2033 Minor League Players of the Year

[Board of the PEBA]

The Playoffs are here - and the Rodriguez Cup is quickly gaining in the rear view mirror, which means it's that time of year again - Awards Season is nearly upon us!! But you can get a head start with your individual Organization Awards for top Minor League Hitter and Pitcher!! You know the drill... 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:

• Aurora Minor League Hitter of the Year: 3B Jorge Soto (AAA)
• Aurora Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Andres Canales (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).

[Borealis]

Aurora Announces 2033 Minor League Players of the Year
by Francis Ferry, NLN baseball beat writer

Minor League Hitter of the Year

LF Angel 'Otter' Silva (A/AA)

Angel Silva was a summer 2030 international signee of the then-Yuma Bulldozers, before being traded last fall to Aurora. 'Otter' had a quality pro debut with Salton Sea (A) in 2032 before the trade, and in 2033 he split time between SLRC (A) and Gatineau (AA). During his brief stay with the Rapids Blancos - at the opposite end of the Baja Peninsula from his home town of Cabo San Lucas, he hit .321 in 14-games, with 4 HR and 10 RBI. Upon his promotion to Gatineau, he would appear in 83 games and hit .302, with 18-2B, 4-3B and 7 HR. He would combine for 18 SB in 23 attempts. Angel was named to the PEBA Prospects game for the second year in a row, where he was 1-2 and scored a run in the SL's 10-2 win at Havana. He would miss four weeks of time for a torn ligament in his thumb after diving for a ball in a July 23rd game v. Calgary (coincidentally, Yuma's AA club).

Keeping mostly to himself - he's in no way the 'Party Otter', many in the organization sense that his introverted nature is more due to his intense focus. He's viewed as a high contact hitter, who will drive the ball into the gaps - the perfect Northern Lights hitter, and with his outstanding speed, there should be a lot of triples in his future. Although his overall skill range in the outfield isn't the best - coaches say he is best suited for center field, he has excellent range - with a sure glove and a strong arm. They also believe that once he matures as a hitter, he should be able to keep strikeouts at a minimum and put out a pretty decent OBP.

Aurora expects Silva to open 2034 at Gatineau, but as was the case this year, they believe he will spend the bulk of the season at AAA Thornton - with an even money likelihood that he will see the Bright Lights of Northern Lights no latter than 2035.

Minor League Pitcher of the Year

SP Hector 'Machete' Gutierrez (A)

Hector 'Machete' Gutierrez was the 22nd overall selection in 2032 - Aurora's 2nd 1st round selection of the draft (2B David Hoffman, #18), out of the University of Tokyo, where over his first three years he was used exclusively as a reliever (63 appearances, 0.98 ERA, 36 saves, 136 K, 18 BB in 73 IP) before becoming a starter in his senior year - posting a 2.06 ERA over 9 starts - striking out 68 in 48 IP, with 5 BB. Aurora drafted him with the intention of his continuing as a starter, and at Mokule'ia last year he suddenly struggled with his control - 53 BB in 99 IP, leading to a 4.00 ERA. This year he would make 26 starts and he struck out a batter an inning - 164 in 162 IP, and saw his walk totals drop immediately - just 46 - a 2 BB/9 decline. He posted a 3.27 ERA. Although there were others with better ERA's - teammate Carlos Hererra had a 2.42, 6th best in the Pacific Alliance, it is the combination of his record and magnitude of improvement that has 'Machete' winning this award. He, too, was named to the PEBA Prospects game, but he did not play.

Gutierrez is an enigmatic figure on the mound, and the organization is split on how to best use him. With a future spot at winter ball on his agenda, does Aurora continue to use him as a starter - and help him develop a third pitch to go with a devastating cutter and outstanding change, or is time better spent working on his mechanics and feed a probable top-10 reliever to the parent club. Hector has the potential to be one of those few starting pitchers who make due with just two pitches - if he can harness that 99 MPH cutter, he could be unhittable - but over the course of 7-innings? The scouting and coaching staff have their work cut out for them - a quality starter or potentially unhittable reliever? Having had great success this year with Tate, Morales and Fujii leaving the starting rotation for the bullpen will no doubt make the decision even more intriguing.


