Midseason Player Of The Year For All 30 Organizations
Image credit: Alec Bohm (Photo by Tom DiPace)
Players are listed with their primary minor league affiliate in the first half. Statistics are through June 10.
Arizona: 1B Kevin Cron
Triple-A Reno
The 26-year-old slugger earned a callup to Arizona after cranking 21 home runs and hitting .339/.437/.800 in 44 games.
Atlanta: OF Drew Waters
Double-A Mississippi
The 20-year-old switch-hitter led the Southern League with a .328 average, 20 doubles, eight triples and 40 runs scored.
Baltimore: LHP Drew Rom
Low Class A Delmarva
The 2018 fourth-rounder out of high school paced the South Atlantic League with a 1.23 ERA while striking out 67 batters and walking 15 in 46.1 innings.
Boston: OF Jarren Duran
High Class A Salem
After Duran hit .387 with 18 steals in 50 games in the Carolina League, the Red Sox moved him to Double-A.
Chicago (AL): OF Luis Robert
Double-A Birmingham
The 21-year-old Cuban’s breakout season included 12 home runs, 18 stolen bases and a .366/.415/.671 slash line.
Chicago (NL): RHP Tyson Miller
Double-A Tennessee
The Cubs’ breakout pitcher of the year is also the system’s best. He recorded a 2.49 ERA with 64 strikeouts, 13 walks and three home runs allowed in 68.2 innings.
Cincinnati: 3B Josh VanMeter
Triple-A Louisville
Picked up in a minor trade after the 2016 season, VanMeter broke out in a big way in the International League this season, swatting 11 home runs in 29 games prior to his callup.
Cleveland: RHP Zach Plesac
Triple-A Columbus
The 24-year-old cruised through Double-A and Triple-A, going 4-1, 1.41 with eight strikeouts for every walk on his way to a May 28 callup.
Colorado: RHP Rico Garcia
Double-A Hartford
A 30th-rounder out of Hawaii Pacific in 2016, Garcia continues his climb. He went 8-1, 1.88 through 12 starts with 85 strikeouts, 21 walks and four home runs in 67 innings.
Detroit: RHP Casey Mize
Double-A Erie
The No. 1 overall pick a year ago has cruised to the Eastern League while going 8-0, 0.95 with 73 strikeouts, 11 walks and a crazy 0.69 WHIP through 12 starts.
Houston: OF Yordan Alvarez
Triple-A Round Rock
The most prodigious prospect slugger homered in his first two big league games after bashing 23 home runs and slashing .343/.443/.742 in 56 Triple-A games.
Kansas City: LHP Kris Bubic
Low Class A Lexington
The “forgotten” college arm from the Royals’ 2018 draft class, Bubic carved South Atlantic League competition for nine starts and overall had recorded 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Los Angeles (AL): OF Brandon Marsh
Double-A Mobile
Before hitting the injured list in June, Marsh had shown a wide-ranging tool set during his first run through the pitcher-friendly Southern League, hitting .292/.394/.391 with nine stolen bases.
Los Angeles (NL): SS Gavin Lux
Double-A Tulsa
The 21-year-old’s name dotted the Texas League leaderboards. Lux ranked fourth with 11 home runs, fourth with a .303 average and fifth with a .872 OPS.
Miami: RHP Zac Gallen
Triple-A New Orleans
Repeating Triple-A has brought out the best in the 23-year-old, who appeared primed for a big league chance. He went 8-1, 1.57 through 13 starts with 104 strikeouts and 16 walks in 86 innings.
Milwaukee: 2B Keston Hiura
Triple-A San Antonio
Hiura got his feet wet in the majors in May but has spent most of the season terrorizing Pacific Coast League pitchers by hitting .331/.402/.688 with 13 home runs.
Minnesota: LHP Devin Smeltzer
Triple-A Rochester
Acquired in the Brian Dozier trade last July, Smeltzer cruised through Double-A and Triple-A, recording a 1.51 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 10 starts, earning a majors cameo in May.
New York (AL): OF Canaan Smith
Low Class A Charleston
The 2017 fourth-rounder’s patient approach had paid off in his first full season. He ranked among the South Atlantic League leaders with a .307 average, 30 walks and .396 on-base percentage.
New York (NL): LHP Anthony Kay
Double-A Binghamton
Kay aced his Double-A test by going 7-3, 1.49 in 12 starts with 70 strikeouts and 23 walks in 66.1 innings. He ranked second in the minors in ERA only to the Tigers’ Casey Mize.
Oakland: SS Jorge Mateo
Triple-A Las Vegas
Mateo spent a lost year in the Pacific Coast League last year but has shined in take two this season, slashing .338/.369/.582 with 10 home runs and 14 stolen bases.
Philadelphia: 3B Alec Bohm
High Class A Clearwater
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Wichita State shined at two Class A levels, slashing .329/.397/.518 with six home runs.
Pittsburgh: RHP Mitch Keller
Triple-A Indianapolis
Keller went 5-1, 3.10 in 11 starts, striking out 74 and walking 25 while allowing just five home runs.
St. Louis: OF Dylan Carlson
Double-A Springfield
The well-rounded switch-hitter was breaking out in the Texas League, slashing .289/.374/.518 with nine home runs and 11 stolen bases.
San Diego: LHP MacKenzie Gore
High Class A Lake Elsinore
Few pitching prospects elicit as much excitement from scouts as Gore, who went 5-1, 1.13 through 11 starts in the rigorous Cal League with 77 strikeouts and 11 walks in 55.2 innings.
San Francisco: OF Heliot Ramos
High Class A San Jose
The 2017 first-rounder looked like a dynamic five-tool talent again after a down 2018 season. He had hit .318/.427/.598 with seven home runs in 31 games.
Seattle: OF Jarred Kelenic
Low Class A West Virginia
Kelenic advanced to high Class A in June, about a year after being drafted out of high school, and had hit .316/.398/.595 with 13 home runs.
Tampa Bay: LHP Brendan McKay
Double-A Montgomery
With each additional scoreless inning, McKay looks more like a “pitcher” than “two-way player.” He recorded 76 strikeouts, walked 11 and allowed three home runs through 56.2 innings.
Texas: C Sam Huff
High Class A Down East
The strong-armed Huff had slugged 19 home runs through 60 games while slashing .326/.374/.661.
Toronto: C Alejandro Kirk
Low Class A Lansing
The big-bodied Mexican catcher had no trouble adjusting to full-season competition, slashing .323/.430/.503 with more walks than strikeouts.
Washington: SS Carter Kieboom
Triple-A Fresno
The 21-year-old hit so well in the minors—.294/.419/.558 with eight home runs—that he received an 11-game look in Washington.
Comments are closed.