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A pair of Blue Jays have been named finalists for some of baseball's most significant awards.
First off, Hyun Jin Ryu was named a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award. The Blue Jays prized free-agent signing from the last off-season was everything the Jays hoped he would be during his first season with the team.
Ryu started 12 games during the shortened 60-game regular season and had a 5-2 record. In 67.0 innings pitched, Ryu struck out 72 hitters and only walked 17. His 2.69 ERA was 4th best amongst American League starters this season.
Ryu just completed the first of a four year, 80-million-dollar contract he signed with the Jays last off-season. He was also a finalist last season in the National League with the L.A. Dodgers.
This season, Ryu was tasked with being the ace of a pitching staff whose Achilles' heel last season was their starting rotation. With the Dodgers, Ryu never had to be the ace with stars such as Clayton Kershaw leading the way, which wasn't the case in Toronto. Since the moment he signed with Toronto this was going to be his rotation and he showed how valuable it is to have a dominant pitcher on the mound every 5th day.
Three Blue Jays have won the AL Cy Young before. Pat Hentgen in 1996, Roger Clemens in 1997 and 1998, and most recently Roy Halladay back in 2003.
Along with Hyun Jin Ryu, Cleveland's Shane Bieber and Minnesota's Kenta Maeda were also named finalists.
Also, with the Blue Jays, Charlie Montoyo was named a finalist for the AL Manager of the Year.
This was Montoyo's second season with the Blue Jays since joining them in October of 2018, serving as the Rays' bench coach just prior.
During his first year with the Blue Jays the team was much more focused on the future than the present. The team traded away veterans such as Stroman and Sanchez at the deadline and promoted young players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette to the big leagues. The team ended up finishing the season at 67-95.
Thanks to the expanded playoffs, the Blue Jays saw a unique opportunity to challenge for a playoff berth this past season. Led by solid play from both the veterans and youngsters, the Blue Jays decide to add, not subtract, at this year's trade deadline. The Blue Jays ended up being the 8th seed in the AL and made the playoffs with a 32-28 record, ultimately losing to the Rays in the first round.
Despite not winning a playoff game, Montoyo helped this team take a massive step forward this season. This team started their season without even knowing where they would be playing their home games, yet he was able to keep everyone focused on the task at hand. Even with injuries to key players such as Ken Giles and Bo Bichette for significant parts of the season, Montoyo was able to work around them and find ways to help this team succeed.
"After an incredibly challenging season, playing 60 games away from home, being away from our families, I am so proud of my players who faced the season head-on without complaints." Montoyo had to say about being named a finalist. "By turning negatives into positives, we were able to focus on winning, never quitting, and earning a playoff spot for Toronto, Buffalo, and the country of Canada."
Kevin Cash of the Rays and Rick Renteria of the White Sox are the other finalists for the AL Manager of the Year award.
The last time a Blue Jays manager won the award was in 1985, when Bobby Cox led Toronto to their first-ever appearance in the playoffs with a 99-62 record.
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