Previous Winners:
Aurora Minor League Hitter of the Year
2033: CF Angel 'Otter' Silva (A/AA)
2032: LF Gabriel Rodriguez (AAA)
2031: 1B Raul Munoz (AA/AAA)
2030: LF Arturo Vega (AA)
2029: RF Stewart 'Litterbug' Arundale (AA/AAA)
2028: 3B Jorge Soto (AA)
2027: LF Ricardo Zamora (AAA)
2026: DH Michizane Shini (AAA/AA)
2025: LF Roberto 'Fudd' Martinez (AAA/AA)
2024: LF Roberto 'Fudd' Martinez (AA/A)
2023: C Manny 'Fido' Castro (AAA)
2022: 2B Pablo Medrano (AAA)
2021: 2B Gabriel McIntyre (AAA)
2020: 2B Jack Speed (AAA)
2019: C Miguel Angel Gálvez (AAA)
2018: OF Paul Carlisle (AAA)
2017: C Rusty Butler (AAA)
2016: LF Artie Thompson (AA/A)
2015: 3B Mike 'Big Whiskey' Britt (AA)
2014: 2B John 'Gypsy' Foster (AA)
2013: 1B Ken Coleman (AAA)

Aurora Minor League Pitcher of the Year
2033: SP Hector 'Machete' Gutierrez (A)
2032: SP Gordon Dobson (A/AA)
2031: SP Humberto Hernandez (AA)
2030: SP Henry Cluett (AAA/AA)
2029: SP Pedro 'Sukoshi Netsu' Morales (A/AA)
2028: SP Andres Canales (A)
2027: SP Jesus Solis (AAA)
2026: SP Robert Thomas (AA)
2025: SP Billy Taylor (AAA)
2024: SP Sam Gordon (AAA)
2023: CL Xavier Díaz (AA)
2022: CL Júlio Martínez (AA)
2021: CL Manuel Galloca (AAA)
2020: MR John Gray (AAA)
2019: SP Hyeon-Cheong Yong (AAA)
2018: SP Hyeon-Cheong Yong (AAA)
2017: SP Edgardo Rojas (AAA)
2016: CL Terry Burns (AA)
2015: SP Chris Graves (AAA)
2014: SP Christian George (S A)
2013: SP Nathan O'Reilly (AA)

NOTE: I've listed previous winners here because, aside for record purposes, the links for all previous winners (2014-2019) are broken.

[Leones]

Havana Minor League Hitter of the Year:
1B Ramón Francisco (ML)
At a mere 21 years old "The 'Wizard' has been a breakout player for the Leones. He tore through the AAA system posting 15 HR, 41 RBI, 158 OPS+ and a 3.8 WAR in 387 PA at the AAA club. He spent the rest of 2033 as the starting 1B for the Leones where he put up another 6 HR and 41 RBI in 168 ML PA. He'll be starting on the bag for the club in the playoffs. This is his second MLHOTY award.

Havana Minor League Pitcher of the Year:
SP Iván Hernández (AAA)
Projected as a future mid rotation hurler, Iván features a 4 pitch repertoire with good movement. In his second campaign for Camaguey he put up a 16-7 record with a 0.97 WHIP and 2.8 WAR. The native Puerto Rican enjoys fishing in his off time and roots for the Cocqui (when they're not playing Havana).

Previous Minor league players of the year

Havana Minor League Hitter of the Year
2032 C Jason Etheridge (AA)
2031 1B Ramon Francisco (A)
2030 CF Juan "Red Eye" Mendoza (R)
2029 LF Paul 'Bananas' Oglethorpe (AA)
2028 SS Jong-pil 'Evil Ways' Yi (A)
2027 1B Vito Valkenburg (AAA)
2026 no selection
2025 3B Oliver Lucero (AAA)
2024 1B Vito Valkenburg (AA)
2023 1B Dewey Beatty (AAA)
2022 2B Yeong_hun Kim
2021 LF Shirai Matsura
Edo Minor League Hitter of the Year
2020 RF Motoki Suzuki (ML)
2019 3B Marcos Hernández (A)
2018 SS Glenn Hendricks (AAA)
2017 2B Toshinobu Murakami (AAA)
2016 C Masutaro Sato (AAA)
2015 CF Yasuo Fujii (AAA)
2014 LF Hiroshige Takeda

