2021 Dugout Edge MVP's and Cy Young's

AL MVP

Winner: RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani, Angels.
46 HR, .257/.372/.592, 26 SB, 152 wRC+, 5.1 fWAR in 158 games.
9-2, 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 156/44 K/BB, 3.0 fWAR, in 130.1 innings.

Runner-up: 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays.
48 HR, .311/.401/.601, 4 SB, 166 wRC+, 6.7 fWAR in 161 games.

Honorable mention: SS Marcus Semien, Blue Jays.
45 HR, .265/.334/.538, 15 SB, 131 wRC+, 6.6 fWAR in 162 games.

To me, this wasn't particularly close. Yeah, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a great season at the plate, but it wasn't an outlier even just looking at the past few seasons. His AL-leading 166 wRC+ was four points behind Bryce Harper for the MLB lead, and it would have placed fourth in 2019 behind Mike Trout (177), Christian Yelich (174), and Alex Bregman (167). Combine Guerrero's 166 wRC+ with little defensive value and you still have a very good, MVP-caliber season, but I don't think we can pretend it was some historical run that Shohei Ohtani is unjustly overshadowing because of some novelty. "If he's always going to pitch and hit, should we just give it to him every year?" If he does it at this level, and nobody steps up with a better season, then yes. It's not just "some novelty" and here's why.

Ohtani owns this award through and through. Critics will point to his .257 batting average and 189 strikeouts, but that's about it and it's a terrible argument. The guy walked in nearly 15% of his plate appearances to turn that unremarkable .257 average into a very strong .372 on-base percentage, while his 46 bombs (just one less than Vladdy) meant that he slugged nearly .600 on the year. His 152 wRC+ was actually the second highest in the American League behind only Guerrero and directly ahead of Aaron Judge (149), Matt Olson (147), and Kyle Tucker (146). And he stole 26 bases. Are you going to tell me that's not a great season? On its own, it's definitely not enough to unseat Guerrero as the best hitter in the American League, but it's reasonably close, isn't it? Throw in the fact that he pitched to a 3.18 ERA and struck out nearly 30% of his opponents while making 23 starts, and it more than makes up for the not-that-big gap in offensive production.

Other critics might point to the Blue Jays finishing fourteen games ahead of the Angels in the standings, but Guerrero was teaming with a star-studded cast including Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez, Robbie Ray, etc., etc., while Ohtani had, like, a month and a half of Mike Trout? I mean I'm sorry he couldn't will an Angels team that didn't have *a single other pitcher* complete one hundred innings to the playoffs, but he did more than anybody else could have. I don't use WPA (win probability added) when choosing my MVP's, but for those that value tangible contributions to winning real baseball games, it's about as accurate a stat as you can get. And Ohtani led all MLB hitters with 5.36, not including his pitching. That's right, just his bat did more to put the Angels in a position to win real baseball games than any other MLB hitter, including Guerrero.

If I sound negative towards Guerrero, I don't mean to. I absolutely believe Ohtani is the AL MVP, but Guerrero had a damn fine season in his own right. He and Bryce Harper were the only two hitters to reach the .300/.400/.600 threshold, and going back to the last full season in 2019, it was only Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich. Not only was he the best hitter in the American League by a comfortable margin, he did it while playing in all but one game and striking out in just over 15% of his plate appearances, something that you just don't often see from power hitters. In fact, he was one of just two American League hitters (along with Jose Ramirez) to hit at least 32 home runs while striking out less than 16% of the time, and he hit 48. I also want to give some love to Marcus Semien, who blasted 45 home runs while playing standout defense at shortstop and appearing in every single game. Jose Ramirez was also considered here.

NL MVP

Winner: OF Bryce Harper, Phillies.
35 HR, .309/.429/.615, 13 SB, 170 wRC+, 6.6 fWAR in 141 games.

Runner-up: SS Trea Turner, Nationals/Dodgers.
28 HR, .328/.375/.536, 32 SB, 142 wRC+, 6.9 fWAR in 148 games.

Honorable mention: OF Juan Soto, Nationals.
29 HR, .313/.465/.534, 9 SB, 163 wRC+, 6.6 fWAR in 151 games.

