Players/managers listed as "Also Considered" is a combination of those who received votes from our panel and those whom I at least contemplated for more than a moment. The White Sox (-115) have leapfrogged the Twins (+140) as pre-season Central favorites, and there are several key questions the Twinkies have heading into the 2021 campaign. Bleacher Report's 2021 Midseason MLB Awards Kerry Miller July 15, 2021 Shohei Ohtani Elaine Thompson/Associated Press The 2021 Major League Baseball season is approximately 56 percent. Soto also recorded the highest rates by a qualified hitter since Barry Bonds in 2004 in on-base percentage (.490), slugging percentage (.695), OPS (1.185) and wRC+ (201). deGrom may not have won a third consecutive NL Cy Young Award in 2020, but hes still arguably the favorite to take home that award when he returns to the field in 21. And, by the way, Mancini singled in that first at-bat. Whit Merrifield often describes Mondesi as having MVP-type talent. Maybe in 2021, fully healthy and playing a whole season, that evaluation comes to fruition. The Yankees brought him to New York to be the best pitcher in baseball. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip), Hickey looks on, before the team's spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros, Tuesday, March 9, 2021, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky), solo home run against the Houston Astros in the third inning of a baseball game in Seattle, in this Tuesday, June 4, 2019, file photo. He's five home runs behind Shohei Ohtani and four stolen bases behind Whit Merrifield, so he probably won't wind up leading the majors in both categories. MLB Awards: 2020 results, all-time winners. Sixto Sanchez was supposed to be Miami's NL ROY candidate, but he has not pitched this season and has already undergone season-ending shoulder surgery. In fact, its fair to say that Hayes will enter '21 as the favorite to take home the award after slashing .376/.442/.682 with five homers, seven doubles and two triples on his way to winning NL Rookie of the Month honors in September. Presented annually to one player in each league since 2005, the Comeback Player of the Year Award aims to honor an individual who re-emerged on the field during each season. He had trouble with walks, but he also only struck out six batters per nine innings -- far, far below what he was doing in the Minors. Per DraftKings, the San Francisco Giants had a preseason win total over/under line of 75.5, good for fifth-lowest in the National League. It could be an award-worthy sort of combination. For more VegasInsider resources, check out our NFL Odds and NFL Futures Odds pages!. Can Byron Buxton deliver value on both sides of the ball? Skubal and Casey Mize retain their rookie eligibility for next season, having been called up Aug. 18 and 19, respectively. Coming off of an Achilles tear in 2021, Graham recorded a career-high 11.0 sacks in 2022. The Comeback Player of the Year Award was awarded by The Sporting News every season from 1965 to 2006, with one award given in each league every season. Flaherty was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2019, thanks to his historic second half of the season that saw him finish fifth in NL Cy Young voting. He remains an elite player and will be only 27 years old on Opening Day. Marlins: Jess Luzardo, LHPThe Marlins couldnt have been that surprised by Luzardos struggles in his 12 starts for them last year: Those struggles were why they were able to trade for him, after all. Comeback Player of the Year: Dak Prescott, QB Dallas Cowboys There is absolutely no doubt that Dak Prescott has had the best comeback performance of the year. He wouldnt spend 20 on the field. With the NBA regular season more than half over, this is an exciting time for hard-core hoop heads, who have a chance to get some real value on the best 2022-23 NBA awards odds. He placed fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2020, going 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 12 starts, owning a share of the big league lead in both complete games and shutouts. In just 87 games, he had 27 homers and 78 RBIs while hitting .313/.412/.655. He set plenty of postseason rookie records along the way, too, but with his rookie status still intact through '21, Arozarena has to be the favorite for the AL Rookie of the Year Award, even with all of the young talent on the cusp across the big leagues. The Orioles' Trey Mancini and the Giants' Buster Posey were named MLB's Comeback Players of the Year for 2021 on Monday. Alcantaras slider, a big pitch for him, has improved, as well. 2021. Mancini is the first Orioles player to claim the honor; he also earned the same distinction from his peers in October. RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers. American League Manager was the only one without a clear consensus, so let's start there. Here is a look at four other major leaguers looking to bounce