Chris Young named AL Comeback Player of the Year

Mariners starter Chris Young has been named the American League’s Comeback Player of the Year by the Sporting News. After being released by the Nationals in the final week of spring training and picked up by the Mariners, Young went on to post a 12-9 record with a 3.65 ERA in 30 games (29 starts).

“I am extremely honored to be named Comeback Player of the Year by the Sporting News,” Young said in the press release. “There are many deserving players who have demonstrated the commitment, dedication and perseverance to overcome similar obstacles and I am humbled to be recognized amongst them. The life lessons I have learned throughout this experience are invaluable and will stay with me the rest of my career. Furthermore, I hope that I can serve as inspiration to other players in the same manner in which I was inspired to pursue my comeback. I am extremely grateful to my teammates, coaches, the Seattle Mariners organization and my family, as each and every member contributed to my success.”

The comeback almost did not happen. Shortly after his trade to the Mariners, Young admitted thoughts of retiring had crept in his head after battling through shoulder issues for the previous five seasons. A chance meeting with a former teammate pointed him in the direction of an eventual diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Young had surgery in June 2013, and a month later he was throwing a baseball again pain-free. After the surgery, the doctor told him the TOS was most likely responsible for most of the pain and a number of trips to the disabled list that he had made in the previous five years.

“Hindsight is 20/20,” Young said the day he signed with the Mariners. “I’m just grateful it’s been corrected and I look forward to hopefully some healthy years ahead. My shoulder feels like new.”

He now has his first healthy season since 2007 behind him. Beyond proving that he was healthy, Young also put up some of his best numbers since 2007, his All-Star season. Those numbers took a bit of a tumble in the final month, but despite this he still finished 10th in the AL in batting average against, just one point below Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber.

Throughout the season, manager Lloyd McClendon pointed to Young’s performance as one of the main reason the Mariners remained in contention for the postseason up until the last day. He is happy to see Young’s contributions acknowledged throughout baseball.

“Chris was a big part of our success in 2014, really solidifying our rotation,” McClendon said. “To think he won as many games as he did, and made 29 starts, coming off the type of surgery and the injuries that he had, I think it’s just tremendous. He is a tireless worker and showed his determination with his performance. This is a very deserving award for him in every way possible.”

The award is selected by a panel of 196 players. A breakdown of the voting is as follows.

1. Chris Young, Mariners: 49
2. J.D. Martinez, Tigers: 22
3. Scott Kazmir, Athletics: 14
4. Derek Jeter, Yankees: 11
5. Melky Cabrera, Blue Jays: 6
Others: 30

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