Tony Watson played seven seasons with the Pirates before heading to the West Coast to play for the Dodgers, Giants and now Angels. The 2014 All-Star has appeared in 655 career games, all in relief, and owns a lifetime 2.90 ERA.
OUTSTANDING PITCHER FINALISTS
American League
GERRIT COLE
Gerrit Cole was the definition of dominant this past season, going 20-5 with a league-leading 2.50 ERA while topping the majors with 326 strikeouts over 33 starts and 212 1/3 innings to help lead the Houston Astros to the AL West title. The 29-year-old right-hander from Newport Beach, Calif.,
also struck out an astounding 39.9% of the batters he faced.
LUCAS GIOLITO
Lucas Giolito had the breakout season White Sox fans have been anticipating since the clubacquired him in a trade with the Nationals in 2016. The
25-year-old right-hander became Chicago’s ace and a first-time All-Star in 2019, going 14-9 over 176 2/3 innings and 29 starts. He had 228 strikeouts and a 3.41 ERA while pitching three
complete games.
JUSTIN VERLANDER
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.
National League
JACOB DEGROM
Jacob deGrom, who won the NL Outstanding Pitcher award in 2018, went 11-8, 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
In his sixth year since coming from Korea, Hyun-Jin Ryu helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the
NL West title, going 14-5 with an
MLB-best 2.32 ERA. A 32-year-old
left-hander with pinpoint control, Ryu also allowed a league-low 1.2 walks per nine innings and was named the starting pitcher for the NL All-Star team.
MIKE SOROKA
Mike Soroka, a 22-year-old right-hander from Calgary, helped pitch the Atlanta Braves to the NL East title as a rookie, earning his first All-Star Game appearance along the way. He went
13-4 with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.111 WHIP over 29 starts and 174.2 innings. In a year when home runs were
plentiful, Soroka allowed a league-low 0.7 per nine innings.
2019 Players Choice Awards Outstanding Pitcher Finalists
American League Players select Gerrit Cole, Lucas Giolito and Justin Verlander; National League Players choose Hyun-Jin Ryu, Mike Soroka and Jacob deGrom.
NEW YORK, Oct. 16 – Players selected Gerrit Cole, Lucas Giolito and Justin Verlander as finalists in the American League and Hyun-Jin Ryu, Mike Soroka and Jacob deGrom in the National League in voting for Outstanding Pitcher honors in the 2019 Players Choice Awards.
Winners of the AL and NL Outstanding Pitcher awards receive grants of $20,000 each from the Major League Baseball Players Trust to direct to charities of their choice.
All told, the 2019 Players Choice Award winners will designate charities to receive grants totaling $260,000 from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. 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.
Additionally, the 2019 Player of the Year and Marvin Miller Man of the Year will receive a $50,000 grant and the eight league-wide Players Choice Award winners will receive grants of $20,000 each.
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.
Players Choice Awards voting among all players was conducted in mid-September by the accounting firm KPMG. Winners will be announced next week.
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.