Tag Archives: Players Choice Awards

Nelson Cruz Reportedly Agrees to One-Year, $13 Million Contract with Minnesota Twins

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Nelson Cruz is twinning again…

The 40-year-old professional baseball player, a designated hitter and right fielder, and the Minnesota Twins are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $13 million contract, according to ESPN.

Nelson Cruz

Cruz has been a linchpin of the Bomba Squad Twins‘ lineup. And he’ll be back right in the middle of it in 2021.

The slugger, who hit .303 with 16 home runs, 33 RBIs and a career-high OPS+ (169) in the pandemic-shortened season, finished sixth in the American League MVP voting and was selected as the Marvin Miller Man of Year in the annual Players Choice Awards.

The award goes to the player whom his peers “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community.” Cruz donated a fire engine and an ambulance and helped build a police station in his hometown of Las Matas de Santa Cruz in the Dominican Republic, and his Boomstick 23 Foundation has contributed wheelchairs and crutches, and he set up a clinic to provide medical and dental care.

His mission to help his hometown and other towns in the Dominican Republic led to him receiving the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award at the 2020 ESPYS.

Cruz played last season on a $12 million deal after swatting a team-high 41 home runs while reaching 108 RBIs in 2019, despite two stints on the injured list for a wrist problem. He has reached the 40-homer mark four times in his career; Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth hold the all-time mark with five seasons. Cruz also was the 57th player in major league history to reach 400 career home runs.

His .992 OPS in 2020 ranked fourth in the AL and was the fifth-best mark in MLB history by a player in his age-39 season or older, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. And he led all major leaguers with a 1.182 OPS on pitches in the strike zone over the past two seasons.

From 2014 to 2018, no player in the majors hit more home runs than Cruz (203). In 16 major league seasons, Cruz, a six-time MLB All-Star who has three Silver Slugger Awards, has hit 417 home runs with 1,152 RBIs and a .278 batting average for the Twins, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.

Altuve Claims Three Players Choice Awards, Incl. MLB Player of the Year

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Jose Altuve had a remarkable year… And, he’s got the hardware to prove it.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball, a second baseman for the Houston Astros, picked up three awards at this year’s Players Choice Awards, as announced by the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Jose Altuve

Altuve took home the MLB Player of the Year award, as well as the American League‘s Most Outstanding Player prize. Mookie Betts and David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox were the finalists for Player of the Year, while Betts and Mike Trout were finalists for AL Most Outstanding Player.

For the second straight year, Altuve also won the Majestic “Always Game” Award, “given to the player who — game in and game out — constantly exhibits grit, tenacity, perseverance and hustle; all for the benefit of his teammates and fans.”

In one of the best individual seasons in Astros history, Altuve batted an AL-best .338 and set career highs in home runs (24), on-base percentage (.396), slugging percentage (.531) and games played (161). He was previously named The Sporting News‘ MLB Player of the Year, which is also voted on by the players.

Meanwhile, Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died in a boating accident in September, was voted the National League Comeback Player of the Year by his peers in the annual awards.

Fernandez was the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year, had Tommy John surgery the following year, returned in July 2015 and was 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA this season, earning his second All-Star selection.

He died at age 24 on Sept. 25, and autopsy reports released by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office said he had cocaine and alcohol in his system when his boat crashed into a Miami Beach jetty.

Balloting among big league players took place in mid-September and results were announced Wednesday.