back in 2021: Tampa, Fla.: New York Yankees starting pitcher right-hander Corey Kluber throwing against the [+] Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the second inning of a spring training game at the George M Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., on March 3, 2021. The Baltimore Orioles hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Grapefruit League opener at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla. Orioles first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini stepped to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and received a big ovation from the socially distanced crowd. But there are plenty of opportunities to change that in 2021. A case in point came on the first day of Major League Baseballs exhibition season last month. Their improvements should bode well for Posey, who will be entering the final year of his contract. Even if he misses that deadline, hes a heavy favorite for Comeback Player of the Year honors after sitting out all of '20 to undergo chemotherapy treatment. His stats took a step back in '20, but that was for reasons largely out of his control: A coronavirus outbreak in the organization paused the Cardinals season and caused Flaherty to go more than three weeks without pitching. Only four guys (Brandon Crawford, Wilmer Flores, Austin Slater and Mike Yastrzemski) have played in at least 75 percent of the team's games (67 games). Suffice it to say, not many folks thought San Francisco would be sitting at the All-Star break with the best record in baseball (57-32), yet here they are. Even though he hit for power in the minors, it's almost hard to believe he's even in the majors right now, let alone as an All Star. I know there are other guys coming back from injuries, but to come back from [colon cancer] is amazing.. That also meant he didnt appear with the other qualifying pitchers as voters perused statistical leaderboards while filling out their ballots. Joe Burrow (+700) 4. From 2010-17, Posey was a regular recipient of NL MVP votes. He made just two starts in 2020 before underdoing season-ending carpal tunnel surgery to relieve numbness in his pitching hand. But after a delayed start to the '20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chapman battled injuries and struggled to get into a good rhythm, with his season coming to an end on Sept. 12 after learning he needed season-ending hip surgery. And even after his spectacular season, Bieber said he has plenty of room left to grow, including perfecting his changeup. You can always try again. So where does the slugging left-hander go from here? He's also more patient at the plate these days, drawing walks at a career-best rate of 13.3 percent, which in turn translates to a career-best on-base percentage of .421. It's clear the 2010 first-round pick still has plenty left in the tank following his showing in 2022. Bieber showed just how lethal his repertoire can be after adding a cutter to create more separation between his fastball and breaking pitches. The Yankees would love to find out. The prognostications for Chapman made sense given the year he was coming off of in 2019, when he earned his first All-Star selection and appeared in his first Home Run Derby in a campaign that saw him slash .249/.342/.506 with a career-high 36 home runs and 91 RBIs while also capturing the Gold and Platinum Glove Awards for a second straight year. By the end of the season, the 29-year-old first baseman had played in 147 games, batting .255 with 21 homers, 71 RBIs and 77 runs scored. But, we are down to three players, all deserving for a nomination. But Rodon's excellent spring (13.2 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 16 K) coupled with a disastrous spring training for Lopez (11 ER in 11 IP) gave Rodonthe No. And Manny Machado finished third in NL MVP voting in '20. Amid the challenges of a global pandemic, Mancini underwent six months of chemotherapy treatments at John Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. Unfortunately, he put up the highest ERA over his career, at 4.37. The Pirates focus for now is on building a better future, and theres no doubt Hayes will be a part of it. He signed a one-year, $11-million contract as a free agent in the offseason. Though he is coming off his worst finish in the balloting for AL MVP, finishing fifth in the shortened 2020 season, Trout is showing no signs of slowing down and he should put up monster numbers yet again in '21. Rangers: Kole Calhoun, OFThe Rangers brought in two stars in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, but theres also a lot of upside to be had from Calhoun, who was terrific from 2019-20 in Anaheim and Arizona before injuries knocked him out last year. Analyzing the betting odds for MLB's major awards, including Cy Young, MVP, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year. Rick Scuteri/USA Today Sports Mookie Betts has the next-best odds at +900 after slugging a career-high 35 home runs in 2022. A bit later in the month, he hit three home runs in the span of four innings in a win over the Diamondbacks. Maybe they can shake more of that back out of him. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. But it was rough sledding getting to that point, and he ended up with 106 strikeouts in 377 plate appearances. The designated hitter wound up having surgery on both knees. Betting on those odds with the Caesars Sportsbook Kansas Promo Code ROTOFULL will give new users a $1,250 first bet on Caesars to use on any open sports betting market with no restrictions on odds or . Betts surprised manager Dave Roberts with the power generated by an undersized body. He is also still a bargain as his salary will be close to the major league minimum of $570,500 this season as he does not yet have the requisite service time to be eligible for salary arbitration. Burnes managed to finish sixth in 2020 NL Cy Young Award balloting after his candidacy took a painful hit in his final regular-season start, when an oblique injury not only spoiled his bid to be the first Brewers pitcher to win an ERA title, but left him one-third of an inning -- thats right, one measly out -- shy of qualifying for the honor. But along the way, too, just watching opposing players, when he was playing first base, youd see a guy get to first base and the interaction there, with how much respect Trey has around the league. And here are the top five betting favorites for MVP and Cy Young in both leagues entering the season (odds via William Hill Sportsbook): AL MVP Mike Trout: +200 Alex Bregman: +1100 Aaron Judge:. Because of MLB's rookie eligibility rules being prorated given the shortened 2020 season, many players you grew familiar with a year ago are still rookie eligible, making the pool of . But Gregorius put up the worst numbers of an already-sort-of-inconsistent career in 2021 (.639 OPS). That didnt happen (.689 OPS), but hes still got talent vibrating off him. MLB Oct 23, 2021 How to Watch Braves Vs. Astros in 2021 World Series Below, we look at the odds to be named the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year, with NFL picks, predictions and best bets. Martinez, AL Comeback Player of Year. Flaherty will be eyeing a more consistent year in '21. Still just 23 years old, the Astros believe Alvarez can be one of their key players for years to come. He still has the smarts and precision to return to himself, though. Considering his five-tool skill set, theres no reason to believe Tatis wont be in the forefront of the MVP discussion next year -- and in the future. Baltimore Orioles' Trey Mancini runs to first base in a spring training exhibition baseball game [+] against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Fla., Monday, March 22, 2021. Tony La Russa has won three World Series and four Manager of the Year awards, although he hasn't manned an MLB dugout since 2011 in St. Louis. Last year's postseason hero hasn't quite set the world on fire in 2021 like he did last October. The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner is attempting to get his career back on track with the New York Yankees. NFL Comeback Player of the Year Odds 1. Martinez loved playing for Cora and the two have already started brainstorming about a plan for a rebound season. Going into the 2019 All-Star break, Darvish had made 26 starts since signing a lucrative free-agent contract with the Cubs. Visit: DraftKings >> Claim a $50 free bet and a 20% deposit match bonus up to $1,000. But this was supposed to be a perpetual MVP candidate. Guardians: Triston McKenzie, RHPHeading into last year, you wondered whether the lanky, powerful McKenzie was going to become the next Cleveland pitcher to come up through their system and turn himself into an ace. Alcantaras four-seam fastball averaged 96.8 mph this year and his sinker sat at 96.2 mph. Despite both a slow start (Tatis was batting .118 as late as April 19) and missing 17 of the team's first 43 games (minor shoulder injury and a stint on the COVID-19 list), El Nino has hit 28 home runs and stolen 20 bags. In what universe does Cody Bellinger hit .165? This lineup is stacked now, but he could raise it even higher and hey, while hes at it, can he catch every ball in the field too? After some frustrating years, he bounced back well in his final year with the Red Sox in 2020, and the Brewers signed him hoping hed unlock some of that initial potential. Bregman finished a very close second to Trout in the 2019 AL MVP race after hitting .296 with 41 homers, 112 RBIs and 119 walks, all while leading the AL in bWAR (8.4). The potential is sky-high for Soto in his fourth Major League season. