It turns out the third time is indeed the charm.
Oakland A’s closer Liam Hendriks was named the 2020 AL Reliever of the Year on Saturday, the first time the green and gold has ever won the award since its inception in 2014. A’s pitchers had been snubbed for the honor each of the last two years, but they finally got one in their third deserving attempt.
This season, Hendriks left no room for doubt. He backed up his 2019 breakout with a sparkling 1.78 ERA, but that wasn’t even Top 10 in the AL. What set him apart were his absurd 1.