Can Fran Brown make Syracuse a powerhouse?
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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — When Fran Brown saw the Syracuse job come open last November, he watched a clip of athletic director John Wildhack ticking off what he would be looking for in his next head coach.
Ties to the northeast? Brown could check that box off 10 times over. Head-coaching and coordinator experience on the Power 5 level? Brown had neither of those, but in his view, those qualifications did not matter. He wanted the job. So he picked up the phone.
He called Wildhack himself.
“What John said he was looking for early on, experience and all these things, I’m like, ‘He doesn’t really know what he’s looking for. He’s looking for me,'” Brown said during a recent interview in his office. “I was a perfect fit.”
“Literally, five minutes before I was going to call Fran, my phone rings,” Wildhack told ESPN in a phone interview. “I don’t recognize the number, so I don’t pick it up. It goes to voicemail. I play the voicemail back. It’s Fran.
“Sometimes you think, ‘Is this a little divine intervention here or what?'”
An initial 15-minute conversation led to text exchanges, a two-hour Zoom and then an interview in front of the search committee. They agreed unanimously — Brown was the perfect fit. Brown grew up in Camden, New Jersey, a northeast guy through and through. He worked for well-respected coaches, including Matt Rhule, Greg Schiano and Kirby Smart, and he was one of the top recruiters in the country.
Though Brown had no head-coaching experience, Wildhack said that could be overlooked since so many other factors made sense.
Five months in, it seems like Wildhack was right.
Without playing a game, Brown has brought attention to a Syracuse program that has not won a conference title in 20 years. He has done it thanks to eye-opening offseason moves, starting with Ohio State transfer quarterback Kyle McCord — the highest profile transfer to ever sign at Syracuse.
More transfers followed, including defensive lineman Fadil Diggs from Texas A&M. Syracuse wound up with 18 players from the transfer portal — 12 from the Power 5, seven from the SEC, unprecedented at a school that has won 10 games once since 2002.
Top-tier recruits have also signed with Syracuse, too. This past December, defensive end KingJoseph Edwards became the first ESPN300 prospect to sign with the Orange. In all, Brown signed four four-star prospects, more than the five previous seasons combined. Syracuse finished with the No. 42 signing class, its highest ranking since ESPN started ranking the top 75 in 2014.
This has energized and engaged people in and around the program. Wildhack said donors have stepped up to improve their NIL efforts, though he said they preferred to remain anonymous. A record 16,500 people showed up for the spring game. Wildhack said Syracuse is well ahead of its usual pace with season ticket sales and renewals.
“It’s been phenomenal,” Wildhack said. “I’ve not seen anything like it in my time here, just how he has energized the community, our fan base, our football alums.”
To remind himself of that, Brown has a framed $10 bill in his office, in a temporary location while construction on a new football operations center continues. A yellow Post-It note came with the money: “Coach Brown — Watched your interview on the Syracuse Orange. Just wanted you to know from one coach to another I am all in!! Here is my $10.00! Go Orange”
THE PROGRAM BROWN inherits had some recent success under former coach Dino Babers, going to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2012-13. Brown also inherits a strong core of returning players, including running back LeQuint Allen, tight end Oronde Gadsden II, linebacker Marlowe Wax and defensive backs Justin Barron and Alijah Clark.
But each season, Babers’ Orange were unable to close strong after getting off to fast starts. Last season, Syracuse opened 4-0, then lost five straight. In 2022, Syracuse opened 6-0 before another five-game losing streak.
Brown, of course, knows to truly make Syracuse relevant again, he has to do more than start fast. Though history says it’s unlikely that a team from the northeast will win national championships, Brown believes it is possible. Since 2006, teams from the south have won every national championship except two (Ohio State in 2014 and Michigan in 2023). Penn State was the last team from the northeast to win a national title, and that was in 1986.
Growing up in Camden, Brown paid close attention to schools like Syracuse, Penn State and Pittsburgh — which all took their respective turns on the national stage. Why can’t that happen again, he asks?
He dismisses any notion that Syracuse is at a disadvantage in the transfer portal and NIL era because it does not have the same resources as the top-tier football programs in its own conference, let alone the one he just came from in Athens, Georgia.
