Every year, there's at least one surprise when it's time to dole out the hardware. Last year, R.A. Dickey was the first knuckleballer to ever win the Cy Young, but he's not alone when it comes to the seemingly out-of-nowhere greatness that we see on podiums every fall.
How about Neftali Feliz winning the Rookie of the Year in 2010? The duo of Andrew Bailey and Chris Coghlan winning rookie honors in 2009? To some extent, Cliff Lee winning the Cy Young in 2008 was a shock. The player vying for the MVP every year seem familiar, but Dustin Pedroia in 2008 could be considered a dark horse.
So that's what we're going to try to find today: players that have a legitimate shot at winning the MVP, the Cy Young, or the Rookie of the Year...but aren't yet in the news nightly.
Because in 2003, Eric Gagne won the National League Cy Young, and Angel Berroa and Dontrelle Willis won their respective Rookie of the Years. Crazy things happen all the time.
- Login to post comments