Minor League Hitter of the Year
Winner: Bo Bichette (Blue Jays Class A and High A): 14 HR, 74 RBI, .362 AVG, 22 SB, 181 wRC+
If you want to see some crazy numbers, look no further than Blue Jays prospect Bo Bichette. One of two Jays' teenagers/sons of MLB stars to post huge breakout seasons (see Vladimir Guerrero Jr.), the son of Dante Bichette has blown every expectation out of the water. Drafted in the second round (66th overall) out of a Florida high school in 2016, I liked his swing but had just enough doubt in his ability to tone it down that I ranked him 77th. As it turns out, he'd be a top ten or even top five pick if the draft happened again. Bichette tore up the complex-level Gulf Coast League immediately following his signing in 2016 (.427/.451/.732 in 22 games) and picked up right where he left off in 2017. Less than a year after graduating high school, the 19 year old was assigned to Class A Lansing in the Midwest League, where he absolutely ripped the cover off the ball, slashing .384/.448/.623 with 32 doubles, three triples, and ten home runs in 70 games, adding in 12 stolen bases in 15 tries to boot. This added up to a ridiculous .476 wOBA and a 201 wRC+, forcing the Jays to move their budding star to High Class A Dunedin in the tough Florida State League. There, he turned a bit more human (until you remember he's still 19 years old), slashing .323/.379/.463 with nine doubles, a triple, four home runs, and ten stolen bases in 40 games. Combined, he finished his season slashing .362/.423/.565 with 41 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs, giving him 59 extra base hits in 110 games to go along with 22 stolen bases and a very high OBP. If he can begin to turn those doubles into home runs, Bichette has a very good chance to be an All Star at the next level.
Runner-Up: Austin Hays (Orioles High A and AA): 32 HR, 95 RBI, .329 AVG, 5 SB, 164 wRC+
It may just be Hays' first full pro season, but he's already made a mockery out of three different levels. After being drafted in the third round (91st overall) out of Jacksonville University in 2016, he slashed .336/.386/.514 with four home runs in a 38 game debut in the New York-Penn League. To start the season, he was handed an aggressive assignment to High Class A Frederick, where he did nothing but rake. Over 64 games, he slashed .328/.364/.592 with 16 home runs, posting a .422 wOBA and a 167 wRC+ for the Keys. Promoted to AA Bowie two weeks before his 22nd birthday and barely a year after he was drafted, he put up virtually the same numbers, slashing .330/.367/.594 with 16 home runs, a .418 wOBA, and a 161 wRC+ over 64 games. That's a combined 32 home runs and an OPS of .958 this season for the Daytona Beach native. As I was writing this paragraph, the Orioles called him up to the major leagues, where he could be a significant piece in the Baltimore lineup in time. I ranked him 117th in my 2016 rankings, 26 spots below where the Orioles took him, and I admittedly overlooked his offensive capability. I noted his quick swing and his knack for making contact, but I was worried about his balance and power projection and those now seem like they won't be issues. Hays' one spot for improvement offensively this year is in his patience, as he walked in just 4.4% of his plate appearances. Going forward, that will be important, and his lack of OBP skills could turn him into a Yulieski Gurriel type hitter at the next level.
Honorable Mention: Ronald Acuna (Braves High A, AA, and AAA): 21 HR, 82 RBI, .325 AVG, 44 SB, 155 wRC+
Acuna is one of this year's biggest breakout stars, and his huge season has put him at or near the top of every updated prospect list out there. He was profiled a few weeks ago in my Minor League Watch, and with good reason. The 19 year old has played at three levels this year and has actually improved at each stop. He slashed .287/.336/.478 (.370 wOBA, 135 wRC+) in 28 games at High Class A Florida in the tough Florida State League, then slashed .326/.374/.520 (.404 wOBA, 159 wRC+) in 57 games at AA Mississippi, followed by a .344/.393/.548 line (.413 wOBA, 162 wRC+) in 54 games at AAA Gwinnett. He's getting better and better with each promotion, and the best part is that he's still a teenager. Even his strikeout rate dropped from 31.7% at High A to 23% at AA and 19.8% at AAA, while his walk rates have remained mostly steady (6.3%, 7.4%, 7.0%). He's probably a bit too raw to play in the majors today, as he needs to continue to make progress on his approach, but every arrow points towards "future superstar" for Acuna. I haven't even mentioned that he stole 44 bases this year, albeit while being caught 20 times.
