Cruz, Felix, Miller receive BBWAA awards
Seattle trio honored in pregame ceremony
SEATTLE -- Nelson Cruz was named Mariners MVP, Felix Hernandez earned Mariners Pitcher of the Year honors and Brad Miller was selected as the Unsung Hero when the team's annual Baseball Writers Association of America awards were presented in a pregame ceremony at Safeco Field before Friday night's 4-2 loss to the A's.
Cruz has been among the American League leaders in home runs, slugging percentage and batting average all season in his first year with the club. He went 2-for-4 in Friday's game and has 44 homers on the season and a line of .303/.371/.569, one of the best offensive seasons in Mariners history.
• Is Cruz #AwardWorthy? Vote now for Best Everyday Player
Hernandez is a familiar winner in the BBWAA awards. This was his seventh time earning Pitcher of the Year honors, as he previously was selected from 2008-12 and in 2014. Hisashi Iwakuma broke his string by winning the honor in 2013.
Hernandez went 18-9 with a 3.53 ERA in 31 starts. The 18 wins are the second-most in his career and second in the AL this season to the Astros' Dallas Keuchel. He pitched 201 2/3 innings, exceeding 200 for an eighth straight season, while also leading the Mariners with 191 strikeouts and earning his sixth All-Star berth.
• Is Felix #AwardWorthy? Vote now for Best Starting Pitcher
Miller took home the Unsung Hero award after handling himself in a professional manner throughout a season when he lost his starting shortstop job, but played well in a utility role and then converted to center field and started there for the final month of the season despite never playing the outfield before in his professional career.
Miller went 3-for-3 on Friday and is hitting .258 with 10 homers and 46 RBIs in 142 games.
Worth noting
• The Mariners announced their Minor League Awards for 2015 on Friday, with first baseman Jesus Montero and outfielder Tyler O'Neill named Co-Players of the Year.
Montero hit .355 with 18 home runs, 85 RBIs and a .569 slugging percentage in 98 games with Triple-A Tacoma and was named to the All-Pacific Coast League team. O'Neill batted .260 with 32 homers in 106 games for Class A Advanced Bakersfield.
Right-hander Edwin Diaz, who split the season between Bakersfield and Double-A Jackson, was selected as Starting Pitcher of the Year. He was 7-10 with a 3.82 ERA in 27 starts between Bakersfield and Jackson with 145 strikeouts and 46 walks in 141 1/3 innings.
Left-handed reliever Paul Fry, who had nine saves and a 2.02 ERA in 50 outings between Bakersfield and Jackson, was Relief Pitcher of the Year, while outfielder Jabari Blash (Jackson and Tacoma) received the Heart and Soul Award for his exemplary play and leadership. Blash hit .271 with 32 homers in 116 games.
Those five players will be honored in a Saturday pregame ceremony at Safeco Field. The Mariners will also recognize Low-A Everett shortstop Drew Jackson, a fifth-round Draft pick out of Stanford who was named Northwest League Player of the Year after hitting .358 in 59 games for the AquaSox, along with Rob Mummau, who was named NWL Manager of the Year.