Both the New York Mets and Texas Rangers endured successful 2015 campaigns after a wild MLB season. A player from each club was honored with the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award on Thursday.
Mets starter Matt Harvey took home the award for the National League while Rangers first baseman/designated hitter Prince Fielder won it in the American League. The two stars suffered serious injuries that caused them to miss all or most of the 2014 season.
However, that didn't stop them from being the best in the MLB at their position in 2015.
.@Rangers 1B/DH @RealPFielder28 named 2015 AL Comeback Player of the Year, @Mets RHP @MattHarvey33 takes NL honors. pic.twitter.com/VlciqssQLV
— MLB (@MLB) November 5, 2015
The 2015 MLB Comeback Players of the Year are @RealPFielder28 of the Texas Rangers and @MattHarvey33 of the New York Mets.
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) November 5, 2015
.@MattHarvey33 and @RealPFielder28 are named the 2015 Comeback Players of the Year! #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/h7GcDLQLVr
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 5, 2015
Harvey suffered a torn UCL back in 2013 and underwent Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2014 season, but returned this year and helped the Mets to their first World Series appearance since 2000. The right-hander went 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 188 strikeouts in 29 starts (189 1/3 innings) during the regular season and then finished 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in four postseason starts (26 2/3 innings).
His outings in the postseason brought his innings total to 216, which are now the most ever for a pitcher in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. John Lackey had the previous record of 215 1/3 back in 2013.
As for Fielder, the 31-year-old had played in every single game except for one from 2009-2013 before he herniated a disc in his neck and was forced to undergo surgery. That limited him to just 42 games last season, which was the first time since his rookie year that he played in less than 157 games.
The slugger rebounded in 2015 and played in 158 games, helping the Rangers to their first AL West title since 2011. Fielder batted .305/.378/.463 with 78 runs scored, 23 home runs and 98 RBI and was voted an All-Star for the sixth time in his career.
Congratulations to Harvey and Fielder. They battled this year and rebounded in an unprecedented fashion after suffering what could have been career-threatening injuries not too long ago.
