With the completion of the Triple-A Championship Game, the Minor League season is officially over. And even though the MiLB Awards show aired on MLB Network on Monday night, there are still a few more honorees to recognize at the Minors’ highest level.
In the International League, St. Louis’ Luken Baker and Masyn Winn took home MVP honors and Top MLB prospect respectively, while the Brewers’ Robert Gasser was named Pitcher of the Year.
In the Pacific Coast League, Dodgers standout Michael Busch bagged both the MVP and Top MLB Prospect honors. Texas left-hander Cody Bradford won Pitcher of the Year.
Here are the major award winners as well as the full All-Star teams for each Double-A circuit.
Most Valuable Player: Luken Baker, Memphis (STL)
Baker only played in 84 games with the Memphis Redbirds, but boy did he make them count. The 26-year-old paced the circuit with 33 home runs, 98 RBIs and a .720 slugging percentage. His .334 average ranked fifth among eligible hitters and his .439 OBP was third best. The righty-swinging first baseman also provided one of the highlights of the Minor League season when he astoundingly broke his bat on a swing, but still managed to launch the ball 412 feet for his 15th dinger of the year in May against Norfolk.
Pitcher of the Year: Robert Gasser, Nashville (MIL)
Is there a more fitting name for a pitcher who throws, well, straight gas? The 24-year-old spent the entire year with the Nashville Sounds and made a lot of noise when he was on the hill. Gasser led the league with 166 strikeouts and finished second with a 2.85 ERA to go along with a 9-1 mark over 25 starts (135 1/3 innings). Dominant may just be scratching the surface to describe the left-hander’s season as he notched eight or more punchouts in 11 appearances — reaching the 10-K mark twice.
Top MLB Prospect: Masyn Winn, Memphis (STL)
Winn showed this season why he was considered one of the Cardinals most “toolsy” prospects. The 21-year-old opened the year with the Memphis Redbirds and from Opening Day all he did was hit. Winn posted three hitting streaks of at least 10 games, topping out at 16. The shortstop also recorded 13 games with at least three knocks, including a pair of four-hit efforts. His glove also proved to be an asset as he sported a .983 fielding percentage across 102 games between short and second. His speed was also on display as his seven triples were third most in the circuit. Winn finished fourth in the IL with 99 runs scored.
1B: Luken Baker, Memphis (STL)
2B: Jonathan Aranda, Durham (TB)
SS: Weston Wilson, Lehigh Valley (PHI)
3B: Justyn-Henry Malloy, Toledo (DET 9)
C: Iván Herrera, Memphis (STL)
OF: Estevan Florial, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (NYY)
OF: Colton Cowser, Norfolk (BAL No. 2, MLB No. 14)
OF: Wilyer Abreu, Worcester (BOS No. 17)
DH: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Louisville (CIN)
UTIL: Xavier Edwards, Jacksonville (MIA)
SP: Robert Gasser, Nashville (MIL No. 5)
SP: Quinn Priester, Indianapolis (PIT)
SP: Allan Winans, Gwinnett (ATL No. 30)
RP: Anthony Maldonado, Jacksonville (MIA No. 25)
RP: Kody Funderburk, St. Paul (MIN)
Manager: Buck Britton, Norfolk (BAL)
Most Valuable Player & Top MLB Prospect: Michael Busch, Oklahoma City (LAD)
It was a career year for the No. 2 Dodgers prospect, who led the Oklahoma City Dodgers all the way to the Triple-A Championship game. Busch slashed .323/.431/.618 with 27 home runs, 90 RBIs and 85 runs scored over 98 games. His 1.049 OPS paced the circuit — by a considerable margin. The 25-year-old infielder was the MiLB Player Spotlight in June and earned PCL Player of the Month honors for July after hitting .324 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs. Busch helped lift OKC to a PCL title with a three-run homer in the decisive game of the Finals, and his two RBIs — including a homer in the bottom of the ninth — made for an exciting finish in the Triple-A Championship Game.
Pitcher of the Year: Cody Bradford, Round Rock (TEX)
Bradford rode the shuttle between Arlington and Round Rock quite a bit this season, but was must-see every time he took the bump for the Express. Over 14 games, the left-hander posted a 9-2 record with a 3.63 ERA and whiffed 65 over 74 1/3 frames. Bradford yielded one earned run or fewer over eight appearances with five shutout outings. He was named the PCL Pitcher of the Month for April with a 0.64 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and .135 average against over five starts (28 1/3 innings).
1B: Trey Cabbage, Salt Lake (LAA No. 26)
2B: Michael Stefanic, Salt Lake (LAA)
SS: Tyler Fitzgerald, Sacramento (SF No. 30)
3B: Michael Busch, Oklahoma City (LAD No. 2, MLB No. 44)
C: Sam Huff, Round Rock (TEX)
OF: Cody Thomas, Las Vegas (OAK)
OF: Dominic Canzone, Reno (AZ)
OF: Jo Adell, Salt Lake (LAA)
DH: Trenton Brooks, Sacramento (SF)
UTIL: Coco Montes, Albuquerque (COL)
SP: Cody Bradford, Round Rock (TEX)
SP: Gavin Stone, Oklahoma City (LAD No. 5, MLB No. 79)
SP: Kyle Harrison, Sacramento (SF No. 1, MLB No. 20)
SP: Robert Dugger, Round Rock (TEX)
RP: Riley O’Brien, Tacoma (SEA)
RP: Ray Kerr, El Paso (SD)
Manager: Fran Riordan, Las Vegas (OAK)