Nelson Cruz’s brilliant 2017 season with the Mariners earned him the prestigious award named after the hitting coach he works with every day to achieve such success.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball announced that Cruz was voted as the winner of the 2017 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. Cruz finished ahead of Cleveland’s Edwin Encarnacion in the voting.
“Nelson is truly deserving of the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter of the Year Award,” Martinez said in a statement. “I see first-hand how his presence both in the clubhouse and in our lineup provide stability that makes his teammates around him better.