TORONTO – Josh Donaldson is a repeat winner as Blue Jays player of the year while Aaron Sanchez picked up both the pitcher of the year and most improved honours in voting by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Donaldson won the award for a second straight year by garnering 10 of the 14 first-place votes and totalled 40 points to beat out Edwin Encarnacion, who picked up the other four first-place picks and finished with 32 points.
Donaldson batted .284/.404/.549 with 37 homers and 99 RBIs while Encarnacion slashed .263/.357/.529 with 42 homers and 127 RBIs.
Sanchez, the American League’s ERA champion at 3.00, picked up 12 first-place votes and a total of 39 points to beat out 20-game winner J.A. Happ, who had one first-place vote and a total of 29 points. Closer Roberto Osuna also received a first-place vote and finished a distant third.
Sanchez also edged out Happ as the team’s most improved player 24-20, with Michael Saunders, who returned from a knee injury that cost him nearly of all 2015 to earn an all-star berth and post an OPS of .815, had 15 points.
Rule 5 pick Joe Biagini was the unanimous pick as rookie of the year after posting a 3.06 ERA in 67.2 innings over 60 games.
Pitching coach Pete Walker was named recipient of the John Cerutti Award, given annually to a person associated with the day-to-day workings of Blue Jays’ baseball who displays the goodwill, co-operation and character exemplified by the late left-hander.