Havana Minor League Pitcher of the Year
2032 SP Jorge Hernandez (A)
2031 SP Jorge Hernandez (R)
2030 SP Jorge Hernández (R)
2029 SP Rob Patel (AA)
2028 SP Rob Patel (A)
2027 SP Celestino Corisca (A)
2026 no selection
2025 SP Allen Cook (AAA)
2024 SP Enrique 'Old Nick' Vázquez (PEBA)
2023 SP Hisanobu Harada (AA)
2022 SP Jonathan Sherwin
2021 SP Javier Arce
Edo Minor League Pitcher of the Year
2020 SP Kantaro Sakata (AAA)
2019 SP Jaoquín Marino (AAA)
2018 SP Naonobu Ota (A)
2017 P Sachi Tanaka (AAA)
2016 SP Sakutaro Nomura (A)
2015 SP Into Pesonen (AAA)
2014 SP Mutsuhito Kumatani

[Ghosts]

Niihama Minor League Hitter of the Year:

IF/OF Miguel Fernandez started his first full year at SS, where the Ghosts hope he might stick, and responded with the most productive hitting season in the Niihama organization. His 5.7 WAR led the organization while his .381 wOBA placed him 5th in the total org. He played all but 7 games in AA, where he posted a 158 OPS+ (1st among qualified PA rookies), .235 ISO (2nd), .380 wOBA (1st), 24 HRs (2nd), and a .274 AVG (4th). Other considerees for this award included Harold Stowe, who posted the highest AVG (.306) among qualified PA rookies and OF Miguel Maldonado, who had a similarly outstanding season to Miguel's for Ikari.

Niihama Minor League Pitcher of the Year:
SP Anthony MacDonald has been a pleasant surprise since his 2032 acquisition. He's consistently outpaced expectations and this year pulled himself from a start in A ball to pitching most of the year at AAA. There, he posted a 2.63 ERA (3rd among qualifying RML rookies), 0.99 WHIP (3rd), 2.56 FIP (1st), and 3.2 WAR (1st), leading the Puckmen to the playoffs alongside his fellow rookie standouts like Yuji Yamashita. In total, he led all the Niihama minors with 4.9 WAR and a 2.37 FIP. He outpaced top prospect Yuji Yamashita, who was under strong consideration for this award on the merits of his outstanding performance at AAA that included a 1.80 ERA over 19 starts. Yuji, however, struggled at lower levels due to roster mismanagement and so his totals weren't as competitive as Anthony's.


Ghosts MiL Players of the Year
Hitter of the Year
2033 IF/OF Miguel Fernandez
Pitcher of the Year
2033 SP Anthony MacDonald
Hitter of the Year
2032 3B Darius Freeman
Pitcher of the Year
2032 SP Anthony MacDonald

[Zephyrs]

Reno Minor League Hitter of the Year: LF Travis Fitzpatrick (AAA)
Reno Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Yoshiteru Endo (AAA)

[Wind Dancers]

Toyama 2033 Minor League Batter of the Year: 1B Won Ch'oe (R)

It can be difficult for a rookie league player to win the player of the year rewards due to fewer games played, yet for the second time in a row, a Muju player has won. South Korean Won Ch'oe took home the honors this year after a season that is difficult to properly describe. Ch'oe, born in Yochon-dong just a 3hour train ride away from Muju, hit a ridiculous .362/.441 with 9 HR's and 67 RBI's in just 408 plate appearances finishing with a 4.8 WAR which was 2nd in the entire IBC. Ch'oe was also on point defensively at first with a league-high 712 putouts at the position and an impressive +6.6 zone rating. Cho'e was signed as an international amateur free agent in 2030 and received a $2.8mil signing bonus at the time and finishes the year with a Batter of the Month award and the Divisional series MVP award while still fighting in the IBC League Championship round.

