Bounceback award caps Prince's turnaround

ARLINGTON -- Another week brings another award for Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder. He has made a clean sweep this offseason of every award that could honor his remarkable comeback in 2015.

Fielder added another honor Friday night when he received the Esurance MLB Award for Best Bounceback Player. Fielder has already won Comeback Player of the Year from the Baseball Writers' Association of America and the Sporting News.

• Esurance MLB Awards: Best Bounceback Player

Fielder claimed the Bounceback award over a pair of former Rangers: Orioles first baseman Chris Davis and Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez. All were worthy candidates, but Fielder has been everybody's choice this winter.

Fielder earned the award after returning from season-ending neck surgery in 2014 to hit .305 with 23 home runs and 98 RBIs. He had a .378 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage. He was third in the league in hits, sixth in hitting and ninth in RBIs to help the Rangers win the American League West. He was selected to play in the All-Star Game for the sixth time in his career.

Acquired from Detroit on Nov. 20, 2013, Fielder played in just 42 games for the Rangers in 2014, hitting .247 with three home runs and 16 RBIs. His last game was May 16 and he underwent season-ending surgery May 27 for a cervical fusion of the C5-C6 discs in his neck.

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 were presented for 22 separate categories, including Best Major Leaguer, Everyday 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 and Fan Catch.

Manager and Executive winners will be announced at the Winter Meetings in December.

Nominees were judged on their bodies of work from the entire year -- from Opening Day through the postseason -- and selected after a careful review of all 30 clubs. Winners in all 24 categories receive a Greatness in Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) trophy.