TORONTO – George Springer’s performance in driving his team to a worst-to-first rebound earned him Blue Jays player of the year and most improved player honours in voting by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, announced Wednesday.
Kevin Gausman won pitcher of the year, Braydon Fisher beat out post-season sensation Trey Yesavage (voting is based on regular-season performance) for rookie of the year, while Ernie Clement received the John Cerutti Award, given annually “to a person associated with the day-to-day workings of Blue Jays baseball who displays goodwill, co-operation and character, as exemplified by” the late left-hander.
Springer was a near-unanimous pick for player of the year, garnering 19 of 20 first-place votes (Vladimir Guerrero Jr. received the other), after batting .309/.399/.560 with 32 homers and 84 RBIs while delivering a season worth 5.2 wins, as calculated by FanGraphs.
The rebound from a difficult 2024, when he batted .220/.303/.371, also earned him the most improved honour, in a narrow win over Clement. Springer received eight first-place votes and totalled 31 points, one more than Clement, who received seven first-place votes (Addison Barger, with four, and Nathan Lukes, with one, also got first-place votes).
Gausman won pitcher of the year honours for the second time in three seasons after posting a 3.59 ERA in 193 innings across 32 starts, with 189 strikeouts and a 1.062 WHIP. He also received 19 first-place votes, with the other going to lefty Eric Lauer, who finished third, behind runner-up Chris Bassitt.
Fisher logged 50 innings in 52 outings with 62 strikeouts, a 2.70 ERA and a 1.020 WHIP, providing a vital contribution to the Blue Jays bullpen. He received 11 first-place votes and 49 points to edge out Yesavage, who received eight first-place votes and 42 points and would have likely won the award if playoff performance were factored into the voting. Mason Fluharty received the other first-place vote.
Clement batted .277/.313/.398 in 157 games during a breakout year and became one of the symbols of the 2025 team with his tenacious play, determination and positive disposition, making him a deserving recipient of the Cerutti prize.
