Pirates dominate Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year awards

Pirates took the top three spots in the Sporting News' NL Comeback Player of the Year awards, with Francisco Liriano in the top spot, followed by Mark Melancon and Marlon Byrd. The voters consisted of 186 MLB players.

This demonstrates what a ridiculously good offseason Neal Huntington had (although Byrd was acquired at the August trade deadline), but it also demonstrates how tricky it will be for some of the Pirates' players to sustain their success next year. That Liriano and Melancon got such huge bounceback seasons with the Pirates is a testament to the Bucs' decision-making and to their coaching, but it also involved a good deal of luck.