Rick Porcello Wins AL Pitcher Of The Year At Players Choice Awards
BOSTON (CBS) -- Red Sox starter Rick Porcello has been named the American League's Outstanding Pitcher as part of the 25th annual Players Choice Awards, as voted on by MLB players. Porcello is a finalist for the American League Cy Young award, but that will be voted on by the Baseball Writers Association Of America.
Asked about the Players Choice win on the MLB Network, Porcello was thrilled to know that he was voted the league's best pitcher by his peers on the field, as opposed to any other voting body.
"Honestly, to me, that's the ultimate," said Porcello. "These are the guys you're competing against on a night-to-night basis. To have the respect from them to have them vote for me and win this award pretty much means everything to me. They see everything, a lot of things, that as a writer or an average fan, you can't see.
"They see in-game stuff and how you carry yourself, and that definitely goes into how you vote for certain guys. That, and the fact they feel I performed the best, I'm very thankful for it."
Porcello led the AL with 22 wins in the regular season, going 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 223 innings. The league leader in wins has won the Cy Young Award for the past five years in a row.
The results of the AL Cy Young Award voting will be announced in a one-hour special on the MLB Network on Wednesday, Nov. 16.