The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball (MLB) to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and Viagra. In 2005 and 2006 representatives from MLB and MLB.com selected six candidates each from the American (AL) and National Leagues (NL) and one winner for each league was selected via an online poll on MLB.com. Since then, the winners have been selected by a panel of MLB beat reporters. Under the current voting structure, first place votes are worth five points, second place votes worth three, and third place votes worth one with the award going to the player with the most points overall. Past winners have often overcome injury or personal problems en route to their award-winning season.
A Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given by The Sporting News since 1965 but its results are not officially recognized by Major League Baseball. Since the beginning of the MLB award in 2005, the recipients have been identical with the following exceptions: 2008 NL (TSN honored Fernando Tatís, MLB honored Brad Lidge), 2010 AL (TSN honored Vladimir Guerrero, MLB honored Francisco Liriano), 2012 AL (TSN honored Adam Dunn, MLB honored Fernando Rodney), 2016 (TSN honored Jose Fernandez and Mark Trumbo, MLB honored Anthony Rendon and Rick Porcello), 2018 NL (TSN honored Matt Kemp, MLB honored Jonny Venters), 2019 AL (TSN honored Hunter Pence, MLB honored Carlos Carrasco), and 2020 AL (TSN honored Carrasco, MLB honored Salvador Pérez). Liriano and Posey are the only players to win the MLB award multiple times with Liriano being the first to win it in each league.
Twelve players were named to the Major League Baseball All-Star team in their Comeback Award-winning season: Jim Thome, Nomar Garciaparra, Dmitri Young, Cliff Lee, Brad Lidge, Aaron Hill, Tim Hudson, Lance Berkman, Jacoby Ellsbury, Buster Posey, Fernando Rodney, and Mariano Rivera, with Posey also being named to the All-MLB Team. Two players who were not named to the All-Star team in their winning year—Jason Giambi and Ken Griffey Jr.—were named to the All-Star team in their previous season. Several winners have won other awards in their winning season. Carlos Peña, Posey, Ellsbury, Griffey, and Hill won the Silver Slugger Award along with the Comeback Award. Posey won the NL MVP in his first comeback season. Lee won the Cy Young Award in his winning season and Lidge won both the Rolaids Relief Man Award and Delivery Man of the Year Award the same year. Rodney was also named Delivery Man of the Year in his comeback 2012 season. The most recent winners are Ronald Acuña Jr. of the NL and Jacob deGrom of the AL.
American League winners Year WinnerImage Team Position ComebackNew York YankeesFirst baseman/Designated hitterGiambi underwent knee surgery before the 2004 season. He also endured a variety of health problems during the season including an inflamed knee, a respiratory infection, an intestinal parasite infection, and a benign pituitary tumor. As a result, Giambi appeared in just 80 games during the 2004 regular season, batting .208. He returned to the Yankees in 2005 and led the American League in walks (108) and on-base percentage (.440).Chicago White SoxDesignated hitterThome experienced multiple elbow injuries during the 2005 season; appeared in just 59 regular-season games, batting .205; and was traded to the White Sox from the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason. Thome was elected to the All-Star team in 2006, finishing the season with 42 home runs and 109 runs batted in.Tampa Bay Devil RaysFirst basemanPena was released by the Detroit Tigers before the 2006 season. He signed with the New York Yankees, but never appeared in a Major League game for them and was released on August 16, 2006. Finally the Boston Red Sox signed Pena, and he appeared in just 18 Major League games, spending the bulk of time in the minor leagues. In 2007 Pena set Tampa Bay franchise records in home runs (46), runs batted in (121), and walks (103) and won the Devil Rays' first Silver Slugger Award.Cleveland IndiansStarting pitcherLee pitched 97 innings in the Majors in 2007, going with a 6.29 earned run average (ERA). He missed the first month of the season with an abdominal strain and was sent to the Triple-A minor league Buffalo Bisons mid-season. In 2008, he pitched 223 innings, went with a 2.54 ERA, and won the Cy Young Award.Toronto Blue JaysSecond basemanOn May 29, 2008, Hill collided with former Blue Jays shortstop David Eckstein while fielding a fly ball and suffered a serious concussion. He did not return to the Majors that season. The injury was severe enough that Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston commented that "[s]ometimes people don't come back from concussions." Hill did return in 2009, however, hitting 36 home runs (third most ever by an American League second baseman) with 108 runs batted in; he led the American League in plate appearances and made the 2009 All-Star team. Hill also won the Silver Slugger Award at second base.Minnesota TwinsStarting pitcherLiriano missed the entire 2007 season due to Tommy John surgery and was limited by injuries the next two years, including a stint on the disabled list during the 2009 season. In 2010, however, Liriano threw the second-most innings of any pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, led the team in ERA, and allowed the fewest home runs per nine innings of any pitcher in the AL (0.4).Boston Red SoxOutfielderIn 2010, Ellsbury only played in 18 games after breaking three ribs in a fielding collision with Adrián Beltré. In 2011, Ellsbury was