The MLB Comeback Players of the Year come in all shapes and sizes – whether that’s a 37-year-old ace returning from Tommy John surgery or a 27-year-old outfielder showing he’s still elite after a second major knee surgery.
Jacob deGrom of the Rangers earned the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award, and Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves captured the honor in the NL, as announced at the MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards on Thursday.
After suffering a complete tear of the ACL in his left knee in 2024, Acuña wasted little time reasserting himself as one of the best players in the game in ‘25. In fact, on the very first pitch he saw in nearly a full calendar year, Acuña launched a 467-foot home run in his season debut on May 23.
As it turns out, that was a sign of the performance to come. In 95 games, Acuña slashed .290/.417/.518 with 21 home runs and started the All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career. Among the 215 players with at least 400 plate appearances this season, only five had a higher OPS than Acuña’s .935 mark.
Meanwhile, deGrom returned from nearly two years on the sideline – he hadn’t pitched since April 2023 before coming back in September 2024 – and carved up lineups like he hadn’t missed a beat. He went 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, which trailed only Tarik Skubal among qualified pitchers. deGrom was an All-Star for the fifth time in his career and finished eighth in AL Cy Young Award voting.
On top of that, deGrom was notably durable. He made 30 starts in a season for the first time since 2019, logging 172 2/3 innings.
The Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented annually to one player in each league “who has re-emerged on the field during the season.” The winners are determined via a vote by the 30 MLB.com club beat reporters.
Acuña is the fifth Braves player to win the honor, and the second consecutive Atlanta winner, following Chris Sale in ‘24. deGrom is the second Rangers winner, joining Prince Fielder (2015).
