Blue Jays Nation internal award roundup: MVP, Best Starter and Reliever, and Rookie of the Year

He crafted a .309/.399/.560 slash line with 32 home runs and a .959 OPS, the first time since 2021 he has surpassed the .900 mark (and that was just through 78 games due to injury), and his home run total led the team while finishing tied for second with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in terms of RBIs (84). On top of the impressive stats, Springer has also been one of their most clutch at-bats in the lineup, rivalling Alejandro Kirk in this category, and the Jays are not in their current position without Springer’s bat.

Comments:

Before Eric Lauer was taken out of the rotation, there was a fair argument that it was the left-handed pitcher, but without George Springer’s rebound season, the Jays aren’t nearly as good – Ryley Delaney

How could it be anyone other than George Springer? After an awful 2024 season and a dreadful spring training, most people wrote Springer off and left him for dead (myself included in these pre-season predictions). But he had a monster bounce-back season, his best since 2019 with the Houston Astros. Who would’ve thought that in year five of his six-year contract, we’d finally see the Springer we all expected when he inked that $150 million deal. In his case, better late than never. But it’s hard to imagine where this Blue Jays team would be if not for Springer’s contributions this season. – Ian Hunter

Best Starter

Winner: Kevin Gausman

Another unanimous decision amongst the staff here at Blue Jays Nation was Kevin Gausman being named the club’s top starter this season.

Gausman not only led the team in bWAR (3.8) from a pitching standpoint, but his 32 starts, 189 strikeouts, and 3.42 FIP sat first from an internal perspective as well. The right-hander finished the year with a 3.59 ERA, a 2.3 BB/9, an 8.8 K/9 and a 1.062 WHIP across 193 innings and was a go-to arm for the Jays this season. He and Bassitt both pitched complete games, but Gausman’s complete-game shutout against the Houston Astros on September 9th was a two-hit masterpiece.

On top of that, Gausman was dialled in to finish the year, authoring a 2.89 FIP through his last 11 starts post-trade deadline, and although the Jays only won four of those games (due to a lack of run support), his 70 1/3 innings went a long way to keeping the bullpen intact and keeping the Jays close even when their bats couldn’t support him.

Comments:

When the Blue Jays needed a big start in a crucial moment, Kevin Gausman delivered time and time again. When it was against the Detroit Tigers – the best team in the American League at the time – Gausman came up huge. Earlier this month, in the Bronx against the Yankees? 8 innings of one-run ball. Then, the best start of his career, a complete game, nine-strikeout shutout against the Astros on September 11. With every game down the stretch determining the Blue Jays’ fate, Gausman is delivering some of his best games as a Blue Jay. – Ian Hunter

Looking at the Blue Jays this past month, the clear consensus arm to start Game #1 of any postseason matchup has been Gausman because he has been the most reliable. While he experienced his fair share of ups and downs this season, Gausman continued to shine through and provide quality starts when the Jays needed him, and the organization isn’t in this position without his efforts. Had the bats actually showed up from time to time, they would have surpassed the Yankees in the standings. – Tyson Shushkewich

Best Reliever

Winner: Braydon Fisher

When you looked at the Blue Jays’ bullpen to start the year, a few names stood out: Jeff Hoffman, Chad Green, Brendon Little, and a host of others. When the dust settled, it was Braydon Fisher who stood out in the group, collecting 72% of the first-place votes from the BJN crew.

Getting the call on May 7th, Fisher authored a 2.70 ERA and a 3.02 WHIP across 52 appearances, which included closing out 12 games with one start mixed in. The right-hander compiled a 1.020 WHIP, 5.8 H/9, and an 11.2 K/9 across 50 innings of work, allowing just 15 earned runs and four home runs this season. He had a brief stint in Triple-A towards late August, but returned in early September and dominated down the stretch, allowing just two earned runs through 11 1/3 innings. His slider/curveball combo kept hitters at a .204 and .212 xBA, respectively, and both pitches were major contributors to his success on the mound.

Comments:

When the Blue Jays traded Cavan Biggio to the Los Angeles Dodgers last June, most assumed that anything coming back from LA was gravy. Well, that bonus ended up being the best reliever in the Blue Jays’ bullpen this year. – Ian Hunter

He’s been the most consistent reliever in the Blue Jays’ bullpen all season and has been a huge part to their success. – Ryley Delaney

Honourable Mentions: Yariel Rodriguez, Brendon Little, Jeff Hoffman

Rookie of the Year

Winner: Braydon Fisher

He’s back again.

With the likes of Addison Barger, Joey Loperfido, and a handful of others exceeding their rookie stats in 2024, there were a few names to consider for the Rookie of the Year Award. However, even with those players considered, Fisher likely would have found himself in the mix given his mound presence this year and his contributions to the team.

Right-hander Trey Yesavage received a few votes from the BJN staff, given his historic rise in the farm system this year and how he pitched to finish the past month in the big leagues, but Fisher overwhelmingly won this award from our point of view.

There isn’t a ton of competition for the Blue Jays’ Rookie of the Year (sorry, but Trey Yesavage has pitched only nine innings), and Braydon Fisher has an argument not only for best rookie but also for best all-around reliever on the team. He tied Yariel Rodriguez in terms of bWAR (1.4) within the Jays relief corps and finished second in fWAR (1.0) to Brendon Little, respectively. Also, his 22.9% K-BB (the best way to evaluate relievers, in my estimation) leads the Blue Jays’ bullpen – Ian Finlayson

Fisher wins this award because he just kept finding ways to rise to the occasion. Barger likely gets a strong look here if he was eligible but Fisher was such a mainstay in this bullpen for a good portion of the year and a steady hand when the bullpen was struggling that he deserves both this and the Best Reliever Award – Tyson Shushkewich

Honourable Mentions: Trey Yesavage