the first Red Sox player and one of four Major Leaguers (the most in a single season) to record 30 homers and 30 stolen bases, and he posted career highs in nearly every offensive category. The center fielder hit .321 with 32 homers, 105 RBIs, 39 steals, 46 doubles, five triples, and 119 runs, and he led the Majors with 364 total bases and 83 extra-base hits.Tampa Bay RaysRelief pitcherRodney battled ineffectiveness in 2011, blowing four saves and being replaced by Jordan Walden as closer of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In 2012, Rodney became the Rays' closer after Kyle Farnsworth went on the disabled list, and compiled 48 saves (second-most in the American League, only behind Jim Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles) in 50 opportunities while being named to the AL All-Star team and recording an earned run average (ERA) of 0.60, the second lowest in a single season by any pitcher in MLB history (min. 50 IP).New York YankeesRelief pitcherPrior to a game on May 3, 2012, Rivera suffered a season-ending injury by tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, after twisting his leg while shagging balls in batting practice. Speculation grew that the injury would end his career, as he had hinted at retirement in spring training, but Rivera said that he intended to return. After undergoing ACL reconstructive surgery, he rehabilitated his leg in time to return for the 2013 season, which he announced would be his last. In his farewell season, the 43-year-old Rivera saved 44 games in 51 opportunities, with a 2.11 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.Seattle MarinersStarting pitcherYoung didn't pitch in the majors in 2013, as thoracic outlet syndrome limited him to just nine starts in the Washington Nationals minor league system. The condition was so acute that the pain had Young considering retirement before it was ultimately surgically corrected in the 2013 offseason. Released by the Nationals at the tail end of 2014 spring training, Young signed with the Mariners and experienced a resurgence, being one of the team's most reliable starting pitchers. For the season, Young went with a 3.65 earned run average.Texas RangersDesignated hitterFielder played only 42 games in 2014 before having season-ending neck surgery. He bounced back strong in 2015, hitting .305/.378/.463 with 23 homers and 98 RBI in 158 games.Boston Red SoxStarting pitcherPorcello ended 2015 with a 9–15 record and an ERA of 4.92. He pitched only 172 innings and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.92. In 2016, Porcello won the AL Cy Young Award, going 22–4 with an ERA of 3.15 and pitching 223 innings, while leading the major leagues with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.91.Kansas City RoyalsThird basemanIn 2016, Moustakas only played in 27 games after tearing his ACL in a fielding collision with Alex Gordon. In 2017, he played in 148 games and batted .272, and hit a career-high 38 home runs.Boston Red SoxStarting pitcher In 2017, Price made only 16 appearances (11 starts) due to elbow injuries, in which he was 6–3 with a 3.38 ERA. In 2018, he was 16–7 with a 3.58 ERA in 30 starts and was instrumental in Boston's eventual World Series championship.Cleveland IndiansPitcherIn 2019, Carrasco was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in early June and missed three months while undergoing treatment before returning to game action in September. Kansas City RoyalsCatcherPerez missed the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John Surgery. He also missed the start of "Summer Camp in July" – after testing positive for COVID-19 – and another three weeks during the season because of a lingering eye issue that caused blurred vision. He posted career highs in batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.633), and OPS (.986) while racking up 11 home runs and 32 RBIs in 37 games.Baltimore OriolesOutfielderMancini missed the entire 2020 season after being diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. After the season ended, Mancini announced he was cancer-free and returned to the Orioles. In 2021, he hit 21 home runs with 71 RBIs.Houston AstrosPitcherVerlander made one start in 2020 before being shut down and missing the remainder of the season, as well as all of the 2021 season due to Tommy John Surgery. After missing the better part of two years, Verlander posted an 18–4 record and a major league-leading 1.75 ERA, leading the Astros to a World Series championship and winning his third career Cy Young Award.2023Chicago White SoxPitcherHendriks was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2022. He went through treatment in the off-season and returned to the mound on May 29. His 2023 season was cut short in August when he tore his UCL, which would require Tommy John Surgery. He finished the 2023 season with a 2–0 record with one save and a 5.40 ERA.2024Chicago White SoxPitcherCrochet missed the entire 2022 season and was limited to 13 appearances in 2023 while recovering from a partial left-elbow UCL tear and Tommy John Surgery. He finished the 2024 season with a 6–12 record with a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts across 146 innings pitched, setting new career highs.2025Texas RangersPitcherDeGrom made only 6 starts in the 2023 season before undergoing Tommy John Surgery, and made only 3 starts in 2024. In his first healthy season with the Rangers, he was named to the AL All-Star team, his first with the team, and finished with a 12-8 record and 2.97 ERA across 172.2 innings pitched.
National League winners