So, it’s not quite the Oscars or the Emmys.  Heck, it’s not even the MTV Movie Awards nominees, but the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Nominees have been announced and fans get to vote for the finalists on MLB.com through September 30.

Here are your American League nominees:

Jim Thome, 1B/DH, Chicago White Sox
Coming back from injury and from the National League, Thome has had a resurgence back in the A.L. and is hitting like he did back in the day when he was part of a juggernaut Cleveland Indians offense that included Manny Ramirez and Roberto Alomar, Jr.

Magglio Ordonez, OF, Detroit Tigers
Also coming back from injury, Ordonez is catching some of that old White (Sox) magic that made him one of the best, although underrated, players in the game.  Ordonez has provided veteran leadership for a young Tigers club.  Wouldn’t it be sweet revenge if his Tigers bumped out his former team, the White Sox?

Corey Patterson, OF, Baltimore Orioloes
Patterson is the paragon of a player that has excelled after a change of scenery.  For some reason, Patterson just couldn’t hack it in Chicago… oh wait, he could hack, just hack and miss when he played in Chicago.  Patterson had a lot of promise when he started his majors career, but he did fulfill any of that promise, except for stealing bases.

Curt Schilling, SP, Boston Red Sox
Schilling had a downright horrible season in Boston last year.  Talking really bad.  However, he got a pass of sorts for bring the World Series to Red Sox Nation the previous year.  Thus far this season, Schilling has looked very good.

Frank Thomas, DH, Oakland Athletics
Being a member of Athletics Nation (okay, so I’m showing my loyalties here), I’m happy to see Thomas nominated, but he has to stay healthy the rest of the way if the Athletics are going to go anywhere.  The offense ain’t so great.  Especially with a struggling Eric Chavez.  Anyway, Thomas did miss a stretch of games, but has lately just been slamming the ball out of the park.

Rafael Soriano, RP, Seattle Mariners
The Mariners closer of the future has been derailed because of injury (currently on the D.L) and the emergence of J.J. Putz.  However, you can deny the way Soriano has stepped up this season while he was out on the mound.