Tejay Antone deserved more than a footnote after Zack Wheeler's Comeback Player win

Major League Baseball's Comeback Player of the Year Award is one that steps outside the numbers and looks at a player's journey back to the big leagues. There's no minimum service time requirements, and most of the previous winners have overcome some sort of hardship, be it injury, poor performance, or something else entirely.

This year's winners were Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler of the National League and Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez of the American League. Both overcame injuries and returned to their usually dominant selves in 2026.

While both Wheeler and Alvarez overcame adversity in 2025 to shine once again this past season, Cincinnati Reds reliever Tejay Antone may have enjoyed one of the greatest comeback stories in recent memory. The Reds' right-hander deserved to be little more than a footnote during the awards season.

Reds reliever Tejay Antone deserved the Comeback Player of Year Award

This isn't meant as a slight toward Wheeler. Overcoming venous thoracic outlet syndrome that required surgery and months of rehab is nothing to sneeze at. But the Phillies' hurler was pitching in the big leagues until late-August in 2025 and owned a 2.71 ERA through 24 starts. Antone hadn't even stepped onto a Major League mound since April 5, 2024.

Antone's story is well documented among Reds fans, but it's highly likely that his lack of overall popularity and name recognition muffled his candidacy for the award. If you look at the list of previous winners, it's sort of a who's who of former All-Stars and even Cy Young Award winners. Names like Justin Verlander, Salavador Perez, Buster Posey, Cody Bellinger, and Ronald Acuña Jr. are among the previous winners.

Not only did Antone overcome a third Tommy John surgery in 2026, but he became one of the most reliable relievers in the Reds' bullpen. He made 58 appearances, logged 55 innings, posted 57 strikeouts and a 3.11 ERA. With Emilio Pagán now off to the Detroit Tigers, it wouldn't be shocking to see Antone elevated to the closer role in 2027.

Antone may not have won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award, but he's undoubtedly satisfied just to be back in the big leagues. The 32-year-old is an inspiration to so many others and has even written a book about his experience.

Antone told MLB.com after the book's publication, "I hope it inspires people to take a trial in their life and to flip it on its head and figure out what they can get out of that trial versus what is the trial doing to me in the present moment, or woe is me and how bad is this situation?"

Antone is living proof to never give up, even if you don't always receive the world's recognition.

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