The Braves handed out their awards down on the farm today, naming Ian Anderson the Pitcher of the Year and Trey Harris Player of the Year.
Anderson comes as no surprise. Though Kyle Wright began the season as the top-dog among the Braves pitching prospects, Anderson was never far behind him and eclipsed him with his sensational 2019. For a hot second, it looked like the former top pick could end up playing a role on the Major League team. However, the Braves have tightened up their rotation since and Anderson is still getting adjusted to AAA. He did have a 2.68 ERA in 21 starts for AA Mississippi, which was impressive enough to earn him a start in the Futures Game. We likely won’t see Anderson this September, but the opportunity should knock on his door sometime next season.
Trey Harris did come as a bit of a surprise, especially since Drew Waters took home the MVP of the Southern League, but he is deserving. Harris is a local kid that was drafted in the 32nd round. Across three levels, he ended up hitting .323 with 14 homers and 73 RBIs on the season, good for a .887 OPS, joining Bryce Ball as the two biggest positional risers in the system. Harris was a late bloomer in college, so hopefully, he can continue to develop and ascend his way to contributing to the major league team before long. His contact bat should carry him a long way.
The Braves also handed out awards to the best position player and pitcher at each level. Bryse Wilson was named the Pitcher of the Year in Gwinnett, with current Brave Rafael Ortega chosen as the best positional player. Cristian Pache and Drew Waters shared the honor for Mississippi, while Ian Anderson and Tucker Davidson were named Co-Pitchers of the Year. Hayden Deal took home the honors as the best pitcher for the Florida Fire Frogs. Justin Dean was the positional recipient for Rome, as lefty Dilmer Mejia was named the Pitcher of the Year in low-A ball. The guest on our latest podcast – Bryce Ball – was the Player of the Year in rookie ball, and Ricky Devito was honored as the best pitcher for Danville.
Check out our latest podcast with special guest Bryce Ball here.
Despite the international sanctions, the Braves have done a great job of stockpiling talent and have one of the better farm systems in baseball to complement their first-place team. They should continue to have more waves of young talent come up in the future.