — including a league-best two complete games.
Scherzer is one of three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award. Should he win, it would be his third such honor since the 2013 season.
AL Outstanding Rookie: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
The New York Yankees star was named AL Outstanding Rookie following a historic 2017 season.
In 678 plate appearances, Judge slashed .284/.422/.627 with 24 doubles and an AL-best 52 home runs. He drew a league-high 127 walks and accumulated 8.1 WAR.
Along with Altuve, Judge is a finalist for the AL MVP award.
NL Outstanding Rookie: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers
Bellinger, who was called up to the Majors in late April, enjoyed an unprecedented debut campaign for the Dodgers that earned him NL Outstanding Rookie honors.
Over 548 trips to the plate, the 22-year-old clubbed 26 doubles and 39 home runs — driving in 97 RBI to boot. Bellinger set the NL rookie home run record and displayed above-average defense at four different positions.
AL Comeback Player: Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals
In the wake of an injury-plagued 2016 season, Moustakas rebounded in a big way and was named AL Comeback Player.
The now-free agent posted an .835 OPS for the Kansas City Royals this season behind 24 doubles and 38 home runs over 598 plate appearances. He was additionally selected to his second All-Star team and tallied 151 total hits.
NL Comeback Player: Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
After a disappointing 2016 campaign in which he posted career-lows in nearly every category, Ryan Zimmerman earned NL Comeback Player honors for his improved play.
In 576 trips to the plate for the Washington Nationals, Zimmerman batted .303/.358/.573 with 33 doubles, 33 home runs and 108 RBI. He was selected to the All-Star team for the first time since 2009 and racked up 2.7 WAR in his age-33 season.
