The players have spoken again and they remain impressed with how Mark Trumbo elevated his game in 2016.
Trumbo won the Players Choice Award for American League Comeback Player of the Year, the announcement coming tonight on MLB Network. He beat out the Rangers' Ian Desmond and Yu Darvish.
Closer Zach Britton was a finalist for Outstanding Pitcher in the American League, but Red Sox starter Rick Porcello took the prize. The Indians' Corey Kluber also was a finalist.
The Sporting News named Trumbo its American League Comeback Player of the Year on Oct. 25. Trumbo edged out Desmond by one vote.
Players also voted for the Sporting News award. Porcello finished third and Darvish tied for fourth.
Trumbo led the majors with 47 home runs and figures to cash in big over the winter unless he unexpectedly accepts the $17.2 million qualifying offer.
Trumbo's average dropped from .262 last season to .256, but his slugging percentage increased from .449 to .533, his home runs increased from 22 to 47 and his RBI total grew from 64 to 108. He also made his second All-Star team.
"It's extremely flattering," Trumbo said on MLB Network. "An award like this, coming from the guys you're going up against on a daily basis, the guys who see you the most, the guys that are watching and are in tune with how things go and how hard this game really is, for them to give you a vote is something that's really, really special."
The Orioles would like to re-sign Trumbo and keep him in Camden Yards.
"It's an inspiring stadium just coming there every day," he said. "You're kind of in a good frame of mind just showing up to the ballpark and I think that counts for a lot, obviously.
"As a hitter, there's absolutely no complaints. There's no part of the park that plays extremely deep. I think if you get it, it's probably going to go, and for a guy like me, that means a lot. The backdrop's perfect. Everything is absolutely perfect for a hitter and I think that probably really helped me being able to do what I did."
Porcello, a finalist for the American League's Cy Young, went 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 33 starts. He posted a 1.009 WHIP in 223 innings and had a 5.91 strikeouts-to-walk ratio.
Britton, who was 47-for-47 in saves and registered a 0.54 ERA in 67 innings, learned earlier this week that the Baseball Writers' Association of America excluded him from their finalists for AL Cy Young Award. It's down to Kluber, Porcello and the Tigers' Justin Verlander.
Britton must settle for receiving the Mariano Rivera Award as the league's top reliever.