A great comeback?

The MLB Comeback Player of the Year award debuted in 2005. Since then, we have seen several players who have re-emerged on the field to win the award. In 2023, the NL Comeback Player of the Year award winner is Cody Bellinger. Meanwhile, in the AL, Liam Hendriks won the award.

It’s interesting and inspiring to see these 2 players win the award. Cody Bellinger won the 2019 NL MVP award but had struggled from 2020 to 2022. He was non-tendered by the Dodgers and chose to sign a one-year deal with the Cubs. In 2023, he slashed .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI. However, Liam Hendriks’ story is quite different. He beat the cancer and returned to the mound last May. Nonetheless, there are just more challenges ahead. He underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2023. In total, Hendriks made 5 relief appearances in 2023, posting a 5.40 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP over 5 innings.

While seeing Hendriks’ performances in 2023, I began to think about a question. Are there many relievers who won the Comeback Player of the Year award?

To understand a little bit more, I decided to check on the great baseball reference website.

Firstly, Brad Lidge won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2008. It was his first season with the Phillies. Lidge made 72 relief appearances and collected 41 saves. He owned a 1.95 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP over 69.1 innings.

In addition, Fernando Rodney was the 2012 AL Comeback Player of the Year award winner. In 20212, he had a fantastic season. Rodney made 76 relief appearances and picked up 48 saves. Moreover, he had a 0.60 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP over 74.2 innings. The next year, the winner was the best reliever of all-time. Mariano Rivera made 64 relief appearances and tossed 64 innings in 2023, which was his last season in the majors. He finished the season with a 2.11 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Furthermore, he collected 44 saves.

Finally, in 2017, Greg Holland won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. He collected 41 saves during the regular season. Additionally, he owned a 3.61 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP over 57.1 innings. The next season, the award winner in the NL was Jonny Venters. He had a 3.67 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP through 34.1 innings.

While looking at these relievers who won the Comeback Player of the Year award, they each told a good story. Brad Lidge and Fernando Rodney came back from some tough seasons to become one of the most reliable closers in the majors. Additionally, some players came back from injuries. For example, Mariano Rivera came back to the mound after undergoing ACL surgery. Moreover, Greg Holland and Jonny Venters each recovered from Tommy John surgery, in particular, Venters underwent 3 Tommy John surgeries. In 2023, Liam Hendriks won the award, nonetheless, there are still challenges. He underwent Tommy John surgery last August and it would be worth watching whether he will pitch in 2024. Hopefully, he will overcome those difficulties again.