“How can you say we don’t have what they have?” Brown asks. “You’ve got to talk to the players to see what they want, and if I’m developing you the right way, are you going to leave here for $20,000? Is that all you’re looking at your future to be about?”
“Georgia coaches football well. Everyone tries to take away from that. You could go, ‘They’re only winning because of this.’ That’s what chumps say. We all have the same opportunity. Just figure out how to get it done.”
He can easily point to the work he has done in the transfer portal as proof that he can bring in elite players to play for him at Syracuse. It started on Day 1. Brown was introduced as Syracuse coach Dec. 4. That same day, McCord announced he was in the portal after three seasons at Ohio State.
McCord started his final season at Ohio State, going 229-of-348 for 3,170 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, winning third-team All-Big Ten honors. But Ohio State lost to Michigan to close out the regular season, dashing its College Football Playoff hopes. Afterward, McCord said he had “tough conversations” with the Ohio State coaching staff.
“The vision that they had was different than the vision that I had,” McCord said. “In a perfect world, we win, go undefeated, win the national championship and I’m probably not in this position, probably not here, but everything happens for a reason. So when they told me that they thought they wanted to go in another direction, that’s the harsh reality of it.”
McCord grew up in New Jersey, and his relationship with Brown goes back years, to when McCord was in sixth grade. His dad, Derek, worked in the same hospital as Brown’s wife, Teara. Derek was known to brag on McCord from time to time. Teara told Fran he should go and watch Kyle play. He attended youth football games and they struck up a relationship.
Still, McCord says now, “You never think it’s going to turn into this.”
Brown flew to Columbus, Ohio, shortly after McCord entered the portal and met with him in his apartment. McCord remembers Brown selling his vision for Syracuse, and his belief they could win right away. Another big selling point: Brown hired Jeff Nixon as his offensive coordinator, another coach McCord knows from New Jersey. McCord and Nixon’s son, Will, played youth football together starting at age 5 in South Jersey, when Nixon was an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. (Last week, Will Nixon transferred from Washington to Syracuse.) Nixon had previously worked with Brown and when he was hired, Nixon immediately texted and said, “Coach, I’m available.”
“That was music to my ears,” McCord said. “The vision that he had of going out and competing and being able to win a lot of games early on, and having input in the offense and just things like that was really what sold me.”
There is one more connection Nixon has that McCord finds helpful — Nixon and Ohio State coach Ryan Day served on the same offensive staff at two different stops during their respective careers. McCord says the Syracuse offense is similar to what he ran at Ohio State, even including some plays with the same names.
McCord committed Dec. 17, which Brown says lent instant credibility to the program. Two days later, Diggs — originally from East Camden, New Jersey — announced he was transferring in from Texas A&M. Already, Brown was assembling a big transfer haul — Georgia receivers Jackson Meeks and Zeed Haynes had already decided they were coming with him from Athens. Then in early January, cornerback Duce Chestnut announced he would transfer back to Syracuse after spending last season at LSU.
McCord points out that he played youth football with several of his now-teammates, including Chestnut. He also played against Diggs in high school. McCord said building back northeast football at the college level, as players from the region, is something they want to do.
And Brown is determined to build a winning program with players predominantly from the region. On the 2024 roster, 40 players are from the northeast, including seven of the 11 transfers who enrolled in January. Four of those players attended Camden High, where Brown played quarterback and set the then-single-season school record with 47 touchdown passes.
“It’s kind of been like a childhood dream for a lot of us to play together,” McCord said. “You look around the building. It’s guys from New Jersey and Pennsylvania and New York. … I think we can really change the program around pretty quickly. You see what Coach Fran has been doing in these first few months here, and I think if we can just stay on that trajectory, things are going to go upward.”
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR ELIJAH Robinson and Brown played Little League Football together in Camden. They also shared the same godfather, who made sure they stayed on the right track. Robinson knew, even as Brown starred on their high school team, that one day his friend would be headed for big things. Brown had a natural charisma about him, but also a dogged determination to make it.
