Comeback Player of the Year

Comeback Player of the Year is an annual award that is given to one player in each league who has “re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season.” The winners are selected by a panel of beat reporters. The votes are tallied as follows: first place votes are worth five points, second place votes are worth three points and third place votes are worth one and the player with the most points is given the award.


Year NL Winner Pos Team AL Winner Pos Team
2022 Albert Pujols DH / 1B St. Louis Cardinals Justin Verlander SP Houston Astros
2021 Buster Posey C San Francisco Giants Trey Mancini 1B / DH Baltimore Orioles
2019 Josh Donaldson 3B Atlanta Braves Carlos Carrasco RHP Cleveland Indians
2018 Jonny Venters LHP Atlanta Braves David Prices LHP Boston Red Sox
2017 Greg Holland RHP Colorado Rockies Mike Moustakas 3B Kansas City Royals
2016 Anthony Rendon 3B Washington Nationals Rick Porcello SP Boston Red Sox
2015 Matt Harvey SP New York Mets Prince Fielder DH Texas Rangers
2014 Casey McGehee 3B Miami Marlins Chris Young SP Seattle Mariners
2013 Francisco Liriano SP Pittsburgh Pirates Mariano Rivera RP New York Yankees
2012 Buster Posey C San Francisco Giants Fernando Rodney RP Tampa Bay Rays
2011 Lance Berkman OF St. Louis Cardinals Jacoby Ellsbury OF Boston Red Sox
2010 Tim Hudson SP Atlanta Braves Francisco Liriano SP Minnesota Twins
2009 Chris Carpenter SP St. Louis Cardinals Aaron Hill 2B Toronto Blue Jays
2008 Brad Lidge RP Philadelphia Phillies Cliff Lee SP Cleveland Indians
2007 Dmitri Young 1B Washington Nationals Carlos Pena 1B Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2006 Nomar Garciaparra 1B Los Angeles Dodgers Jim Thome DH Chicago White Sox
2005 Ken Griffey OF Cincinnati Reds Jason Giambi 1B / DH New York Yankees