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar). Per Baseball Reference, no qualified MLB pitcher has ever finished a season with an H/9 rate below 5.0. So to project a Coach of the Year, you have to look at teams who will absolutely dominate or be surprisingly good. 2021 Comeback Player of the Year odds. He looks a lot different this spring, from all accounts, and he might be ready to unlock what got everybody so excited about him in the first place. Soto already became the youngest player to win the NL batting title when he hit .351 in his age-21 season in 2020. Nationals: Victor Robles, OFAt this point, weve all accepted that Robles is not, in fact, the next great Nationals prospect to turn into a superstar. Gallen doesnt get the attention of some pitchers in larger markets, but if he continues to pitch as he has in his first year-plus in the big leagues, that could change in a hurry. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Harper said he only needed to rest following the season to be healthy by the time Spring Training opens in February. Regardless, Barkley only had 162 rushes for 593 yards and two touchdowns in the time he played. Odds Shark Staff January 19, 2023. The man mashed 10 home runs in 18 games during the 2020 postseason. Gallo was close to doing that in 2019 when he hit .253/.389/.598 with 22 home runs and 49 RBIs in 70 games. But you certainly expect at least an above-average offensive season from him. We all knew the Miami Marlins had one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in all of baseball. Now, he will be working with new pitching coach Ethan Katz, his coach at Harvard-Westlake High School in California who also helped Giolito make significant changes to his repertoire and delivery in the offseason prior to the 19 campaign. He hit .208 in 62 games and never really got on track. Not quite Cy Young numbers, but he's not far off from matching the current production of Shane Bieber,last year's AL Cy Young winner: 3.28 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12.9 K/9. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images), three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, in Houston. TWINS: Alex Kirilloff, AL Rookie of the Year. Whos a guy on each team due for a bounce-back year? Five starts into the season, Rodon was a perfect 5-0 with a 0.58 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP. This was still one of the most promising starters in the game a couple of years ago. Hell be entering his age-26 season in '21. As is the case each year, several big-name players missed significant time due to injury last year. Because he's so darn efficient, though, he still managed to go at least five innings in nine of those starts. GIANTS: Buster Posey, NL Comeback Player of the Year. 9 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline and he figures to be a big part of the Mariners youthful makeover. The New York Giants' offense had a plethora of issues up and down the roster. He's nearly three years removed from being an All-Star, but the Mariners believe that with Haniger now full healthy he can once again be that caliber of player. But he had the worst year of his career since 2013 in 2021, putting up a 5.28 ERA just a year after he had a 1.99 ERA that ended with him fifth in Cy Young voting. Posey, who announced his retirement earlier this month, opted out of the 2020 season for health and safety reasons. Hed spent it fighting for his life. He batted .309 and slugged .475, averaging 21 home runs per 162 games. Also Considered: Craig Counsell, Milwaukee. The more Alcantara refines his pitch arsenal, the closer he gets to stacking up with the usual suspects in the Cy Young Award conversations. And then the six-time (now seven-time) All-Star catcher opted out of his age-33 season. He put up a 1.022 OPS over his 23 games in the regular season, and when you combine his potential to put up excellent counting stats with his all-around game and his knack for performing in big moments, he could be chasing some other awards down the road, too. That could put him in the Cy Young mix once again. 2 prospect in the organization and No. But that was merely his second-most noteworthy contribution to baseball. It was only the seasons first weekend when Red Sox manager Alex Cora took them public, with a proclamation about Orioles slugger Trey Mancini that few disputed neither at the time nor in the months to come. NFL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS. Cincinnati Bearcats legend Josh Harrison is having a fantastic 2021 campaign.. Harrison has been a stalwart down the stretch for the Oakland Athletics, hitting .288 over the last 40 games as the A's have competed for an AL Wild Card spot.. For the season, Harrison, who began the year in Washington with the hapless Nationals, is hitting .292 with 8 home runs and 58 RBIs. But they got Santana just in time for the worst season of his career, one where he hit only 19 homers (despite playing 158 games) and put up a career-low .319 OBP. Ending the '20 season batting .232 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs, Chapman is expected to be fully recovered in time for Spring Training, and