Bryce Harper said it was an "incredible honour" to be voted the NL’s Most Outstanding Player by his peers. (0:17).
Bryce Harper and Robbie Ray were among the players who won Players Choice Awards for the 2021 seasons. The Major League Baseball Players Association announced the awards on Thursday via ESPN. They are voted by the players.
Ray and Ohtani were named Outstanding Player/Outstanding Pitcher respectively for the American League. Harper and Scherzer won Outstanding Player/Outstanding Pitcher for National League. These honors are similar to the MVP/Cy Young awards, which are voted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
Ohtani was also named Player Of The Year by the MLBPA. This award is given to the player who exhibits the most outstanding on-field performance in any league.
Ohtani was also awarded the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award before the World Series. Ohtani put together an extraordinary season as a two way player for the Los Angeles Angels. He had a.965 OPS, 46 home runs, and 26 stolen bases as a hitter. Ohtani had a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130/3 innings as a pitcher.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays' first baseman, and Salvador Perez Jr., Kansas City Royals catcher finished second and third respectively. Harper was third, while Guerrero finished second to Ohtani for the Player of the Year Award.
Harper was named MVP for 2015 and led the NL OPS (1.044), weighted runs added (170), while finishing second in FanGraphs wins over replacement (6.6), and adding 35 home runs to the Philadelphia Phillies. Juan Soto, Washington Nationals outfielder, was named the runner up for the award. Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves third baseman and Fernando Tatis Jr., were tied for third.
John Middleton, Phillies owner, stated in a statement that Bryance's 2021 season was "one of the greatest in franchise history." "... We knew that we were signing Bryce when he was signed. We couldn't have been happier to have Bryce in Phillies pinstripes, as he continues to make an indelible impression on this great sport."
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Scherzer was traded from the Nationals and traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers midseason. He went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA, 236 strikeouts, in 179 1/3 innings. The 37-year old right-hander had the lowest walk rate, and the highest hit rate in the NL, and finished ahead Zack Wheeler and Corbin Burnes in the voting.
Ray enjoyed a resurgent season with the Blue Jays. His ERA dropped from 6.62 in 2020 down to 2.84 in 2021. Ray had 13 wins, a 1.05 earned run average and a league-leading 248 strikeouts over 193 1/3 innings. Gerrit Cole of New York Yankees finished second, and Lance Lynn of Chicago White Sox came in third.
Trey Mancini, Baltimore Orioles' first baseman, hit 21 home runs in his second season following Stage 3 colon cancer treatment. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants' catcher, was named Comeback Player of Year in his respective leagues. Posey and Mancini were both All-Stars after missing the 2020 season. Outstanding Rookie awards were won by Ryan Mountcastle of the Orioles and Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds, both left fielders who combined to hit 33 home runs.
Play 2:11 Mancini is thrilled to complete full season after beating cancer Trey Mancini joins SportsCenter for discussion about receiving the MLBPA AL Comeback Player of the Year award.
According to the MLBPA the Marvin Miller Man of the year Award is given to the player who "most inspires others to higher level of achievement." Marcus Semien, Blue Jays second baseman, received the award.
Mark Belanger spent 18 years in major leagues before becoming the first ex-player to work for the MLBPA. In 1983, he was awarded the Curt Flood Award. This award, according to MLBPA, was given to an ex-player "who, in the image Flood, demonstrated a selfless and longstanding devotion to the Players Association advancement of player's rights."
Belanger worked for the Union for 15 years, until he died in 1998 at 54. Before that, he was a trusted confidante to Miller, the long-serving exec who made the MLBPA one of the most powerful unions in America.
