Fann: Handing out the 2022 Seattle Sports Awards

We’ve got reached the top of 2022 in what has been a wildly entertaining and eventful yr on this planet of Seattle sports activities. Thus, it is smart to take a while and acknowledge all that has taken place within the Pacific Northwest by handing out some year-end awards.

Individual of the Yr: Sue Fowl

Fowl is a Seattle sports activities icon who lastly referred to as it a profession at 41 years previous (now 42) after twenty years because the face of the Storm. Initially taken because the No. 1 total decide within the 2002 WNBA Draft, Fowl made 13 All-Star groups whereas bringing 4 WNBA Championships to Seattle.

Should you’re placing collectively your Seattle sports activities Mt. Rushmore, it could be objectively incorrect if it didn’t embrace Fowl. Her statue outdoors Local weather Pledge Area must be constructed sooner quite than later.

MVP: Julio Rodríguez

The 22-year-old phenom is the brand new face of Seattle sports activities following Fowl’s retirement and the departure of Russell Wilson. Rodríguez wasted little time assuming the mantle after forcing his manner onto the Mariners’ opening day roster and placing collectively a sensational rookie season that earned him MLB’s American League Rookie of the Yr honors.

Rodríguez posted a ridiculous 6.2 WAR with a .284 batting common, a .345 on-base share, 28 residence runs, 84 runs scored, 75 runs batted in and 25 steals. Most impressively, Rodríguez embraced the stress of being the savior of a franchise that hadn’t made the postseason in twenty years. His signature smile by no means wavered whilst he battled early season struggles, usually because the sufferer of an egregiously bloated strike zone.

His efficiency on the 2022 MLB All-Star Recreation and Dwelling Run Derby put him on the map as one of many sport’s brightest younger stars. Rodríguez’ play earned him an enormous contract extension that may maintain him in Seattle for greater than a decade and might be value as much as $470 million.

Offensive Rookie of the Yr: Matty Beniers

The Seattle sports activities scene had no scarcity of gifted first-year gamers in 2022. Beniers, regardless of debuting throughout the Kraken’s inaugural season in 2021-22, stored his rookie standing into the 2022-23 season. He has been sensational to date with 11 objectives and 14 assists. His 25 complete factors leads all NHL rookies and make him a candidate for the league’s Calder Trophy, given yearly to the sport’s high rookie.

Beniers’ identify will proceed to garner curiosity and acclaim if the Kraken proceed to excel and clinch a playoff spot for the primary time in franchise historical past. The Kraken can be the Western Convention’s No. 7 seed if the season ended in the present day.

Defensive Rookie of the Yr: Tariq Woolen

Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner of the New York Jets will possible maintain Woolen from profitable the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Yr Award, however that doesn’t imply he isn’t worthy of such recognition. Woolen leads the NFL with six interceptions, and he introduced one again for a landing. As a fifth-round pick of UTSA, Woolen is John Schneider’s newest draft day gem. You can simply argue that he’s already the Seahawks’ high defensive cornerstone.

Storyline of the Yr: Seahawks buying and selling Russell Wilson

Rumblings of unrest between Wilson and the Seahawks gained steam over the previous couple of seasons, however the blockbuster commerce with the Broncos remained a shock to the system all the identical. I do know many would disagree, however I’d argue Wilson is probably the most invaluable participant in franchise historical past as a nine-time Professional Bowler and Seattle’s first Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterback (for what it’s value, Professional Soccer Reference agrees with this sentiment).

What provides to the storyline, although, is the truth that Wilson seems to have magically forgotten methods to play soccer. He’s genuinely been one of many worst quarterbacks within the NFL this season with the Broncos standing because the league’s greatest disappointment. It’s gotten so unhealthy in Denver that the Seahawks, who personal the Broncos first-round decide within the 2023 NFL Draft, might be getting a top-three choice.

Schlereth: What went fallacious in Broncos’ 1st season with Russell Wilson

My hope is that down the street, as soon as his taking part in days are performed, Wilson can return to Lumen Discipline and obtain the flowers he most definitely deserves as a franchise and Seattle sports activities legend and eventual member of the Ring of Honor.

