Felix Hernandez and Chris Young win MLB Players Choice Awards
Felix named AL Most Outstanding Pitcher and Young named AL Comeback Player of the Year
SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle Mariners pitchers Felix Hernandez (American League Most Outstanding Pitcher) and Chris Young (American League Comeback Player of the Year) were recognized by their fellow players in the annual Major League Baseball Players Choice Awards.
Hernandez, 28, was named the American League Outstanding Pitcher by his peers to earn his first Players Choice Award. He led the AL with a 2.14 ERA and a 0.915 WHIP while yielding a league-low 6.5 hits per nine innings over 34 starts for the Mariners. Felix went 15-6 with 248 strikeouts in his 10th season in the Majors.
Young, 35, returned to the Majors for the first time since 2012 to go 12-9 with a 3.65 ERA (67 ER, 165.0 IP) in 30 games/29 starts with the Mariners. The 6-10 right-hander did not pitch in the Majors in 2013 after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. From 2009-2012, Young made just 42 Major League starts battling various shoulder injuries.
This is the first Players Choice Award for a Mariners player since Ichiro was selected as the AL Outstanding Player in 2004.
The Players Choice Awards, presented by PlayStation, benefit the Major League Baseball Players Trust, the charitable foundation created and run by the players themselves. Players Choice Awards have been presented each year since 1992.
2014 Players Choice Award Winners:
American League:
Outstanding Player: Mike Trout (LA Angels)
Outstanding Pitcher: Felix Hernandez (Seattle)
Outstanding Rookie: Jose Abreu (Chicago White Sox)
Comeback Player: Chris Young (Seattle)
National League:
Outstanding Player: Giancarlo Stanton (Miami)
Outstanding Pitcher: Clayton Kershaw (LA Dodgers)
Outstanding Rookie: Jacob deGrom (NY Mets)
Comeback Player: Casey McGehee (Miami)
Player of Year: Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles)
Man of the Year: Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles)