2028 Minor League Players of the Year

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Borealis
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2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#1 Post by Borealis »

The Playoffs are in full swing - and the Rodriguez Cup is poised upon the horizon, which means it's that time of year again - Awards Season is nearly here!! But you can get a head start with your individual Organization Awards for top Minor League Hitter and Pitcher!! You know the routine... If you want to do a bigger posting in you blogs (or ~gasp~ home page, and add to your CP haul) - knock yourselves out! Just a listing here is sufficient, with a link back to your blog or Front page article, is fine.

Please use the following formatting when you make your announcement. Make sure to list players by their hyperlinked name, current full position (e.g. "SP" rather than just "P", "CF" rather than just "OF") and league level as listed in OOTP:
Proper formatting of awards announcement wrote:
  • Arlington Minor League Hitter of the Year: CF Ken Shoemaker (AAA)
  • Arlington Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP José Avalos (AAA)
Qualifications for Minor League Player of the Year Award
  • Players must have been in your organization since the start of the major league season (i.e. players acquired during the season through the draft or via trade are excluded from candidacy).
  • Players must have at least 300 PA (batters), or 10 starts or 40 appearances (pitchers) at the minor league level.
  • Players must not be older than 26 (or must have turned 27 after July 1).
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#2 Post by DrewV »

haha well it appears I jumped the gun on this down in Duluth. I saw that Nigel had kept a record and wanted to keep continuity...didn't know it was a PEBA-wide thing. How cool!
Duluth Minor League Hitter of the Year: RF Sean Kirkland (AAA)

Duluth Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Fernando Gusman (AAA)
In his debut season at AAA, lefty Sean Kirkland lit up the league with 29 Home Runs and an OPS of .857 over 514 plate appearances. He was 5th in Slugging overall, and tied for 4th in home runs, batting in 69 runs. Kirkland, a second-round 2024 draft pick, had a phenomenal debut season in 2024 with Rapid City, and cooled off for a couple years of AA play before rising to AAA for his stand-out season.

His batting efforts were enough to earn a September call-up in Duluth, where the young lefty did not disappoint. He hit 6 home runs in 10 games, driving in 11 with only 3 strikeouts. His September call-up saw a 10-game slash-line of .324/.395/.912.

Earning a spot in AAA after his searing season at Rapid City last year, Fernando Gusman adjusted well to AAA ball with a FIP of 3.28 and a WHIP of 0.97 in 28 starts. His well-controlled arsenal includes a 95 mph fastball, along with a commendable slider and curve. It seemed AAA batters either homered or struck out against Gusman (2nd in HRA), who was a Top-7 K/9, WHIP, and BABIP contender.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#3 Post by Leones »

Havana Minor League Hitter of the Year: SS Jong-pil 'Evil Ways' Yi (A)
Havana Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Rob Patel (A)

There were a number of strong contenders for Hitter of the Year but Yi's 6.6 WAR stood out amongst the pack. Similarly with the Pitcher of the Year Patel's 11-6 record paired with a 1.09 WHIP give him the nod.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#4 Post by Wind Dancers »

Toyama Minor League Hitter of the Year: LF David Trujillo (A)
Toyama Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Silvio Bolt (AA)

Hitter of the year was a difficult choice. AAA is full of ineligible guys, AA was a mixed bag, and single-A is forced to play in my extreme pitcher's park. Trujillo was chosen because of his level of play in said pitcher's park which earned him a call-up late in the season where he showed just how advanced he was. In Takaoka, the 24-year-old hit .262 with an OPS of .787. In just 350 plate appearances, Trujillo hit 17 doubles, 17 HR's, and drew in 49 RBI's. The former 51st overall draft pick was also a stable outfielder just 2 years after a worrying Partially Torn Labrum injury.


Selecting a pitcher was much easier than selecting a hitter with Silvio Bolt being the obvious candidate. The 25-year-old spent his third full season in AA throwing to the tune of a 2.06 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. The Dutchman held a 0.5 HR/9, 2.6 BB/9, and 8.2 K/9 across 174.2 innings on way to a 14-5 record. But maybe the best stat that shows his dominance is the 167 ERA+ placing him 5th in the entirety of the Great Northern League. Bolt lead the Pandas to the PCAL Championship Series where they lost 3-2 to Edmonton.

Historical Toyama Winners:
Toyama Minor League Hitter of the Year
2028:LF David Trujillo (A)
2027:CF Pedro 'Tiger' Alvarez (AA)
2026:LF Ramiro Salinas (AAA)

Toyama Minor League Pitcher of the Year
2028:SP Silvio Bolt (AA)
2027:SP Mike Miller (AA)
2026:SP Felipe Morán (AAA)
Last edited by Wind Dancers on Fri Apr 26, 2019 1:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#5 Post by Vic »

Scottish 2028 Minor League Hitter of the Year: 1B-Bob Sutherland (A)
Scottish 2028 Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP-Jerry Pearson (AA)

Sutherland



Bob Sutherland, 23-year-old first baseman for the Govan Shipbuilders, sailed under the radar virtually the entire season, partly because his batting average and on-base percentage figures were undistinguished. But that’s not where Sutherland’s game shines: he’s a power hitter. Period. His stats for the season: .232/.328/.542 with 40 home runs, 83 RBIs, and OPS of .871 and 5.3 WAR. To put that in perspective, Sutherland accounted for 73 percent of his team’s entire offensive WAR total. He’ll move on to AA in 2029 to see if he can take the next step in his career.