Most Improved: Geno Smith

I desire Smith on this class in comparison with being labeled as a “comeback participant” although he didn’t “come again” from something. Smith has taken full benefit of his first beginning position since 2014. He has grown all through this season from a succesful sport supervisor to a bona fide star with the precision and arm power to make big-time throws.

Smith’s 70.7% completion share leads the NFL to go together with his 3,886 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. His stellar marketing campaign earned him 2022 Professional Bowl honors.

Now the eye turns as to if he’ll obtain the franchise tag from the Seahawks or signal a multi-year contract, whether or not or not it’s in Seattle or in any other case. He’s definitely earned his looming payday.

Comeback Participant of the Yr: Michael Penix Jr.

After an injury-plagued tenure at Indiana, Penix was lastly in a position to stay wholesome for a whole season upon transferring to Washington. Penix was downright dazzling for the Huskies with 4,354 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. He had extra yards than this yr’s Heisman winner Caleb Williams (4,075).

Penix has already introduced that he’ll be returning to Washington in 2023, which can make the Huskies one of many favorites within the Pac-12.

Coach of the Yr: Kalen DeBoer

DeBoer arrived on Montlake with modest expectations. Washington was projected to complete in the course of the Pac-12. As an alternative, the Huskies completed 7-2 in convention play (10-2 total) and have been stored out of the title sport as a consequence of a tiebreaker.

DeBoer will get loads of credit score each for Penix’s monster season and for the quarterback’s choice to stay round for one more season. There’s nonetheless a lot work to be performed and Washington’s 2023 recruiting class ranks simply twenty seventh within the nation, however the arrow is trending upward for the Huskies.

Govt of the Yr: John Schneider

Schneider has the Seahawks on the profitable finish of this period’s Herschel Walker commerce given Wilson’s implosion in Denver and the bevvy of picks and gamers Seattle obtained within the deal. As well as, the Seahawks 2022 draft class is arguably the crew’s greatest in a decade with Charles Cross, Abe Lucas, Kenneth Walker and Woolen all anticipated to be cornerstone-caliber items.

Second of the Yr: Mariners clinching a playoff spot

Shaggy dog story (nicely, you won’t discover it humorous, however I’m going to let you know anyway). Now that I stay in Las Vegas, the MLBtv app is my solely avenue to look at Mariners video games. The numerous problem with that’s that MLB’s blackout restrictions are ridiculous on this metropolis. The A’s, Angels, Giants, Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks are all blacked out in Las Vegas. It makes zero sense, but it surely stays my plight all the identical.

So when the Mariners hosted the A’s on Friday Sept. 30 with the prospect to clinch the franchise’s first playoff look in twenty years, I had no strategy to watch this sport at residence. I ended up at a neighborhood sports activities bar for all 9 innings. As you may in all probability image, I went nuts when Cal Raleigh launched his walk-off residence run off the Hit it Right here Cafe in proper area.

People have been taking a look at me like they’d by no means seen a Mariners fan, like I used to be some endangered species. Reasonably than eye-rolling at my antics, I had strangers arising and congratulating me on the Mariners making the playoffs.

I then proceeded to spend the remainder of the night time watching each possible replay of Raleigh’s homer. What an evening. I nonetheless get chills excited about it, a lot in order that I needed to rewatch the replay whereas scripting this.

Recreation of the Yr: Mariners vs. Blue Jays, Recreation 2 of AL Wild Card

If I’m being trustworthy, my favourite sport of the Mariners season was the walk-off win in opposition to the Braves on Sept. 11. Julio’s game-tying missile to left area and Eugenio Suárez’s walk-off blast two batters later ship T-Cellular Park right into a tizzy.

However you may’t examine that with the stakes of a playoff sport, and the Mariners overcoming an 8-1 deficit with a purpose to beat the Blue Jays and transfer onto the ALDS.

J.P. Crawford’s bases-clearing double, Adam Frazier’s go-ahead RBI double and George Kirby closing the door within the ninth inning will probably be lasting reminiscences for all Mariners followers.

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