Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas has collected another accolade for his resurgent season in 2017, winning Major League Baseball's AL comeback player of the year award on Friday afternoon.
Moustakas previously won comeback player of the year honors from The Sporting News and the MLB Players' Choice Awards. Former Royals reliever Greg Holland was selected the NL comeback player of the year after a sterling season as the Rockies' closer.
Moustakas, 29 and a free agent for the first time, made history in 2017, clubbing 38 homers and breaking the franchise record of 36 set by Steve Balboni in 1985. The performance came one year after Moustakas tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a collision with Alex Gordon in Chicago.
Moustakas tied for fifth in the American League in home runs this season and also set career highs with 75 runs, 85 RBIs and a .521 slugging percentage. He finished with 2.6 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
