Toronto baseball writers honour Berrios, Francis, Guerrero Jr., Horwitz, Jansen
Right-hander Jose Berrios was voted Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher of the Year by the Toronto baseball writers on Tuesday.
December 3, 2024
Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release
The Toronto Chapter of the BBWAA has announced its annual award winners.
INF Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) earned the Neil MacCarl Award as Player of the Year while RHP José Berríos landed Pitcher of the Year. The Most Improved Player Award was given to RHP Bowden Francis and Rookie of the Year honours went to INF Spencer Horwitz. Also recognized was C Danny Jansen as the John Cerutti Award recipient for displaying goodwill, cooperation, and character.
Guerrero Jr., 25, has been named the Neil MacCarl Award winner for the third time in his career (2021 and 2022). The Montreal, Que., native finished second in the majors in AVG (.323), third in hits (199), and sixth in OPS (.940) as part of a sixth-place finish in the AL MVP voting. Named an AL All-Star for the fourth time, Guerrero Jr. eclipsed 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a single season for the second time in his career, just the eighth player in Blue Jays history to do so multiple times. Much of his offensive output came from a second half explosion in which he hit .376 (91-for-242) with 23 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .678 SLG, leading to a 1.127 OPS, the second-highest post-All-Star OPS in franchise history.
Berríos, 30, won a career-high 16 games in 2024, matched his career best in quality starts (21), and made 32 starts for the sixth straight non-shortened season, one of two active pitchers in the majors to do so. The Bayamón, Puerto Rico, native was the AL’s Pitcher of the Month for March/April after posting a 1.44 ERA with six quality starts and his fifth career complete game on April 25 at KC. The righty finished the campaign with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, a 6.9% walk rate, a 19.5% strikeout rate, and a 29.5% chase rate.
Francis, 28, enjoyed a successful stretch of starts in the latter half of the season after moving back into the starting rotation. Over his final eight starts, the right-hander posted a 1.33 ERA, a 0.50 WHIP, a 3.1% walk rate, and a 25.5% strikeout rate while holding opponents to a .116 batting average. In the second half of the year, he posted a 0.60 WHIP, the lowest single-season post-All-Star WHIP in MLB history (min. 10 starts), which included taking a no-hit bid into the ninth inning on two separate occasions. The Tallahassee, Fla., native was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for August after posting a 0.41 WHIP, the lowest in a single month in MLB history (min. 4 starts).
Horwitz, 27, became an integral part of the Blue Jays’ lineup after being recalled and making his season debut on June 8. The left-handed hitting infielder was named to the MLB All-Rookie Second Team after leading all qualified rookies in OBP (.357) while also ranking fourth in OPS (.790), sixth in AVG (.265), and eighth in SLG (.433). His on-base percentage was the fifth-best single season mark by a Blue Jays rookie in franchise history (min. 350 PA).
Jansen, 29, is a first-time recipient of the John Cerutti Award. Selected as an 18-year-old catcher by the Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, Jansen suited up for parts of 12 seasons in the organization, including each of the last seven at the major league level. The Elmhurst, Ill., native played a total of 471 games with the Blue Jays, batting .222 with 72 doubles, a triple, 71 home runs, 214 RBIs, and a .733 OPS.