Pearson

Jerry Pearson, 24-year-old starting pitcher for the Inverness Highlanders, quietly put together a very nice season for a very bad team. The Highlanders went 60-80 on the season, 28 games out of first, but Pearson still assembled an 8-8 record in 28 starts, with a 2.24 ERA, 117 K’s, 49 walks, and 3.1 WAR. His FIP was 2.87 and his command ratio 2.4. Pearson will move on to AAA Aberdeen next season.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#6 Post by Zephyrs »

Reno Minor League Hitter of the Year: LF Ti-an Louis (AA)
Reno Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP P Ji-chol Yun (AA)
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#7 Post by Alleghenies »

I remember trading Pearson. I didn't want to but Henry Davis wasn't ready and I needed a utility guy.
Claymores wrote:Scottish 2028 Minor League Hitter of the Year: 1B-Bob Sutherland (A)
Scottish 2028 Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP-Jerry Pearson (AA)

Sutherland



Bob Sutherland, 23-year-old first baseman for the Govan Shipbuilders, sailed under the radar virtually the entire season, partly because his batting average and on-base percentage figures were undistinguished. But that’s not where Sutherland’s game shines: he’s a power hitter. Period. His stats for the season: .232/.328/.542 with 40 home runs, 83 RBIs, and OPS of .871 and 5.3 WAR. To put that in perspective, Sutherland accounted for 73 percent of his team’s entire offensive WAR total. He’ll move on to AA in 2029 to see if he can take the next step in his career.

Pearson

Jerry Pearson, 24-year-old starting pitcher for the Inverness Highlanders, quietly put together a very nice season for a very bad team. The Highlanders went 60-80 on the season, 28 games out of first, but Pearson still assembled an 8-8 record in 28 starts, with a 2.24 ERA, 117 K’s, 49 walks, and 3.1 WAR. His FIP was 2.87 and his command ratio 2.4. Pearson will move on to AAA Aberdeen next season.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#8 Post by Vic »

He had a really strong season, but his ratings aren’t much to write home about. I’ll keep an eye on him, though. Ogawa didn’t look like much of anything, either ...
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#9 Post by Vic »

Pearson was so ticked off about how bad the Inverness team was this season, he won't discuss an extension (he'll be a minor league free agent this offseason). Ungrateful wretch. I hope they spell his name wrong on the plaque!
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#10 Post by Fishermen »

Hartford Minor League Hitter of the Year: RF Young-Chul Han (A)

Hartford Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Nicola Casiraghi (A)


In a real down year for the whole system it was a hard choice, 23-yr-old Casiraghi from Argentina was one of the few pitchers in all of the affiliates with a winning record. He recovered from a poor season in 2027 out of Lavel's Double-A bullpen to return to A ball and lead the rotation to the post season where he picked up a championship ring. Turning a -1.0 WAR in 2027 into a 2.3 WAR in 2028 could mean he does have a future in baseball after all. 24-yr-old South Korean Han was signed out of the WIL in August 2027 and had a great 2028 in Cheyenne, making an All Star appearance, winning the Division Series MVP and a Championship ring. A 3.4 WAR while hitting .280 with 18 homers in 111 appearances helped him to this award but a -6.5 ZR in right field doesn't bode well for 2029

Mention must go to 19-yr-old South Korean first year pro Tae-wan Man who in 18 starts posted a 1.3 WAR, allowed 100 hits in 112 IP and a 0.5 HR/9. Unfortunately his teammates didn't help him and he ended 2028 with a 0-10 record
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#11 Post by Evas »

  • SS Minor league hitter of the Year C Bob Peña (A)
  • SS Minor League Pitcher of the Year SP Sandy Garza (AAA)
Bob Peña was selected #39 overall in 2027 out of Michigan State. He projects as a balanced catcher, having both offensive and defensive potential, even is the projection is something less than superstardom. His .260/.307/.726, 123OPS+ line was solid. But his true value is better reflected in his cumulative 4.2WAR that included his sound defense (.991 PCT, +2.3ZR, 30.7 CS%, 2.47 CERA). Bob projects to be a future contributor at catcher in PEBA. Possibly as a future platoon mate for German Hernandez in Shin Seiki.