“There was never a doubt in my mind he would be here at some point because of who he is,” Robinson said. “I know who Francis Brown is, as a young man who overcame so much adversity. I know the Francis Brown that went to JUCO, who would drink a gallon of water because he didn’t have enough money for food and went to sleep early so he wouldn’t think about being hungry. People like that, who do things the right way, they climb.”
Brown has a gift from a parent sitting on his desk that encapsulates what he tries to keep in mind every day — a knight in armor, on one knee, with arms outstretched. A clear message: I am giving my son over to you for the time being.
Coaches often speak in broad platitudes about wanting to make a lasting impact on their players. One of the reasons Brown says he never wanted to be a coordinator is because that would mean having influence over only part of the team; he wanted to be able to reach every single player.
So he bided his time, preparing his entire coaching career for this moment. On his iPad, he has folders from every stop along the way, with notes, schedules, schemes, reminders and plans for how he would run his own program.
That is only part of the job. What he believes in most of all is what makes all those around him believers, too.
“The original definition of coach is a horse-drawn buggy that takes important people from where they are to where they want to be,” Brown says. “You’re an important person, I’m the horse-drawn buggy. So I’ve got to take you from where you are right now to get you to where you want to be.”
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Neil Paine
Hockey is a notoriously chaotic sport in which you need a large sample of games to know what’s real versus what’s just noise. For instance, it is estimated that it takes the entire 82-game NHL season to give us as much information about team quality as just 32 NBA games — or less than half the regular season — do.
So it’s always risky to draw grand conclusions from what we see over the first month of play on the ice. But that can’t stop us from finding interesting trends emerging from the early portion of the schedule.
Here are seven initial developments that have taken us by surprise in 2024-25 so far:
1. Ovechkin’s comeback against Father Time
One of the biggest storylines heading into the season was Alex Ovechkin‘s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record, with the Great 8 starting the season trailing The Great One by 41 scores.
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Sean Allen
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Victoria Matiash
Close
Victoria Matiash
Fantasy Hockey
- ESPN.com Fantasy Contributor since 2010
- Part-time anchor at NEWSTALK1010
Another week, another No. 1 landing spot for the Winnipeg Jets in the ESPN NHL Power Rankings. But who finishes 2-32?
Plus, it’s another fantasy hockey takeover week, with Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash identifying one player per team who is off to a slow start (relative to his teammates or expectations) and advising fantasy managers whether to have patience or panic at this time.
And as a reminder, it’s not too late to join ESPN Fantasy Hockey. Sign up for free and start playing today!
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Nov. 8. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 88.24%
Cole Perfetti, LW (28.9% rostered in ESPN Fantasy leagues): As difficult as it is to find fault with anything Jets-related these days, Perfetti isn’t quite meeting 2024-25 fantasy expectations yet. But the 22-year-old remains cemented on the Jets’ second scoring line and power play, and he has pitched in enough multipoint showings to merit another look in deeper leagues. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ FLA (Nov. 16), vs. FLA (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 73.33%
Brent Burns, D (69.5%): The writing had been on the wall, faintly sketched with a carpenter’s pencil, but now it’s been retraced in ink. Shayne Gostisbehere has the power play on lock, and Burns doesn’t put up the points without it now. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. OTT (Nov. 16), vs. STL (Nov. 17), @ PHI (Nov. 20), @ NJ (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 67.65%
Gustav Forsling, D (68.8%): Playoff heroics can inflate rostership numbers even this far into the future, but Forsling isn’t a must-have fantasy contributor. You can find a defenseman with a higher ceiling among your league’s free agents. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. WPG (Nov. 16), @ WPG (Nov. 19), @ CHI (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 78.13%
Marc-Andre Fleury, G (51.8%): As long as Filip Gustavsson continues to perform dependably well, the veteran No. 2 isn’t going to play much. There are other lesser-rostered backups in the league — Jake Allen and Jonathan Quick come to mind — who offer more fantasy punch than Fleury. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. DAL (Nov. 16), @ STL (Nov. 19), @ EDM (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 70.00%
Matt Roy, D (45.6%): After a breakout fantasy campaign with the Kings last season, cut Roy some slack. He has had only a handful of games to get used to his new teammates, and the minutes are there to get the job done. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ COL (Nov. 15), @ VGK (Nov. 17), @ UTA (Nov. 18), vs. COL (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 70.00%
Mika Zibanejad, C (95.6%): Zibanejad has had slow starts before — 1.78 FPPG in 2021-22 and 1.93 FPPG last season — yet still finished over 2.00 FPPG. His current 1.58 FPPG isn’t alarming. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ SEA (Nov. 17), @ VAN (Nov. 19), @ CGY (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 68.75%
Brayden McNabb, D (52.3%): Returning to his selfless ways — highlighted by five blocked shots against the Ducks Wednesday — McNabb is already working back into his fantasy managers’ good graces. While hardly a prolific producer, the veteran should start pitching in a few more points, too. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ UTA (Nov. 15), vs. WSH (Nov. 17), @ TOR (Nov. 20), @ OTT (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 65.00%
Luke Hughes, D (39.1%): He did an admirable job filling in for an injured Dougie Hamilton as a rookie last season, but unless that situation arises again, it looks as though Hughes is out of the limelight for this campaign. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ TB (Nov. 16), vs. CAR (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 66.67%
Roope Hintz, C (79.8%): Some bad puck luck, illustrated by his 6.7% shooting percentage through six recent contests (career: 16.5%), is partially to blame for Hintz’s current skid. But the perennial 30-plus goal scorer is bound to get back on track soon, especially once Peter DeBoer inevitably juggles his lines again. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ MIN (Nov. 16), vs. ANA (Nov. 18), vs. SJ (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 63.33%
Filip Hronek, D (51.9%): He’s averaging approximately a single shot and blocked shot per game. Unlike last season, the compensatory scoring isn’t there to make up for those shortcomings. Hronek appears far more valuable to the Canucks as Quinn Hughes‘ defensive partner than to his fantasy managers. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. CHI (Nov. 16), vs. NSH (Nov. 17), vs. NYR (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 58.33%
Quinton Byfield, RW (43.2%): The lack of a single power-play point is one concern, along with his removal from the top unit. Through the fantasy lens, so is Byfield’s third-line role. If all remains as is, we might be in for another season of inconsistent fantasy returns. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. DET (Nov. 16), vs. BUF (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 61.11%
Matthew Knies, LW (42.4%): He has been making hay while the sun shines, so to speak, as he gets first power-play unit access while Auston Matthews is out. The confidence boost should carry over to when Matthews returns, and they are linemates again. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. EDM (Nov. 16), vs. VGK (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 55.88%
Jeff Skinner, C (45.0%): Afforded the opportunity to compete alongside just about every Oiler up front, including two of the best centers in the biz, the veteran winger has nonetheless failed to offer much of a productive presence. Now Skinner appears relegated to Edmonton’s fourth line. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ TOR (Nov. 16), @ MTL (Nov. 18), @ OTT (Nov. 19), vs. MIN (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 56.67%
Jake Guentzel, LW (98.8%): Guentzel’s overall output is fantastic already, but with just two power-play points so far, he has yet to add his usual production with the man advantage. If he does, his already strong fantasy profile could get a big boost. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. NJ (Nov. 16), @ PIT (Nov. 19), @ CBJ (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 52.94%
Devon Toews, D (66.7%): While it has taken the defender time to warm up after a delayed start to 2024-25, Toews now appears back in his groove: blocking shots, contributing to the score sheet and skating more minutes than nearly everyone else. Cale Makar‘s partner hasn’t averaged 0.58 points per game throughout his career by accident. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. WSH (Nov. 15), @ PHI (Nov. 18), @ WSH (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 53.13%
Linus Ullmark, G (84.8%): The Senators are showing signs of competing, and we know Ullmark is capable of being among the best. Patience might already be paying off with some of his recent road outings against tough division rivals. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ CAR (Nov. 16), vs. EDM (Nov. 19), vs. VGK (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 55.88%
Nazem Kadri, C (78.4%): While no one is scoring much for the Flames these days, including their No. 1 center, this too shall pass. Perhaps it’ll play out like last season, when Kadri collected two points in October before erupting for 13 in November, then maintained that scoring pace for the duration of the season. Also, he shoots the puck a lot. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. NSH (Nov. 15), vs. NYI (Nov. 19), vs. NYR (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 50.00%
Charlie McAvoy, D (89.9%): The Bruins’ offense might be slower this season, but McAvoy’s 1.64 FPPG is still too low. Give him time. Not enough has changed to drop him far from his 2.29 FPPG average over the past three seasons. Verdict: Patience
Next seven days: vs. STL (Nov. 16), vs. CBJ (Nov. 18), vs. UTA (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 53.13%
