Blue Jays awarded for epic ALDS inning
Bautista provides exclamation point with dramatic home run, bat flip
A postseason inning for the ages has earned the Blue Jays an Esurance MLB Award.
The Blue Jays took home one of the first awards of the day on Friday, when it was revealed on social media that they were the recipient of this year's Best Trending Topic Award.
It stems from the dramatic turn of events in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the American League Division Series, when the Rangers took a lead as Russell Martin's throw back to pitcher Aaron Sanchez hit Shin-Soo Choo's bat and rolled toward third base.
• Complete 2015 awards coverage
The play was soon rendered insignificant when, a half-inning later, Jose Bautista crushed a go-ahead homer -- then famously launched an emphatic bat flip that was quickly immortalized on social media.
As a winner, the Blue Jays will receive a Greatness in Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) trophy.
The Giants' video remake of the opening credits of the '90s sitcom "Full House" was a finalist, along with an on-field dance from Astros mascot, Orbit.
The first four winners of the 24 awards were unveiled on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and MLB Fans during the day Friday, before the next 18 trophy winners were announced on MLB Network. Two final categories -- Best Manager and Best Executive -- will be announced at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn.
The Esurance MLB Awards annually honor Major League Baseball's greatest achievements as part of an industry-wide balloting process that includes five components, each of which accounts for 20 percent of the overall vote: media, front-office personnel, retired MLB players, fans at MLB.com and Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) voters.
Individual awards went to the Best Major Leaguer, in addition to the winners in the following categories: Best Everyday Player, Starting Pitcher, Rookie, Defensive Player, Breakout Player, Bounceback Player, Social Media Personality and Postseason Performer.
Winners were also recognized for the year's Best Offensive Play, Defensive Play, Moment, Single-Game Performance, Social Media Post, Celebrity Fan, Fan Catch, Video Board Moment, TV Call, Radio Call, Player-Fan Interaction and Interview.