Major League Baseball has begun handing out awards for the 2019 regular season with the announcement of the 2019 Reliever of the Year Award winners. Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader took home the honors in the National League (NL). In the American League (AL), it was Aroldis Chapman who earned the honors for Reliever Of The Year. Both players were outstanding in 2019, being a significant part of the backend of their respective team’s bullpens.
Your NL, AL Relievers of the Year: Josh Hader and Aroldis Chapman.
(MLB x @TheHartford) pic.twitter.com/2TfYZU25Dk
— MLB (@MLB) October 26, 2019
During the 2019 season, Hader was called into the game 61 times by the Brewers, totaling 75.2 innings pitched. Over the course of the season, Hader racked up 138 punch outs, a 2.62 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 37 saves for the Brewers. The 2019 regular season also treated Hader to his second all-star nomination as well for the Brewers. Hader and the Brewers would ultimately fall in the 2019 NL Wildcard game after a massive mistake in the outfield by Trent Grisham, but Hader did not have his best showing in that wildcard game, which partially contributed to the Brewers loss.
In the AL, it was Chapman who was closing out games for the Yankees in 2019, earning himself an All-Star Game nomination. Manager of the Yankees, Aaron Boone, called upon Chapman 60 times in the 2019 regular season. Over 57 innings pitched, Chapman produced 85 punch outs, a 2.21 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and 37 saves for the Yankees. Chapman helped the Yankees reach the 2019 ALCS, where Astros infielder Jose Altuve would take him deep to advance to the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals. However, his regular-season earned him the Reliever of the Year award honors.