Others: Rhys Hoskins (PHI AAA: 29 HR, 91 RBI, .284 AVG, 4 SB, 166 wRC+), Ryan McMahon (COL AA and AAA, 20 HR, 88 RBI, .355 AVG, 11 SB, 157 wRC+), Jeremy Barfield (BOS AA and AAA, 28 HR, 76 RBI, .293 AVG, 1 SB, 161 wRC+), Nick Senzel (CIN High A and AA, 14 HR, 65 RBI, .321 AVG, 14 SB, 164 wRC+)
Even when you don't include Rhys Hoskins' incredible first month in the majors, he was having a special season, slashing .284/.385/.581 with 29 home runs over 115 games at AAA Lehigh Valley. Those look like pretty good numbers on the surface, but when you adjust for the fact that the International League tends to lean a tad pitcher-friendly, you get an excellent 166 wRC+, better than both Hays (164) and Acuna (155). Combine his 26 MLB games and the man has 41 home runs with a .291/.395/.614 line over 141 games. Ryan McMahon slashed .326/.390/.536 with six home runs in 49 games at AA Hartford before a promotion to AAA Albuquerque, where he caught fire in the hitter-friendly environment. In 70 games, the 22 year old slashed .374/.411/.612 with 14 home runs and 23 doubles, earning a promotion to the major leagues for the Rockies. Jeremy Barfield spent most of 2017 with AA Portland, where he slashed .288/.359/.584 with 27 home runs in the pitcher-friendly environment. He got a brief, three game promotion to AAA Pawtucket, where he cracked five hits, including a home run, in eleven at bats while walking four times in the series against Rochester. Lastly, Nick Senzel was picked second overall by the Reds in 2016 out of the University of Tennessee, and so far, he's lived up to the billing. Starting the season at High Class A Daytona in the Florida State League, he slashed .305/.371/.476 with four home runs and 26 doubles in 62 games. Promoted to AA Pensacola, he caught fire, slashing .340/.413/.560 with ten home runs over 57 games, and if it weren't for an injury at the end of the season, he might have earned a call-up to the big club in September.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Winner: Jon Duplantier (ARI Class A and High A): 12-3, 1.39 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 165/42 K/BB
After overlooking Austin Hays and being conservative with Bo Bichette, I had better luck with the pitchers in my 2016 rankings. Jon Duplantier, then with Rice University, ranked 45th in my rankings before the 2016 draft due to his nasty stuff, but he lasted until pick 89 (3rd round) due to shoulder concerns. Turns out my optimism paid off, as Duplantier has absolutely dominated this season. Starting off at Class A Kane County, he completely overmatched his opponents, going 6-1 with a 1.24 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP, striking out 78 and walking just 15 in 72.2 innings for the Cougars. Promoted to High Class A Visalia in the extremely hitter-friendly California League, he seemingly forgot that he was in a hitters' paradise and went 6-2 with a 1.56 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP, this time striking out 87 and walking 27 in 63.1 innings. Combined, that's a 1.39 ERA and a very strong 34.1 strikeout percentage. In his 25 games, all but one of which lasted at least 5 innings, he never allowed more than three earned runs in any start and allowed either zero or one earned run in 19 of the 25. I noted before the 2016 draft that health aside, Duplantier's ticket to a big league rotation would be improving his command, and it looks like he has made progress there. Total batters faced/walk percentage data isn't available for Duplantier's time at Rice, but we can look at the slightly inferior walks per nine innings. In his junior year at Rice in 2016, he walked 3.81 per nine, but that fell to 1.86 at Class A this year. It jumped back up to 3.84 at High A, but that's in a very hitter-friendly environment following a promotion so we can give him the benefit of the doubt. He still has work to do on his command, but he has become one of the lone bright spots in a very barren Diamondbacks farm system.