Toyama 2033 Minor League Pitcher of the Year: RP Hong-yeol Chong (AAA)

A wave of South Korean talent has taken hold in the Toyama minor league system as RP Hong-yeol Chong is the minor league pitcher of the year. Chong, currently called up to Toyama as an injury replacement, is the first reliever to win the award after a dominating year as the closer in Yokohama. Before his September callup, Chong was 3-2 with 38 saves and a 1.99 ERA in AAA on one of the league's stronger teams. An 8.3 K/9 stat and overall stellar play has catapulted him as a likely candidate to earn a full-time role in the majors next season. Originally a minor league signing for the Okinawa Shisa, Chong was traded to the WinD's in 2029 in the deal that sent SS Edison Terry south. Chong found success but suffered a Torn UCL in 2031 (his 2nd major injury) which knocked him out for a full 12 months. Despite that, Chong has come back as a key contributor in Yokohama looks ready for that next step up.

Historical Toyama Winners:
Toyama Minor League Hitter of the Year

2033:1B Won Ch'oe (R)
2032:SS Bernardo 'Smug' Rodriguez (R)
2031:C Kevin Newton (AAA)
2030:C Kevin Newton (AA)
2029:LF David Trujillo (AAA)
2028:LF David Trujillo (A)
2027:CF Pedro 'Tiger' Alvarez (AA)
2026:LF Ramiro Salinas (AAA)

Toyama Minor League Pitcher of the Year
2033:RP Hong-yeol Chong (AAA)
2032:SP Jeroen Smit (AAA)
2031:SP Sa-yoor Ch'oe (AAA)
2030:SP Daniel Hernandez (AA)
2029:SP Todd Gustafson (AA)
2028:SP Silvio Bolt (AA)
2027:SP Mike Miller (AA)
2026:SP Felipe Morán (AAA)

[Evas]

SS 2033 Minor league hitter of the Year LF Scotty "The Grinch" Weeks (A)
Weeks was originally a 3rd round pick by Duluth. He was shipped to SS in the 2030 deal that also brought SP Acevez to town. Weeks' signature is his HR power, which continued to develop as a part of a solid overall offensive game that was very productive in A ball in 2033 (159 OPS+, 29 HR, 6.2 WAR, in 539 PA). Plus his glove at 3B is at least serviceable (-0.6ZR, 1.001 EFF in 120 games in 2033). Weeks is slated to jump directly to AAA at the start of 2034. If he is sent to Winter Ball and thrives, a quick promotion to SS might be in order.

SS 2033 Minor League Pitcher of the Year SP Dong-hak "Entrop" Yi (A)
This is getting repetitive. SP Dong-hak "Entrop" Yi was, once again, absolutely dominant in 2033, this time in A ball (209 ERA+ & 7.1 WAR in 26 starts & 195 IP). At only 21 years old at the start of 2034, he will start 2034 in AAA. The Evas will be patient with Yi. He won't be rushed to PEBA. But he could easily follow in the footsteps of Alberto Flores in 2033 and force his way in to the PEBA rotation at some point in 2034. With the decline of long time Eva legend "Zoom Zoom" Suitani, the rotation will probably need the help.

Follow Up on 2030's winners:

• 1B Jeremy Craig struggled even more in Manchester in 2033 (61 OPS+ & -1.6WAR in 393 PA). Scouts have soured on him. Seems like he is destined to be a AAAA roster filler.
• SP Takesi Ishikawa was dealt to London in the big Montoya\Garcia deal in the 2032-2033 off-season. He struggled a bit after a double promotion from SA to AA. But scouts remain optimistic on his ability to succeed as a reliever. It might just take a bit longer than London had hoped.

Follow Up on 2031's winners:

• 1B Manny Lara was solid in AAA in 2033 (126 OPS+ in 454 PA). His defense at catcher was solid enough to be usable at C (-2.0ZR, 0.962 EFF). He even got a cup of coffee in SS in September. He seems to be poised to break in to PEBA permanently at the start of 2034.
• SP Dong-hak "Entrop" Yi won the SS MiL pitcher of the year award for the 3rd straight year in 2033. Expect him to do it again in 2034, unless he forces a promotion to PEBA unexpectedly early in the 2034 season.