Garza continued his meteoric and unexpected rise through the Shin Seiki system in 2028. He opened the season in AA and continued to steam roll the competition (10-5, 2.29ERA, 147ERA+ over 20 GS and 129.2 IP). Skeptics pointed towards his very low .220 BABIP as an indication of better than deserved results. But his continued performance in AAA (2.69ERA, 121ERA+ over 11 GS and 70.1 IP) made that claim less convincing. In total he amassed an impressive 5.7 WAR over an even 200 IP. To most, that would look like the line of future PEBA rotational workhorse. Some scouts still doubt him - they think might be vulnerable to HR at some point. But even they have to admit that his 4 pitches that are considered "plus", position him well to secure a PEBA role in the near future.

Historical SS Winners:
Shin Seiki Minor League Hitter of the Year
2028: C Bob Peña (A)
2027: 3B Chor-min Park (AA)
2026: SS SS Bryant 'Mjølnir' Yamada' Hawkins (AA)
2025: 2B Errol Landry (AAA)
2024: 2B Errol Landry (AAA)
2023: RF Rowan 'Bleeder' Stuart (SS-A)
2022: RF Rowan 'Bleeder' Stuart (SS-A)
2021: SS Torazo Kodama (SS-A)
2020: SS Torazo Kodama (SS-A)
2019: 2B Takane Chikafuji (A)
2018: 3B Kiyohisa Kudo (AAA)
2017: 1B Hidemichi Okubo (AAA)
2016: 2B Shihi Suzuki (AAA)
2015: 1B Mitsunari Suzuki (AAA)
2014: LF Ryozo Takeuchi (AAA)

Shin Seiki Minor League Pitcher of the Year
2028: SP Sandy Garza (AAA)
2027: SP Orlando Trujillo (AAA)
2026: SP Jorge Castillo (AAA)
2025: SP Soetsu Hirai (AAA)
2024: SP Soetsu Hirai (AAA)
2023: RP Millard Norman (SS-A)
2022: RP Juro 'Tempo' Sumita (SS-A)
2021: SP Arinori Mochizuki (AAA)
2020: SP Arinori Mochizuki (AAA)
2019: SP Hideyori Tanaka (A)
2018: SP Eitoku Tamura (AAA)
2017: SP Eitoku Tamura (AAA)
2016: SP Noboru 'Hack' Sakamoto (AAA)
2015: SP Koki Watanabe (AAA)
2014: SP Kawanari Masuda (AAA)
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#12 Post by MikeB »

San Juan Minor League Hitter of the Year: OF Kelsey van Wingerden (AA)
San Juan Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Robby Parker (AA)

The clear run producer was 25-year old van Wingerden, whose 32 home runs and 98 RBI for Santurce placed him 2nd overall in the Great Northern League while his .484 slugging percentage put him sixth. He hit .257 with a .370 OBP. He won the right fielder Platinum Stick for the ATAL and finished third in the Outstanding Hitter Award voting.

His teammate Robby Parker was the best minor league pitcher for the Coqui organization. The 22-year old struggled with his control, leading the entire Great Northern League in walks allowed (90) but posted a 15-5 mark with a 2.40 e.r.a. The former supplemental first round pick in 2027 went 8-0 in A ball the year he was drafted including a no-hitter.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#13 Post by Alleghenies »

WV Minor League Hitter of the year: Joey Toms (AA). Out of nowhere he hit 56 hr's. I mean I knew he was strong, but 56 strong? He ended up getting 129 RBI also and a 7.8 WAR between 2 leagues.

WV Minor League Pitcher of the year: José Vázquez (A) - In 2 leagues he had 13 starts and 8 wins. Also in 72.2 IP he had 84 k's and only 22 walks. His ERA was 1.15 between both leagues.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#14 Post by Lions »

Dávila hit 48 HR's and had 120 RBI for AA Hamilton. He won all sorts of awards, including the PCAL Outstanding Hitter Award, while playing stellar defense in center field.

MacLeish was extremely good in 18 starts for AA Hamilton before getting promoted to AAA Grand Rapids. He earned a promotion to AAA where he held his own at 22 years old.
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Re: 2028 Minor League Players of the Year

#15 Post by Sandgnats »

  • Minor League Hitter of the Year: RF Nelson Hernández AA Brampton
  • Minor League Pitcher of the Year: RP Marv King A El Cajon & AA Brampton
Nelson was drafted in the 2021 first-year player draft (Round 9, Pick 2, 269th overall pick) by the Tempe Knights and made his way to the Gnat's system via free agent signing prior to the 2028 season. This season in AA he hit .259 AVG, .318 OBP, and .412 SLG. He hit 15 home runs and had 22 stolen bases. His WAR was 3.6.

Marv was drafted in the 2022 first-year player draft (Round 10, Pick 3, 304th overall pick) by the Lupin Cliff Hangers and made his way to the Gnats system via a free agent signing prior to the 2028 season. This season in A, he pitched a ERA of 1.72 and WHIP of 1.03. His quality start percentage was 88.9 and stuck out 62 while walking only 29. His performance earned him a promotion to AA where he performed with a respectable 2.04 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.
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