Jays manager Montoyo and ace Ryu finalists for American League awards

Though it would have been difficult for voters to overlook Cash’s season, one which he led the Rays to a 40-20 record and an AL East title, the poise and professionalism in which Montoyo steered the Jays was impressive.

The Jays finished third in the division with a 32-28 record, but began the season by spending the first two-plus weeks on the road. When they finally settled into Buffalo, they were confined to a downtown hotel and Sahlen Field for their “home” portion of the schedule, but made the best of it.

“I’m so proud of my players who faced the season head on without complaints,” Montoyo said in a statement from the team. “By turning negatives into positives we were able to focus on winning, never quitting and earning a playoff spot for Toronto, Buffalo and the country of Canada.”

If Montoyo wins the award — which will be announced on Nov. 10 — he would be just the second Jays manager to do so, joining Bobby Cox in 1985.

Ryu was a finalist for the NL Cy Young in 2019 and made an immediate impression in his first year in the AL. Signed to a four-year, $80-million US contract in December, the South Korean lefty was 5-2 with a skimpy 2.69 ERA in his 12 starts.

Though Bieber is expected to win easily, Ryu would become the first Jays pitcher to capture the Cy Young since the late Roy Halladay in 2003.