Barrett Hayton, C (17.5%): According to analysis by Evolving Hockey, the third-line center (for now) should be scoring more goals in accordance with the quality of his shots. That offers some comfort in light of his current skid. While Hayton certainly needs to play more minutes and shoot on net more often, he doesn’t merit giving up entirely in deeper fantasy leagues. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. VGK (Nov. 15), vs. WSH (Nov. 18), @ BOS (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 52.94%
Brock Nelson, C (76.9%): The Isles’ collective offense isn’t weaker than it has been for several years. Nelson has averaged 2.03 FPPG across the past three seasons. He’ll come around. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ SEA (Nov. 16), @ CGY (Nov. 19), @ DET (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 50.00%
Patrick Kane, RW (66.3%): If the Red Wings’ power play were in the dumps, maybe we could preach patience for Kane. But it’s not, and it might be time to move on from Kane in fantasy. He is getting all the opportunities required and is just not producing. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ ANA (Nov. 15), @ LA (Nov. 16), @ SJ (Nov. 18), vs. NYI (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 50.00%
Dylan Cozens, C (49.3%): It is time to move off Cozens. He had that banner 2022-23 but is now matching the reduced fantasy production that lasted all of last season. Even an uptick in performance might not be enough to get to fantasy relevance from his current 1.41 FPPG. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ PHI (Nov. 16), @ LA (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 50.00%
Adam Larsson, D (60.5%): Despite the relative drought, the top-pair defenseman still blocks a sufficient number of shots to merit rostering in deeper standard leagues. Plus, he’ll soon fall back into his usual (however relatively modest) scoring groove. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. NYI (Nov. 16), vs. NYR (Nov. 17), vs. NSH (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 44.12%
Jordan Binnington, G (55.1%): After winning the season opener against Seattle, the Blues’ No. 1 has yet to beat anyone outside of the Atlantic Division. Shouldering a 4-7-0 record, .887 save percentage and 3.26 goals-against average, Binnington has cost his fantasy managers a total net loss of 1.8 points. Yes, negative points. There are likely brighter days ahead for the banged-up Blues, but when? Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ BOS (Nov. 16), @ CAR (Nov. 17), vs. MIN (Nov. 19), vs. SJ (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 47.06%
Joel Farabee, LW (50.7%): Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton; Take your pick of Flyers who were just picking up some fantasy momentum in their career but have been buried on the depth chart by the new core group. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. BUF (Nov. 16), vs. COL (Nov. 18), vs. CAR (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 38.24%
Teuvo Teravainen, RW (41.4%): The Blackhawks’ offseason acquisition has one goal and zero assists in his past 11 games, and he isn’t shooting with any consistency. Even back on a scoring line with Connor Bedard, Teravainen can’t be counted on to contribute regularly enough. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ VAN (Nov. 16), vs. ANA (Nov. 19), vs. FLA (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 41.67%
Erik Karlsson, D (94.1%): It’s been a season and a quarter now, so what we see from Karlsson as a Penguin might be what we get. He’s not the sole source of offense, so downgraded fantasy output is just the new normal. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ CBJ (Nov. 15), vs. SJ (Nov. 16), vs. TB (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 40.00%
Ivan Provorov, D (19.2%): No one on the Blue Jackets is underperforming in a big way, but even 20% rostership is too high for Provorov. If he’s not on the first pair, you can safely pretend he’s not there. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. PIT (Nov. 15), @ MTL (Nov. 16), @ BOS (Nov. 18), vs. TB (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 38.24%
Gustav Nyquist, RW (16.6%): Once replaced by Steven Stamkos on the Predators’ top line, Nyquist lost most of his fantasy charm. It’s no coincidence the winger was at his most productive when skating alongside Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ CGY (Nov. 15), @ VAN (Nov. 17), @ SEA (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 40.00%
Lukas Dostal, G (60.7%): The Ducks allow the most shots against (35.5 per game) while scoring the fewest goals (2.20 per game). Plus, a healthy John Gibson is back to share Anaheim’s crease. Dostal’s successful fantasy run was fun while it lasted. It’s time to move on. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. DET (Nov. 15), @ DAL (Nov. 18), @ CHI (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 36.11%
William Eklund, LW (56.2%): The sophomore is playing a ton of minutes, pitching in assists and now skating on a scoring line with Mikael Granlund. Which is a good thing. Yes, we’d all like to see him shoot more. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ PIT (Nov. 16), vs. DET (Nov. 18), @ DAL (Nov. 20), @ STL (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 35.29%
Sam Montembeault, G (22.3%): The Habs don’t look like they’ll win enough for Monty to shine in redraft leagues, but if you drafted him for a keeper league, there are positive signs for the future. Verdict: Patience, at least for the long term.
