The authoritative publication
Baseball Digest has selected Red Sox right-fielder
Mookie Betts as their
2018 MLB Player Of The Year. This is the 50th time
Baseball Digest has picked a top MLB player. The selection was made by a 15-member "blue-ribbon" panel of "longtime baseball observers"—including the likes of
Bob Costas,
Sean McAdam,
Harold Reynolds,
Brian Kenny and
Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo. Betts becomes the
first Red Sox position player to win the coveted award since its inception in 1969. In conjunction with the award,
Elias Sports Bureau announced that Betts is the first ever MLB player to win a batting title in a season while also achieving 30 (HR)/30 (SB) status. Mookie led
all of MLB is WAR (10.9) and slugging percentage (.640). In other presentations, Mets starter
Jacob deGrom was named
MLB Pitcher Of The Year, while Oakland's
Blake Treinen was selected as
MLB Relief Pitcher Of The Year.