Runner-Up: Corbin Burnes (MIL High A and AA): 8-3, 1.67 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 140/36 K/BB
Two pitchers, two wins for my 2016 draft rankings. I ranked the then-St. Mary's pitcher 48th due to his athleticism, velocity, and promising offspeed stuff, but industry concerns about the future development of said offspeed pitches as well as questions about his durability dropped him to the fourth round, where the Brewers took him 111th. Apparently, those offspeed pitches came along like I predicted, as he absolutely dominated the mid minors this year. Starting off in High Class A Carolina, he couldn't have been any better, going 5-0 with a 1.05 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP over ten starts, striking out 56 and walking 16 in 60 innings. Promoted to AA Biloxi, the 22 year old was still great, going 3-3 with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, this time striking out 84 and walking just 20 in 85.2 innings. On August 21st, in a AA game against Mobile (Angels AA), he tossed eight shutout innings on just two hits and two walks, striking out eight BayBears while throwing just 94 pitches. He should be in the big league rotation, assuming there is space, by next season. Combined with his 2.02 ERA in 2016, he now has a career 1.74 ERA through 181.1 minor league innings.
Honorable Mention: Jack Flaherty (STL AA and AAA): 14-4, 2.18 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 147/35 K/BB
Flaherty, a 2014 first round pick out of the same California high school that produced Lucas Giolito and Max Fried, broke out this year in a big way. His first three pro seasons were pretty good (including a 2.84 ERA at Class A Peoria in 2015), but 2017 was something else entirely. Beginning his season at AA Springfield, he completely shut down Texas League competition by going 7-2 with a 1.42 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and a 62/11 strikeout to walk ratio in 63.1 innings. Promoted to AAA Memphis in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, he became more human but still put up very dominant numbers considering the league production, going 7-2 (again) with a 2.74 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and an 85/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 85.1 innings. That earned him a promotion to the big club, and he made his MLB debut with the Cardinals on September 1st. Overall, 2017 could not have gone any better for the 6'4" righty, who added a few miles per hour to his fastball and sharpened his offspeed pitches this year. Throw in Luke Weaver (MLB), Alex Reyes (MLB/AAA), Zac Gallen (AAA), Dakota Hudson (AAA), and Austin Gomber (AA), and aside from the Braves, the Cardinals may have the best crop of advanced young pitching in baseball.
Others: Tyler Mahle (CIN AA and AAA: 10-7, 2.06 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 138/30 K/BB), Rogelio Armenteros (HOU AA and AAA: 10-4, 2.04 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 146/38 K/BB), Joey Lucchesi (SD High A and AA: 11-7, 2.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 148/33 K/BB), Merandy Gonzalez (MIA Class A and High A: 13-3, 1.66 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 103/26 K/BB)
Tyler Mahle had possibly the best single month of any pitcher this year, starting off his season 4-0 with a 0.55 ERA and a 0.52 WHIP over five April starts for AA Pensacola, including a perfect game against Mobile (Angels AA). Over 14 AA starts, he ultimately finished 7-3 with a 1.59 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and an 87/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 85 innings before being promoted to AAA Louisville. There, he succeeded again, finishing 3-4 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over ten starts, striking out 51 and walking 13 in 59.1 innings before earning a call-up to the Reds at the end of August. Rogelio Armenteros broke out in a huge way in 2017, starting off by dominating the Texas League by going 2-3 with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over 14 games (10 starts), striking out 74 and walking 19 in 65.1 innings for AA Corpus Christi. Promoted to AAA Fresno in the tough Pacific Coast League, he was just as good, going 8-1 with a 2.16 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, striking out 72 and walking 19 in 58.1 innings. On August 26th, the Cuban native shut down Tacoma (Mariners AAA) through eight innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out eight. Joey Lucchesi was drafted in the fourth round out of Southeast Missouri State in 2016, and began the year in the extremely hitter-friendly California League. No worries, as he went 6-4 with a 2.52 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP over 14 starts for High Class A Lake Elsinore, striking out 95 and walking just 19 in 78.2 innings. At AA San Antonio, he went 5-3 with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, striking out 53 and walking 14 in 60.1 innings. Lastly, we have Merandy Gonzalez, who broke out this year with a huge season in the mid minors. Starting with Class A Columbia in the Mets organization, Gonzalez went 8-1 with a 1.55 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, striking out 65 and walking 13 in 69.2 innings. That performance earned him a call-up to High Class A Port St. Lucie, but he was traded to the Marlins at the deadline in the A.J. Ramos deal and finished out the season at High Class A Jupiter. Between Port St. Lucie and Jupiter, both in the Florida State League, he put up more excellent numbers, going 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, striking out 38 and walking 13 in 60.2 innings. The combined ERA of 1.66 tempted me to rank him higher, but I kept him seventh due to the pitcher-friendly nature of the Florida State League as well as his low strikeout rate in that league (15.4%).
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