Next seven days: vs. CBJ (Nov. 16), vs. EDM (Nov. 18)
LAS VEGAS — Left-handers Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox won Major League Baseball’s Comeback Player of the Year awards on Thursday.
Cleveland right-hander Emmanuel Clase won his second AL Reliever of the Year award and St. Louis righty Ryan Helsley won the NL honor.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani joined David Ortiz as the only players to win four straight Outstanding Designated Hitter awards. Ohtani and the New York Yankees‘ Aaron Judge won Hank Aaron Awards as the outstanding offensive performers in their leagues.
Major League Baseball made the announcements at its All-MLB Awards Show.
Sale, 35, was 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177⅔ innings for the NL’s first pitching triple crown since the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw in 2011. He earned his eighth All-Star selection and first since 2018.
Sale helped Boston to the 2018 World Series title but made just 56 starts from 2020-23, going 17-18 with a 4.86 ERA, 400 strikeouts and 79 walks over 298⅓ innings. He was acquired by Boston from the White Sox in December 2016 and made nine trips to the injured list with the Red Sox, mostly with shoulder and elbow ailments. He had Tommy John surgery on March 30, 2020, and returned to a big league mound on Aug. 14, 2021.
Sale fractured a rib while pitching in batting practice in February 2022 during the management lockout. On July 17, in his second start back, he broke his left pinkie finger when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of the Yankees’ Aaron Hicks. Sale broke his right wrist while riding a bicycle en route to lunch on Aug. 6, ending his season.
Crochet, 25, was 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA over 32 starts for a White Sox team that set a post-1900 record of 121 losses, becoming a first-time All-Star. He struck out 209 and walked 33 in 146 innings.
He had Tommy John surgery on April 5, 2022, and returned to the major leagues on May 18, 2023. Crochet had a 3.55 ERA in 13 relief appearances in 2023, and then joined the rotation this year.
Sale and Crochet were chosen in voting by MLB.com beat writers.
Clase and Helsley were unanimous picks by a panel that included Hall of Famers Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers, along with John Franco and Billy Wagner. The AL award is named after Rivera and the NL honor after Hoffman.
A three-time All-Star, Clase was 4-2 with a 0.61 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 10 walks in 74⅓ innings, holding batters to a .154 average. The 26-year-old converted 47 of 50 save chances, including his last 47.
Voting was based on the regular season. Clase was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in the playoffs, allowing three home runs, one more than his regular-season total.
Helsley, a two-time All-Star, was 7-4 with a 2.04 ERA and 49 saves in 53 chances. He struck out 79 and walked 23 in 66⅓ innings.
Ohtani became the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. A two-way star limited to hitting following elbow surgery, Ohtani batted .310 and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs while stealing 59 bases.
Ortiz won the DH award five years in a row from 2003-07.
The DH award, named after Edgar Martinez, is picked in voting by team beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments. MLB.com writers determined the finalists for the Aaron awards, and a fan vote was combined with picks from a panel of Hall of Famers and former winners to determine the selections.
Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers and 144 RBIs while hitting .322.
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