there is no doubt the 27-year-old third baseman will be motivated to return stronger than ever after having to sit at home in Southern California while watching the As get eliminated by the Astros just up the road at Dodger Stadium in the ALDS. He won four games in a row with a 1.26 ERA before dropping his final regular-season outing. Until last year, it was much more of the former. . The first month was less than stellar before he was dominant in the second month and helped the Reds reach the postseason. Verlander and Pujols were named the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year Award winners in the American League and National League, respectively, by Major League Baseball. Bleacher Report's panel of MLB scribesAbbey Mastracco, Joel Reuter, Zachary Rymer and myselfoffered up picks for Manager, Comeback Player, Rookie, Cy Young and MVP in each league from the first half of the season. More importantly, it denied Burnes an opportunity to pitch Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Dodgers, and sent him into the offseason with a bitter taste in his mouth. The winners are determined by a vote of the 30 club beat reporters from MLB.com. Also Considered: Kevin Gausman, San Francisco; Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee. If he can be that star we all think he is, he could usher in the next era of Mariners baseball. The NFL season fired up once again for the 2022 season with the Buffalo Bills heading to to face the Rams on September 8. CWS -195 MIN +500 DET +750 CLE +950 KC +1500 . ORIOLES: Trey Mancini, AL Comeback Player of the Year. An MVP race likely is in his future. He went two games below .500 in his two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and finished two games below .500 with the Giants last year. Mancini won the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award after beating colon cancer and returning to Baltimore to post the fourth 20-home run season of his career. For the first time in college basketball history, the player of the year award is likely going to be won by a Canadian. Athletics: Eric Thames, 1BThere are roster spots to be had in Oakland this spring, particularly at first base. Nevertheless, Posey has been a fascinating comeback story. Mets: Dominic Smith, 1B/OFIn 2019 and 2020, Smith finally turned into the player of Mets fans dreams, getting on base regularly and showing considerable pop. Since the last time he stepped on the field in a regular season game, Haniger has had surgeries to repair a ruptured testicle, torn core muscle and ruptured disc in his back. In the abbreviated 20 season, Martinez slashed .213/.291/.389 and was one of the least productive position players in the game. Pirates: KeBryan Hayes, 3BLast year there was probably too much put on Hayes, who not only was supposed to boost a struggling team but in fact establish himself as the National Leagues Next Great Third Baseman. PIRATES: KeBryan Hayes, NL Rookie of the Year. McCaffrey had back-to-back season in 2020-2021 where he ended up playing a total of 10 games due to injuries. Like many of his Astros teammates, Bregman tailed off in the shortened '20 season and he wound up slashing .242/.350/.451 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 153 at-bats. The Oakland Athletics are calling Las Vegas home for this weekend. Also Considered: Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay. He should be the Comeback Player of the Year, Cora said all the way back on April 4. He only has a 7-6 record to show for it, but Rogers has a 2.31 ERA and has held the opposition to three or fewer runs in each of his 18 starts. The following year, those numbers dipped to .257 and .368, respectively. He doesnt need to get any MVP votes, but rising somewhere back toward the middle would do wonders for this lineup. Mariners: Jarred Kelenic, OFHe finally came on toward the end of the year, showing Mariners fans why they thought he could carry them back to the playoffs by himself. Also Considered: Gerrit Cole, New York; Lance Lynn, Chicago; Nathan Eovaldi, Boston. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File). Everybody has a bad year. And Clayton Kershaw called Betts the best right fielder hes ever seen. AL Comeback Player of the Year: Mitch Haniger, Seattle Mariners 1 of 10 Elaine Thompson/Associated Press Mitch Haniger was one of the Mariners' biggest question marks heading into the 2021. In his first start, he went five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against Seattle. Last year's winners were Royals catcher Salvador Perez and Rockies closer Daniel Bard. He spent the winter reconfiguring his deep arsenal and returned in '20 with a lethal cut fastball, producing a 2.11 ERA and 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He was the first pitcher to come to Toronto to try to turn around this staff, but he has more help, and theoretically less pressure, this year. But you certainly would expect