2011 AL Comeback Player of the Year

After a remarkable season for a team that collapsed on the final day of the baseball calendar Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox was awarded the 2011 American League Comeback Player of the Year.

The 28-year-old centerfielder played in one hundred fifty-four games for Boston this year and posted a batting average of .321. To go along with that he drove in one hundred five runs while belting thirty-two homers, considerably more than his combined totals from 2009 and 2010 (zero home runs and five batted in for 2010, eight home runs and sixty batted in for 2009) With those impressive power numbers came thirty-nine stolen bases and finished with a major league-leading three hundred sixty-four total bases, a major league best eighty-three extra base hits, a third place finish in hits, and a tie for third in doubles and runs scored.

If it weren’t for the Red Sox blowing a nine-game lead in September Jacoby Ellsbury might have been in the running for the American League Most Valuable Player award. The statistics definitely put up a persuasive argument for it. When the official MVP award is announced we’ll see where Ellsbury finished. Was Jacoby valuable to his team? Of course he was. Was he the most valuable player in the league? Possibly.

After winning the award (voted on by the thirty MLB.com beat writers) Ellsbury Tweeted, “CB Player of the Year…tremendous honor. Thanks to writers who voted for me, my teammates and fans. Comeback wouldn’t have been possible without your support. Looking forward to next season to help get the Red Sox Nation back on top.” Tweets combined. Sent via Twitter for iPad.

Keep an eye on Call to the Pen to keep track of the official awards as well as the awards voted on by FanSided writers.

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