Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday the winners of the 2021 Reliever of the Year awards. Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader was named the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year while Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks took home Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year honors.
For Hader, this is his third Reliever of the Year award in the last four seasons. He also won in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, Brewers teammate Devin Williams won the award, so that four straight Relievers of the Year for Milwaukee. Hendriks has won the award for the second consecutive season. He won it last year while a member of the Oakland Athletics.
Hader, 27, has his best season yet in 2021, pitching to a 1.23 ERA with 102 strikeouts in only 58 2/3 innings. He went 35 for 36 in save chances and was an All-Star. That represents an excellent bounce back season for Hader, who struggled a bit during the shortened 2020 season, posting a 3.79 ERA in 19 innings. He went 13 for 15 in save opportunities.
The 21-year-old Hendriks signed with the White Sox as a free agent last offseason and more than lived up to his contract in 2021. He had a 2.54 ERA and an incredible 113 strikeouts against only seven walks in 71 innings. Hendriks led the league with 38 saves in 44 attempts. A year ago he pitched to a 1.78 ERA with 14 saves en route to being named Reliever of the Year.
MLB created the Reliever of the Year award in 2014. Previous winners include Kenley Jansen (2016 and 2017), Craig Kimbrel (2014 and 2017), Aroldis Chapman (2019), and Zack Britton (2016). The award is voted on by seven all-time great relievers: Hoffman, Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, John Franco, Lee Smith, and Billy Wagner.
