Chicago White Sox first basemen (and sometimes designated hitter) Jose Abreu was named the 2020 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.
In the wake of the announcement, the great White Sox DH (and sometimes first baseman) Frank Thomas toasted Abreu.
Congratulations Jose Abreu!! MVP! Well deserved my man so happy for you and your family!! #PitoMVP
— Frank Thomas (@TheBigHurt_35) November 12, 2020
Like Abreu, one of Thomas' trophies came during a shortened season. The 1994 campaign was notoriously limited to 111 games as a result of a labor strike, though The Big Hurt still mashed 38 homers on ridiculous .353/.487/.729 splits. Overall, the Hall of Famer hit 448 homers with a 161 OPS+ in 16 seasons on the South Side.
Abreu, 33, received 21 of 30 first-place votes. The three-time All-Star and 2014 AL Rookie of the Year led the major leagues with 60 RBIs and 148 total bases in 60 games, and led the AL with 76 hits and a .617 slugging percentage. He batted .317 with 19 home runs and helped lead Chicago to its first playoff berth in 12 years.
The White Sox secured the fourth best record in the AL, only to fall in three games to the Oakland Athletics in the abbreviated first round of the expanded playoffs.
Abreu joins Thomas, Dick Allen (1972) and Nellie Fox (1959) as the only players to win the MVP in the franchise's 120 year history.
Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman was named the National League MVP, making 2020 the first year that the award was won by first basemen in both leagues since 2006, when Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies) and Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins) topped the voting. Like Thomas, Hall of Famer Chipper Jones congratulated Freeman on his achievement.
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