ST. PETERSBURG (WDAE) -- Three members of the Tampa Bay Rays have been named finalists for the annual baseball writer end of year awards.
For the second consecutive year, Kevin Cash has been named a finalist of the American League Manager of the Year, joining Minnesota's Rocco Baldelli and New York's Aaron Boone. Meanwhile, pitcher Charlie Morton was named a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award, joining former teammate Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole of the Astros, and Brandon Lowe made the top three in voting for American League Rookie of the Year, alongside Houston's Yordan Alvarez and Baltimore's John Means.
Cash led the Rays to their first playoff berth since 2013, winning 96 games, the second-highest win total in franchise history, and has improved the team's win total in each of his last four seasons (from 68 to 80 to 90 to 96).
Morton went 16-6 in his first season with the Rays, with a 3.04 ERA in a career-best 33 starts and 194 innings pitched. He struck out 240 batters this year and walked just 57, finishing the year third in ERA, fifth in WHIP (1.084) and fifth in strikeouts.
Lowe hit .270/.336/.514 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI in 82 games. He missed 69 games this year after first fouling a ball off his shin July 2 against Baltimore, then while on a rehab assignment, suffering a strained quad.
The results for Rookie of the Year will be announced November 11, while Manager of the Year will be awarded November 12, and Cy Young Award results come out November 13.