The Minor League regular seasons have come to a close, and there have been some strong performances throughout each level, so I figured out we’d hand out some awards and superlatives for our top guys! Let’s get started.
AAA:
MVP: Adam Duvall (.961 OPS, 32 HRs)
Cy Young: Bryse Wilson (3.42 ERA in 121 IP, 118 Ks)
Comeback Player Of The Year: Adam Duvall
Big season for Adam Duvall in Gwinnett. Maybe the new juiced balls helped him out, but he was feasting on AAA pitching. It didn’t translate to the bigs, but he’s been a quality contributor at times. Not a lot of worldbeaters pitching-wise in Gwinnett, but Bryse Wilson was the most consistent guy, especially at the end of the season. Great all-around season for the Stripers
AA:
MVP: Drew Waters (.319/.366/.481, 35 2B, 9 3B, 41 RBI)
Cy Young: Tucker Davidson (2.03 ERA in 110.2 IP with 122 Ks)
Comeback Player of the Year: Jasseel De La Cruz
Considering Drew Waters won MVP for the whole Southern league, this one was a pretty easy choice. Davidson barely edges out Ian Anderson for the Cy Young. Hopefully, Anderson is being talked about for the Cy Young in an Atlanta uniform for many years to come. He was no doubt the most dominant pitcher in Mississippi, but Davidson was the most consistent arm on the roster. Jasseel De La Cruz is a guy who started his career with a 7.11 ERA in Danville back in 2015 but had a respectable 3.83 in 71 IP with Mississippi this season. Maybe a guy who could become a valuable trade chip or bullpen arm for the Atlanta club.
A+/A-/Rookie:
MVP: Bryce Ball (.329/.395/.628, 18 2B, 17 HR)
Cy Young: Daysbel Hernandez (5-2, 1.71 ERA in Florida, 70 Ks in 52.2 innings)
Comeback Player of the Year: Shea Langeliers
Bryce Ball barely edges out fellow newcomer Braden Shewmake for the MVP honors. Shewmake had an amazing start to his pro career, but Ball turned some heads. 24th round picks aren’t supposed to have an OPS of 1.023 out of the gate. We’ve taken note of Ball over here at SportsTalkATL, and he’s a guy who might force himself into Atlanta’s future plans in the coming years. Relievers don’t typically win Cy Youngs, but Daysbel Hernandez was lights out for the Fire Frogs this year. Langeliers might be cheating a bit, but he did come back from a pretty bad start to finish the season hitting .255 and getting a better feel for the pro game.
Best Rising Pitching Prospect: Kyle Muller
Best Rising Hitting Prospect: Braden Shewmake
Biggest Sleeper: Bryce Ball
System MVP: Drew Waters
System Cy Young: Tucker Davidson
Biggest Question Mark: Kyle Wright