Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was named the winner of the second annual Majestic Athletic Always Game Award during the 2016 Players Choice Awards. Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor were finalists.
Altuve also took home the inaugural award in 2015. It’s given to the player who — game in and game out — constantly exhibits grit, tenacity, perseverance and hustle; all for the benefit of his teammates and fans.
The Always Game Award was voted on by all Major League players, which is a break from other Players Choice Awards in which voting is league-specific.
Altuve was a three-time winner on the night, also taking home Player of the Year and American League Outstanding Player. What’s more, the 26-year-old is a finalist for AL MVP.
Altuve hit .338/.396/.531 with 42 doubles, 24 home runs, 96 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 161 games this season. He posted career highs in on-base plus slugging percentage (.928) and OPS+ (154), and led the Majors with 216 total hits.
Seager hit .308/.365/.512 with 40 doubles, 26 home runs, 72 RBIs and 105 runs scored over a career-high 157 games. He spent the majority of this season batting second or third in the lineup, and set Dodgers rookie records for hits (193), doubles, runs scored and total bases (321).
Seager took home the Players Choice National League Outstanding Rookie Award, and is a finalist for NL Rookie of the Year and MVP. The 22-year-old shortstop was previously named the NL Rookie of the Year by Baseball America and Sporting News.
Beyond hardware and contributions on the field, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Seager throughout the season for his in-game and pitch-to-pitch adjustments, and desire to play every game.
Lindor, who will turn 23 years old on Nov. 14, is among the young shortstops who have taken the Majors by storm. He finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting last season, and earned his first trip to the All-Star Game this year.
Lindor hit .301/.358/.435 and set career highs with 30 doubles, 15 home runs and 78 RBI in 158 games played. He also contributed on the defensive side of the ball, becoming the first Indians player to win a Gold Glove Award since Grady Sizemore in 2008.
The dazzling shortstop also became Cleveland’s first player at the position to earn a Gold Glove since Omar Vizquel in 2001.