more than a .203 average with two homers. Mitch Haniger would also be a fantastic option in most years. The Yankees are banking on Kluber to be a key part of their rebuilt rotation behind ace Gerrit Cole and fellow newcomer Jameson Taillon, who is making his own comeback after missing last season with the Pirates while recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. In the second year of a seven-year, $245-million contract, Strasburg has felt no ill effects from the surgery this spring. Theres no telling what the 21-year-old shortstops ceiling is. Outside of FanDuel Sportsbook, the next best odds can be found at Caesars Sportsbook. He underwent an operation to remove it on March 12, the day baseball shut down due to COVID-19. And it has been a couple of years since he has been anything close to that. Now he's back as arguably the best hitter on the Houston Astrosarguably the best team in the American League. Alcantara is missing more bats, as his strikeout percentage rose to 22.7, compared to 18 percent when he was an All-Star who logged 197 1/3 innings in 2019. Twins: Gio Urshela, 3BAs bizarre as it is to see an Urshela-Carlos Correa infield in Minnesota rather than The Bronx, its worth remembering that Urshela did take a step back offensively last year. One of these days, Jacob deGrom has to throw a no-hitter, right? Also Considered: Jacob deGrom, New York; Trea Turner, Washington. Magontec ( ASX:MGL ) Full Year 2022 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: AU$158.6m (up 38% from FY 2021). But hes also developed his slider to get hitters off the changeup, and it worked for him down the stretch. Geno Smith's shocking rise could lead to him winning Comeback Player of the Year (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez). And the best player on the roster (Buster Posey) has only played in 58 games. Texas' Adolis Garcia is tied for fifth in the American League in home runs with 22. Seemingly everyone likes a comeback story. Mancini earned American League Comeback Player of the Year honors, it was revealed on MLB Network, for a 2021 campaign during which he re-established himself as one of the game's better run producers after a year away battling -- and beating -- Stage 3 colon cancer. How can a guy hit 38 homers in 144 games in 2019 and then just hit nine in 127 two years later? The Giants have played 89 games, but not a single player has appeared in 80 of them. Rockies: Ryan McMahon, 2BThe Rockies obviously feel comfortable betting on McMahon: They just gave him a sizeable contract extension, after all. Back in the preseason, Tampa Bay's Randy Arozarena was the heavy favorite to be named AL Rookie of the Yearand with good reason. He missed the majority of the 2019 season and all of 2020 because of a ruptured testicle and several subsequent surgeries, but he has hit 20 home runs already this season as the brightest star of the surprisingly good Mariners. The greater came a few months before that when his son was born. And it's not like Kapler came into the year with a stellar managerial track record. To make it through the whole season and not go on the injured list, to make it to the end, Im really happy to be here, Mancini told MLB.com in October. It is time for Gallo to put together a full season without any injuries as the force he can be in the middle of the Rangers' lineup. AFC Playoff Order Buffalo Bills Cincinnati Bengals Kansas City Chiefs Indianapolis Colts Los [] Odds. Hell be a Gold Glove Award candidate at the hot corner, and the surprising power he displayed at the plate during his debut makes him a much more interesting all-around player to watch. Here's a look at three futures picks to make during the dead zone of the NFL offseason He did that in just 89 games in 2019 and 50 in 2020, but stretched out to 145 in 2021, his slugging dropped a shocking 253 points. The Comeback Player of the Year Awards are presented annually to one player in each league who has re-emerged on the field during the season. 3 overall pick in the 2014 MLB drafta chance at the back end of the rotation. On Opening Day, Mancini knocked a single down the third-base line at Fenway Park for his first hit since returning to baseball. Across a full season, Ryus numbers could look even more impressive as he works deeper into games with an opportunity to rack up wins in front of a Blue Jays team that is young, improving and expected to be very aggressive this winter. Posey is now a two-time Comeback Player of the Year -- he also won the award in 2012 and is the only Giants player to win. Theres simply no way that his regular-season debut can match the stage and pressure of his first big league at-bat, when he not only became the first player to start in the postseason as his MLB debut since the World Series began in 1903, but he also stepped to the plate for the first time with two outs and the bases loaded in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against Houston.