Matthew Boyd named 2019 Tigers Player of the Year

Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd has been named the Tiger of the Year by the Detroit Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. He won with 15 first-place votes, which easily topped runner-up Miguel Cabrera, who garnered only three of his own.

He responded to the award exactly how one would expect.

“It’s such an honor. I’m so grateful for this. It’s not about me, though. This wouldn’t be possible without all the guys who caught me — Grayson (Greiner), Hicksy (John Hicks), Bobby Wilson and Rodg (Jake Rogers) — and all my teammates and coaches. I didn’t do it on my own.”

Boyd had what could arguably be called a breakout year in 2019 after posting a team-leading 3.5 rWAR, while also setting a Tigers record averaging 11.56 strikeouts per nine innings. Additionally, his 238 whiffs was sixth among AL pitchers and also ranked fifth all-time by a left-handed Tigers pitcher. On top of that, he only walked 50 batters in 185 ¹⁄₃ innings.

However, the home run ball plagued him, especially during the second half of the season; he ended up leading the league in total home runs surrendered, with 39. As a result, he sported a bloated ERA of 4.56 along with a pungent 4.32 FIP. Nonetheless, his overall performance was head and shoulders above what most of his teammates provided, and is more than deserving of the award.

One does have to ask: “Who voted for Miguel Cabrera over Matthew Boyd on the ballot?”