Follow Up on 2032's winners:

• LF Cris Krebs was solid in AAA in 2033 (131 OPS+ in 498 PA). He was given a shot in CF but it went poorly (-3.9 ZR in only 105 innings). Still, he is slated to be the SS starting LF day one in 2034. He should thrive vs. LHP. It will be his results vs. RHP that determine whether he becomes a star or merely a solid player. Either way, his defense, speed, intangibles, and likely dominance vs. LHP should give him a long and productive career.
• SP Dong-hak "Entrop" Yi won the SS MiL pitcher of the year award for the 3rd straight year in 2033. Expect him to do it again in 2034, unless he forces a promotion to PEBA unexpectedly early in the 2034 season.

Historical Winners:
Shin Seiki Minor League Hitter of the Year
2033: 3B Scotty "The Grinch" Weeks (A)
2032: LF Chris "No Trump" Krebs (AA)
2031: 1B Manny "Manimal" Lara (A)
2030: 1B Jeremy Craig (AA)
2029: C Connor Clavell (A)
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
2033: SP Dong-hak "Entrop" Yi (A)
2032: SP Dong-hak "Entrop" Yi (SS-A)
2031: SP Dong-hak "Entrop" Yi (R)
2030: SP Takesi Ishikawa (R)
2029: SP Andrew Thornton (AAA)
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)

[Badgers]

Kal Minor League Hitter of the Year: SS Sam Olson (AAA)
Kal Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Pedro Novaro (AAA)

[Apollos]

Tempe 2033 Minor League Batter of the Year: 2B Juan Rincon

Taking the award for the second consecutive year, the 21 year old Rincon is knocking on the door to the big club after having dominated AA and AAA pitching for another season. Rincon began the 2033 season on a tear earning a promotion from AA Quebec City to AAA Chandler after only 38 games and posting an OPS of 1.054. After arriving in Chandler, Rincon continued to outperform his age posting a .277/.368/.499 slash line while being one of the youngest players in the GBB. Service time manipulation appears to be Rincon's only barrier to a full-time ML job in 2033 and it appears as if he is primed to arrive with the Knights in 2034.

Tempe 2033 Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Juan Jaramillo

A strong contender for the award a year ago, Jaramillo pitched well enough in 2033 to earn a mid-season promotion to AA Quebec City where the 21 year old continued to exceed expectations. Across two levels in 2033, Jaramillo pitched to a 2.56 ERA and struck out almost a batter per inning. Originally acquired by Tempe as part of the deal that sent 2B Logan Malone to Shin Seiki, Jaramillo is likely to begin the 2034 campaign in AA where he will continue to push for a future rotation spot with the Knights.

[Hitmen]

Madison's 2033 Minor League Hitter of the Year:

RF Denis Johnson (AAA, AA, Hi-A) tears his way through the minors in 2033, starting in Middle Bass before working hi way up to Youngstown before making his stop in Akron. The former 7th overall pick of the 2032 draft, Johnson does not want to sit around waiting for an opportunity, but is eager to take it. Through all 3 levels of the minors in 2033, Johnson struck a .253/.347/.444 line with 18 home runs and 56 RBI to the tune of a combined 3.6 WAR for the year. While he catapulted his way up to Akron, Johnson probably has another full year or more before he starts to push Madison's young corner outfield duo of Ryo Wada and Taki Takata for some time. Marsten IV and staff have high hopes for Johnson's future in RF though.

Madison's 2033 Minor League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Ronald Mitchell (AAA) take advantage of the fact that most of his competition has already been called up to Madison, but that did not deter the lefty from showing what he is capable of and why he deserves a shot himself in Madison. Going 11-11 with a 2.51 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, Mitchell pitched arguably the best year of his career. Whether or not that can translate in PEBA, along with 5 pitch repertoire, is yet to be seen. We can expect Mitchell to get a shot next season, even in a limited capacity as he does not have much more to prove in Akron at this stage.

