CARLSBAD, Calif. – Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Marcus Semien gave the Toronto Blue Jays two of the three finalists for the American League MVP and Robbie Ray is up for the Cy Young Award while Charlie Montoyo finished out of the top three in manager of the year balloting.
#BlueJays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien have been named AL MVP finalists. pic.twitter.com/bb5LYRAmTM
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 9, 2021
#BlueJays @RobbieRay has been named a finalist for the 2021 AL Cy Young Award. pic.twitter.com/nzGMoHIoU5
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 9, 2021
The announcements Monday by the Baseball Writers Association of America are part of what should be an award-filled winter for the Blue Jays, who finished one game short of the post-season.
Semien already picked up a Gold Glove at second base and the Marvin Miller Man of Year honour in the players choice voting, while his peers also selected Ray as the AL’s Outstanding Pitcher.
BBWAA award winners will be announced next week, beginning with the rookies of the year in both leagues Nov. 15.
Guerrero and Semien are up against two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, who hit 46 homers with 100 RBIs while pitching to a 3.18 ERA in 130.1 innings over 23 starts.
Guerrero had one of the most complete offensive seasons in Blue Jays history, batting .311/.401/.601 with 48 homers and 111 RBIs. Semien established a single-season record for home runs by a second baseman with 45 with 102 RBIs and an .873 OPS while playing in all 162 games.
He’s now a free agent as is Ray, up for the Cy Young against Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Lance Lynn of the Chicago White Sox after posting a 2.84 ERA and 1.045 WHIP with 248 strikeouts in 193.1 innings across 32 starts.
Ray led the league in ERA, starts, innings, WHIP and strikeouts, holding a slight edge over Cole in several pitching categories.
Montoyo was a finalist last year but not this one, as close friend Kevin Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays has a chance to win the honour for a second straight year. He’s up against Dusty Baker of the Houston Astros and Scott Servais of the Seattle Mariners.
While all had strong seasons, Baker while again dealing with the fallout from the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal and Servais with an upstart Mariners squad, Montoyo led the Blue Jays to 91 wins amid moves from Dunedin to Buffalo to Toronto.
That prompted Cash to say in a September interview that, “Charlie should be manager of the year.”
“I mean, what he has gone through over a two-year period, it’s pretty remarkable,” Cash continued. “It’s a special group over there but he has helped keep that group together and unified it with all the B.S. that has taken place because of the travel and inconsistencies.
“Look at the uncertainty that all those players, certainly Charlie and the staff, but ultimately all the players faced. You’ve got three home ballparks, you’re getting booed half the time because when we played them in Dunedin, we’ve got fans there, in Buffalo, you’ve got New York Yankees fans there – that’s not how you draw it up. And the way that team has shown over the last two years the ability to just wipe that off and be very, very good is a testament to the players, but also Charlie.”
