Bryan Baker’s night started with a snub and ended with a trophy.
The Rays closer came up third in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America American League Reliever of the Year voting on Wednesday night, but he still walked away from the MLB Awards show in Las Vegas with a major honor. Baker was named the winner of Major League Baseball’s Mariano Rivera award, which goes to the top AL reliever as chosen by a panel of retired relief pitchers. He also landed a Second Team spot on the All-MLB team.
“What an unreal accomplishment that I share with my catchers and the entire pitching department with the Rays,” Baker said late Wednesday. “It’s an honor to even be mentioned in the same breath as Mariano Rivera, who is my generation’s ultimate closer in this game. “Closing games out in the Trop this year was an absolute blast, and I appreciate everyone that was a part of it.”
Baker’s season gave the retired relievers plenty to like. He converted 41 saves in 44 chances, including a team-record 30 straight to finish the year.
He posted a 1.44 ERA, held opponents to a .161 average - and just .085 with runners in scoring position - and allowed a .509 OPS. Over 65 games, he struck out 63 in 62 ⅓ innings.
That production made him the first Ray to win the Rivera award, which was established in 2014. Fernando Rodney in 2012 won MLB Delivery Man of the Year honors, and Rafael Soriano in 2010 won what was then called the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award.
Baker wasn’t the only Tampa Bay figure to get recognized.
Baseball operations president Erik Neander was named MLB Executive of the Year in voting by his peers, and his acceptance speech centered on the obstacles the Rays pushed through over the past two years. He pointed to the challenges tied to 2024’s hurricanes, the uncertainty that followed, the return to Tropicana Field, the trip to the World Series and the new stadium deal in Tampa under new ownership.
“Many times along the way, over these two years, it felt impossible,” Neander said. “It was made possible a very small part by me, and a very large part by our people.”
He also singled out several high-level staff members who were with him in Las Vegas, then widened the praise to the people back home and the families behind them.
“This belongs to all of you. We’re a bunch of people that love what we do.
We love doing it together. We love giving everything we have to help our Rays players accomplish their wildest dreams in this great game.”
Neander won the award in 2019 as well, and he and Milwaukee’s Matt Arnold, a former Rays executive, are the only multiple winners since the honor was created in 2018.
Junior Caminero added to the Rays’ haul by being named the All-MLB First Team third baseman, beating out the Cubs’ Alex Bregman. The presentation carried a little extra meaning, since it was made by Rays Hall of Famer Evan Longoria, the franchise’s standard at third base.
“It’s very special to be here with my wife (Francesca) and my beautiful daughter (Valentina)‚” Caminero said on the stage. “We’re blessed to win this.”
The show also gave him a little comic relief. Hosts Mookie Betts and comedian Roy Wood Jr. worked in a parody song aimed at Caminero’s 40.65-second home run trot on Sept. 15 against the A’s.
Caminero still has one more award in play. On Thursday, he, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez and Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. are the finalists for the BBWAA AL MVP award.
The Rays also had Drew Rasmussen honored, as he was selected to the All-MLB Second Team rotation alongside Sonny Gray (Red Sox), Jesus Luzardo (Phillies), Tarik Skubal (Tigers/Dodgers) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers).
Rasmussen finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting announced Wednesday, behind winner Cam Schlittler (Yankees), Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) and Plant City product Parker Messick (Guardians).
The All-MLB team selections come from two voting groups: fans through mlb.com and a panel of media members. Baker’s BBWAA result, meanwhile, came from 30 writers, two from each AL market, who gave the award to Toronto’s Louis Varland, with Cleveland’s Cade Smith second.
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