NEW YORK, Oct. 24 – Players selected Curtis Granderson as Marvin Miller Man of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time, while Mike Trout was named both the Player of the Year and AL Outstanding Player in the 2019 Players Choice Awards.
Alongside the double honor for Trout, the American League voted Justin Verlander as Outstanding Pitcher, Yordan Alvarez as Outstanding Rookie, and Hunter Pence as Comeback Player.

In balloting among National League players, Anthony Rendon was voted Outstanding Player, Jacob deGrom Outstanding Pitcher, Pete Alonso Outstanding Rookie and Josh Donaldson Comeback Player.

The Players Choice Awards are held in high regard by players because the winners are selected in balloting by those who witness their performance on and off the field firsthand—fellow players. Each season, voting is conducted in clubhouses in mid-September under the supervision of accounting firm KPMG.

Asked to vote for the player they “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community,” players across both leagues once again voted for Granderson, who had previously won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award in 2009, 2016 and 2018. CC Sabathia and Mike Trout placed second and third this season.

Granderson, a three-time All-Star who has consistently combined speed, power and defensive skill over 16 seasons with seven clubs, leads in the clubhouse and the community with a warm, engaging demeanor. His hard work, commitment and goodwill also set a positive tone for his teammates and in the many lives he touches through his Grand Kids Foundation.

Over the past decade, Granderson’s Grand Kids Foundation has introduced baseball to more than a million kids in underserved communities, supplied 17.5 million meals to families in need, brought fitness activities to dozens of cities and developed a multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art sports complex in his hometown of Chicago that serves over 10,000 kids annually.

Marvin Miller, for whom the award is named, was the Major League Baseball Players Association’s first full-time executive director, from 1966 through 1982, and guided its emergence as one of the country’s strongest and most cohesive labor unions.

Trout finished ahead of Anthony Rendon and Christian Yelich to win Player of the Year. After signing a 12-year contract to stay in Los Angeles, Trout put up yet another historic showing. With his season cut short by about a month, the 28-year-old New Jersey native produced a .291 batting average, 45 HR and 104 RBIs. Trout, who hit at least 27 home runs in each of his eight full seasons, also led the AL with a 1.083 OPS.

The Angels’ center fielder was named to his eighth straight All-Star Game of his nine-year career. Trout is also known as a tireless and selfless worker both on and off the field. He previously won the AL’s Outstanding Player in 2014 and Outstanding Rookie in 2012.

The winners of the Marvin Miller Man of the Year and Player of the Year awards each receive a $50,000 grant from the Major League Baseball Players Trust to direct to charities of their choice, while the winners of the eight league-wide awards receive grants of $20,000 each.

All told, the 2018 Players Choice Award winners will designate charities to receive grants of nearly $260,000 from the Players Trust this year. Since 1992, the Players Trust has recognized the outstanding on and off field performances of Players Choice Awards winners by contributing more than $5 million to charities around the world.

Through their collective charity, players pool resources to support efforts that provide hope, sustainability and lasting change around the world. Players direct grants to the wide range of causes they support – from disaster relief to health and human services to growing baseball in the United States and abroad.

This year the Major League Baseball Players Association teamed up with The Players’ Tribune to produce a nine-piece video series to announce the Players Choice Award winners while also giving them the opportunity to discuss why they admire their fellow players.

Outstanding Player AL
Mike Trout continued to demonstrate why he’s widely considered this generation’s greatest all-around player. With his season cut short by about a month, the 28-year-old New Jersey native produced a .291 batting average, 45 HR and 104 RBIs. Trout, who has now hit at least 27 home runs in each of his eight full seasons, also led the AL with a 1.083 OPS. Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers were the other finalists.

Outstanding Player NL
Maybe Anthony Rendon will no longer be considered one of the most underrated players in baseball after his stellar season. The 29-year-old third baseman slashed .319/.412/.598 and led the majors with 126 RBIs and topped the NL with 44 doubles for the second consecutive year. He also led the National League with an 88.3% contact rate. Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger finished behind Rendon in the player voting.

