UNC Baseball: Daniel Bard named NL Comeback Player of the Year

The former UNC baseball standout received recognition from Major League Baseball for his remarkable comeback story.

Prior to the original Major League Baseball spring training, former UNC baseball player Daniel Bard was attempting to make a comeback. At the time, little did anyone know that the former Tar Heel would put together such a remarkable return to professional baseball.

After throwing for several teams, Bard earned a contract from the Colorado Rockies. It was a low-risk, high-reward type of deal for Colorado, and it ended up being a move that paid major dividends for the franchise.

The 35-year-old earned his way onto the team’s big league roster, eventually working his way up to becoming the team’s closer. Over 23 appearances, Bard posted a 4-2 record with a 3.65 ERA. He also picked up six saves in the MLB shortened season.

Prior to this season, it had been a while since we’d seen Bard on a big league mound. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Bard had a seven-year, 89-day gap between big league appearances. This ranks as the sixth-longest stretch for a pitcher between big league appearances since 1969.

Without-a-doubt, Bard’s impressive return did not go unnoticed.

Bard was selected as the National League Comeback Player of the Year for the 2020 season. The award is selected by the 30 mlb.com beat writers who choose a winner from a list of 30 finalists.

For Bard, the veteran pitcher was just looking for another opportunity to pitch at the big league level. Little did he, or anyone else know that his return would not only be a major story among the sport of baseball, but that he’d also end up being a major contributor as a member of the Rockies bullpen.

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