Historical MAD Winners:

Minor League Hitter of the Year
2032: 3B Tony Velázquez (AA)
2031: 3B Tony Velázquez (SS-A)
2030: 2B Steve Overgaag (AAA)
2029: RF Raúl Costello (AAA)
2028: CF Freddy Hernández (SS-A)
2027: 2B Dmitri Hill (AAA)
2026: RF Jorge Rodríguez (Hi-A)
2025: CF Johnny Dand (AAA)
2024: RF Jorge Flores (Hi-A)
2023: CF Vaclav Verlaan (AAA)
2022: CF Vaclav Verlaan (Hi-A)
2021: SS Gonzalo Gonzalez (AA/AAA)
2020: C Cliff Mitchell (SS-A)
2019: LF Gabriel Martinez (AA/AAA)
2018: LF Ryan Smith (AAA)
2017: RF Peyton Bishop (AA/AAA)
2016: RF Brian Gustafson (Hi-A)
2015: 1B Rich Wheeler (AA)
2014: 1B Jose 'Vapor Lock' Martinez (AAA)

Minor League Pitcher of the Year
2032: SP Jorge Lorenzo (AA)
2031: SP Jorge Lorenzo (Hi-A)
2030: SP Atasuke Inoue (AA)
2029: SP Jason Baker (AA)
2028: SP Chris Acevez (AAA)
2027: SP Ralph Coolen (SS-A)
2026: SP Manuel Flores (AA)
2025: SP Brighton Burgess (AAA)
2024: SP Shumei Miyazaki (AA)
2023: SP Colin Jameson (AA)
2022: SP Manuel Gonzalez (AA)
2021: SP Alfonso Romero (AA/AAA)
2020: SP/RF Juan Marquez (AA)
2019: SP Jim Hayden (AA)
2018: SP Brighton Burgess (SS-A)
2017: CL Pat Miller (AA/AAA)
2016: SP David Castro (AA)
2015: SP Hector Beltran (AAA)
2014: SP Jose Marquez (AAA)

- Damson Actinon, The Malthouse: Revolving Tap

[MikeB]

San Juan’s 2033 Minor League Players of the Year:

lopes.png

HITTER OF THE YEAR - José Lópes, Kingston (A)
The NAFTA Amber Waves League Outstanding Hitter Award winner, López led the league in RBI (95), was third in batting average (.280), tied for third in home runs (33) and seventh in stolen bases (20). The 21-year old Venezuelan native split time between second and short most of the season.

heckbert.png

PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Jamie Heckbert, Santurce (AA)

Kingston’s Marcos Mendoza was probably the most impressive pitcher in the organization but his season was short, having returned mid-year from tearing his flexor in August of 2032 and then missing much of the playoffs with a sore shoulder. Mendoza (7-0) gave up just four earned runs in 10 starts.

Thus, with some organizational disappointment in younger prospects, the award this year goes went to minor league journeyman Heckbert, who, after playing for five other organizations, has found a home with Santurce (AA). The 28-year old 6-foot 7-inch righty finished second in the GNL ATAL Reliever of the Year voting collecting 36 saves against a 0.79 e.r.a.

[KenH]

Florida Minor League Hitter of the Year: Rodrigo Martinez

Martinez had his breakout season in Port Sudan this year. After two years of playing second fiddle to other shortstops, Martinez had the chance to put in a full year's worth of ABs in 2033 , and he definitely made the most of it. While there are still numerous question marks surrounding the power-hitting shortstop, they seem to hold a little less weight in the minds of many in the Florida org. A minor league signing out of Guatemala, the big 6'4 20-year old looks to make an impact as a three outcome hitter while still playing great defense at a premium position. It's still early days for the young Martinez, but we will see if 2033 was the start of something exciting, or a blip on an otherwise forgettable career.

Florida Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Sergio 'Crash Test' Sanchez

"Crash Test" put together another great season... this time in Beaufort. The young lefty hurler has all the makings of a great pitcher -- especially if he can develop a strong fourth pitch which may rocket him up into the echelons of the PEBA top prospects list.


Prior Florida MiL POYs

Batters
2032 Jose "Smoke" Rios
2031 Pedro "King" Coronado
2030 Yosuke "Tofu" Morimoto
2029 Tiburcio Penela
2028 Jose Villareal

Pitchers
2032 Edgardo "Sureshot" Trevino
2031 Edgardo "Sureshot" Trevino
2030 Miguel "Hot Streak" Serrano
2029 Carlos Valverde
2028 Luppe "Terrible" van Dam

[Lions]

Minor League Hitter of the Year: SS António 'Lies and Deceit' Domínguez (A)

Last year's MiLHotY Sandor Vis graduated to the majors after just one year in the minors. There isn't another top hitting prospect in the Lions' system that's close to being ready, with the team's most interesting hitting prospects in the deep minors. Domínguez, at 20 years old, has already reached single A Utrecht, and while he hit just .238, he banged out 19 home runs and had a .335 OBP while learning to play second base. His .755 OPS was actually a 124 OPS+ to give a sense of the offensive environment he was operating in. He currently projects as a major league backup utility infielder, but he could become a starter if the bat progresses.

Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Lorenzo 'Patches' López (AA/AAA)

López was 16-6 with a 2.53 ERA for AA Den Bosch before getting promoted to AAA Eindhoven in September. There, he went 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA, getting a spot start with Amsterdam at the end of the year against Kentucky. He even earned a spot on the Division Series roster against Florida where he pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of mop-up duty in the game 4 blowout loss. López was the key acquisition in the Bill Jones trade with Aurora back in 2031, so to see him progress to the point where he looks like a player who can contribute at the major league level is an encouraging development.

[Underground]

2033 London Underground Minor League Hitter of the Year:

1B Rocky Nichols - Liverpool Beatles - .305/.384/.488 15HR/74 RBI/3.9 WAR

Former 10th overall pick in the 2030 draft Rocky Nichols made his presence felt in his debut AA season. Nichols led the team in batting average, was second in RBI, and tied for 3rd in home runs. Nichols 3.9 WAR was also second on the team. Nichols helped lead an explosive offense that ranked 2nd in runs scored, batting average, and batting WAR. The Beatles finished with 91 wins, the most ever in team history and made the playoffs for just the third time. Nichols will be packing his bags and heading to Leeds next year.

2033 London Underground Minor League Pitcher of the Year:

RP Dennis Bauer - 5-2, 18 saves, 0.87 ERA, 103.2 IP, 3.8 WAR

Former second round pick Dennis Bauer was an absolute workhorse for the Beatles this season, coming in in the 7th or 8th innings as a crucial stopper in the bullpen. He was called upon frequently amassing 103.2 innings, 30 more than the next closest pure reliever in the pen. He made those innings count as well, posting a mouthwatering 0.87 ERA and 0.65 WHIP. Though Bauer undeniably has the stuff to be an elite closer (and he did earn 18 saves to lead the team) the organization believed he had even greater value as a more flexible reliever, coming in in any high impact moments. Though Bauer is probably ready for the PEBA next year, the team has not yet made a decision and most beat writers following the team expect he too will head to Leeds to reunite with Nichols...and most of the rest of the 2033 Beatles.



Historical Record - Winters Era
Pitcher of the Year
2032: RP Dennis Bauer
2032: SP Jarred Erwin
2031: SP Luis Lopez
2030: SP Luis Lopez
2029: SP Norm Batstone
2028: SP Pete Blaquiere

Hitter of the Year
2033: 1B Rocky Nichols
2032: SS Ellis Thackwray
2031: LF Bob Brown
2030: LF Bob Brown
2029: 3B Arturo Rodriguez
2028: CF Rene Lems

[Shisa]

Okinawa 2033 Minor League Batter of the Year:Kieran Foll (AA)

Foll, the switch hitting 3B from Birmingham, England had 33 HRs and 74 RBIs in AA this season and apparently is a pillar of consistency as those were the exact numbers he achieved in the previous season in AA. Originally not much was expected of the 6th round pick moments but a strong work ethic has allowed him to excel, especially as a feared power hitter in the minors. As always with Foll, in order to take the next step, the team is looking to see how he works to improve himself over the off season specifically with focusing on lowering his strike out rate.

Okinawa 2033 Minor League Pitcher of the Year: SP Miguel Zambrano (AAA)

Many thought that this award would have gone to the organizations top pitching prospect in Shou Saitou, however 24yo Zambrano had an excellent and consistent year which in the end outpaces Saitou. Zambrano is a power pitchers power pitcher with a PEBA quality fastball and forkball which led him to a 10-7 record, however that doesnt tell the full story as across 163 innings in AAA Zambrano has a 8.2 K/9 rate and 148 Ks against 30 BBs which was great to see as he worked on his control and trying to work in a 3rd pitch with his knuckle curve. Depending on what direction the Shisa go in the offseason, Zambrano looks to be on the cusp of being in the show.