Josh Donaldson wins Player of the Year

Having already won the AL Outstanding Player Award earlier, Josh Donaldson makes it a sweep and takes home the Player of the Year.

Josh Donaldson is cleaning up at the Players’ Choice Awards. Having already won the Outstanding Player Award along with Bryce Harper, he has now been voted as the Player of the Year across the league.

He beat out candidates such as the aforementioned Harper, as well as Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw for the award. It’s been a career year for Josh Donaldson. Few can argue with the choice, except for maybe Royals fans and bitter Athletics fans. He was already regarded as the best third baseman in the league, but he really came into his own this year when he arrived in Toronto and, alongside Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, accounted for the best run differential in the league by a mile.

It wasn’t just his offense that won over players, but also his defense. Spectacular catches such as this one helped him collect the most votes in All-Star game history with over $14 million as well as propel his team to their first postseason appearance in over 20 years. In the postseason, he added three home runs and eight RBI to get his team within two wins of beating the eventual World Series champions Kansas City Royals in the ALCS.

It is clear that he loves his teammates in Toronto and that he doesn’t plan on going anywhere. The Blue Jays’ offense last season was historically good, and even if it regresses, they still pose a major threat for opposing pitchers. Donaldson has collected plenty of individual awards for his success this season – not just at the Players’ Choice Awards, but also the Hank Aaron Award for being the top hitter in the AL. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him add an MVP award to his cabinet.