Red Sox Stars Named Finalists For Two Major Awards
Now that the World Series is over, it’s officially awards season across MLB.
The Boston Red Sox have already taken home some hardware this offseason, with outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela both winning Rawlings Gold Glove awards. The Red Sox may not be done collecting trophies, either, as they have finalists for two major BBWAA awards.
Not surprisingly, Roman Anthony was named one of three finalists for the AL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year award, while Garrett Crochet is one of three finalists for the AL Cy Young award.
Anthony, 21, was one of the best players in baseball after debuting in June. While he only played 71 games before suffering a season-ending oblique injury in early September, he still compiled 3.1 WAR while batting .292/.396/.463 with eight homers, 32 RBI and 48 runs.
The former top prospect emerged as Boston’s best hitter after the stunning Rafael Devers trade in June, carrying the offense for three months and helping the Red Sox turn their season around. The team had a 44-27 record with him in the lineup compared to a 45-46 record without him.
The other two finalists are Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson, both from the Athletics. The winner will be announced on Nov. 10.
Meanwhile, Grochet was one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, leading Boston’s rotation from start to finish with an MVP-caliber season. He flourished in his first year with the Red Sox, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA and an MLB-leading 255 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings.
Like Anthony, Crochet was also critical to Boston’s success this year. The Red Sox were 23-9 when he started and 66-64 when he didn’t. He also earned the team’s lone postseason win, dominating the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series.
A two-time All-Star, this is Crochet’s first time as a Cy Young finalist. The other finalists are reigning winner Tarik Skubal and Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown. The winner will be announced on Nov. 12.