Outstanding Pitcher AL
Future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander’s 15th season was one of his best. The 6-foot-5 right-hander led the majors with 21 wins, a .172 opponent batting average and a 0.80 WHIP while being selected for his eighth
All-Star Game. He also struck out 300 batters for the first time and joined the 3,000-strikeout club along the way. Astros teammate Gerrit Cole and Lucas Giolito were the runners up.

Outstanding Pitcher NL
Jacob deGrom, who won the NL Outstanding Pitcher award in 2018, went 11-8 with a 2.43 ERA and an NL-leading 255 strikeouts over 32 starts and 204 innings in his sixth season with the New York Mets. The 31-year-old right-hander made the NL All-Star team for the third time and had a career-best 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Hyun-Jin Ryu and Mike Soroka placed second and third.

Outstanding Rookie AL
After defecting from Cuba in 2016 and spending three years in the minor leagues, 22-year-old Yordan Alvarez debuted with the Astros on June 9 and immediately cracked the lineup of the 2017 World Series champions and joined the ranks of baseball’s top sluggers. In just 87 games and 313 at-bats, Alvarez hit 27 home runs and slashed .313/.412./.655 for the Astros. Luis Arráez, who helped Minnesota reach the postseason, and Eloy Jiménez placed second and third.

Outstanding Rookie NL
First baseman Pete Alonso led the majors with 53 home runs as a rookie and captivated baseball fans across the country with his power and production, breaking records all season long. Dubbed the Polar Bear, the 24-year-old from Tampa earned his first trip to the All-Star Game where he also won the Home Run Derby. The runners up were Mike Soroka and Bryan Reynolds.

Comeback Player AL
After struggling in his final season with the Giants, Hunter Pence played winter ball in the Dominican Republic, signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers and proceeded to rejuvenate his career. The 13-year veteran hit 18 home runs with 59 RBIs and a .297 batting average over 83 games. The 36-year-old Forth Worth, Texas native was voted as the starting DH in his first All-Star game since 2014. Lucas Giolito and Jorge Soler were the runners up.

Comeback Player NL
After appearing in only 52 games with the Blue Jays and Indians due to injuries in 2018, Josh Donaldson returned with a vengeance this season to help lead the Atlanta Braves to the NL East title, slashing .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 94 RBIs. He also led NL third basemen with 15 Defensive Runs Saved. Pitchers Sonny Gray and Hyun-Jin Ryu came in second and third.

Click for more on the 2019 Players Choice Awards: https://www.mlbplayers.com/2019-players-choice-awards-winners
Click to watch the 2019 Player Choice Awards winner videos: https://playerstribu.ne/2019PCA

2019 Players Choice Awards List (in order of finish):
Major League Baseball:
Marvin Miller Man of the Year: Curtis Granderson, CC Sabathia, Mike Trout
Player of Year: Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Christian Yelich

American League:
Outstanding Player: Mike Trout, Alex Bregman, Rafael Devers
Outstanding Pitcher: Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Lucas Giolito
Outstanding Rookie: Yordan Alvarez, Luis Arráez, Eloy Jiménez
Comeback Player: Hunter Pence, Lucas Giolito, Jorge Soler

National League:
Outstanding Player: Anthony Rendon, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger
Outstanding Pitcher: Jacob deGrom, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Mike Soroka
Outstanding Rookie: Pete Alonso, Mike Soroka, Bryan Reynolds
Comeback Player: Josh Donaldson, Sonny Gray, Hyun-Jin Ryu
 

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About the Major League Baseball Players Trust
Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers contribute their time, money and celebrity to call attention to important causes. Each year the Players Trust distributes more than $1.5 million in annual grants and programs. For additional information, please visit www.PlayersTrust.org, @MLBPlayersTrust.