I actually think Trea Turner provided the most value of any player in the NL, and not just because he led in fWAR, but I can't bring myself to give my MVP to a player who split his season between two teams. So it comes down to Bryce Harper and Juan Soto, who had extremely similar seasons, with Harper showing a little more pop and Soto getting on base a touch more and playing ten more games. They also both started (relatively) slowly before heating up in the second half. Harper hit .282/.378/.520 in the first half before turning it around to a .338/.476/.713 line, while Soto was even more extreme at .283/.407/.445 and .348/.525/.639. Additionally, both played moderately decent defense, with Soto winning in OAA (5 to -5) and DRS (3 to -6) and Harper getting the edge by UZR (1.8 to 1.3).

Beyond WAR, I value longevity and consistency highly, and Soto played more while Harper was more consistent. Ultimately, I had to give it to Harper because in the first half of the season, Soto just didn't hit for power. He had just eight extra base hits in his first forty games, so even his second half power surge meant he finished with just 51 to Harper's 78. Soto got on base a lot more, but to be fair, pitchers just weren't throwing to him in the second half with Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Yan Gomes gone from the lineup, and he saw the seventh fewest strikes of any qualified NL hitter in the second half (and all the names above him were extremely aggressive, chase-happy hitters). Absolutely huge credit to him for taking his walks and still doing massive amounts of damage on the balls he did get in the zone, but I still see more value in Harper's second half power surge than Soto's willingness to take his walks.

As a Nationals fan, I don't mean to downplay Juan Soto or his second half discipline – I think he's the single most impressive hitter I've seen since prime Albert Pujols, when I was too young to meaningfully analyze what I was watching beyond emulating his batting stance in backyard wiffleball games. Soto is incredible, and he had an incredible season that's borderline MVP-worthy. And I wouldn't fight you too hard if you picked him over Harper. The consistency and power surge just won me over a tiny bit more than the discipline, while the slow start in terms of Soto's power sits with me a little too much.

Now back to Trea Turner. He led all MLB position players with 6.8 fWAR, but his value goes beyond that. 28 home runs is good, as is a .375 on-base percentage, especially when it's driven by extra base hits and not walks. He went 32/37 in stolen base attempts and played great defense at two positions. It's the most well-rounded profile out there. But I think there's a certain unquantifiable value add that comes with true game-breaking speed like Turner's. When he's on base, it becomes a different baseball game altogether, with pitchers focusing as much on him as they are on the batter. And they have to, because if they forget about him, he'll be on the next base. He wasn't quite the hitter that Juan Soto or Bryce Harper was, but he was on a similar level and added much more defensive value plus that speed. Not just useable speed, but game changing speed. I guess that's where the subjectivity comes in, because he's the MVP if it weren't for the split season.

AL Cy Young

Winner: LHP Robbie Ray, Blue Jays.
13-7, 2.84 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 248/52 K/BB in 193.1 innings.

Runner-up: RHP Gerrit Cole, Yankees.
16-8, 3.23 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 243/41 K/BB in 181.1 innings.

Honorable mention: LHP Carlos Rodon, White Sox.
13-5, 2.37 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 185/36 K/BB in 132.2 innings.

This one was fairly easy for me. Robbie Ray led the AL in innings, ERA, RA9, WHIP, strikeouts, and starts (tied), and he did so in a division with four ninety win teams while traveling around without a home park. Those are traditional stats to value, but I value them. I understand and agree with managers' decisions to shorten the leashes on their starting pitchers because that's what wins ballgames, but that doesn't mean I devalue a pitcher who can pitch deep into games and continue to be effective like Ray. Really, the only blemish was his 33 home runs allowed, fourth most in the AL and enough to inflate his FIP to 3.69, but good pitchers give up dingers. He limited baserunners, he limited runs both earned and unearned, he did it over a large body of work, and he didn't have a home stadium for much of the season. That's a job well done to me.

Gerrit Cole was a pretty easy runner-up for me, too. He was second in strikeouts, WHIP, and FIP, third in ERA and RA9, and fifth in innings. He also did so in a hitter-friendly park and like Ray pitched in that gauntlet AL East. Thirteen of his thirty starts came against the Rays, Red Sox, and Blue Jays, making for very consistent tough matchups week in and week out. Cole was gutsy and always a competitor, going at least five innings in 28/30 starts, matching Ray's mark of 28/32 in two fewer starts.

For the last spot, I went between Carlos Rodon and Nathan Eovaldi, who each had very unique pitches for this spot. Rodon's 132.2 innings weren't the traditional big body of work I like to see, but batter for batter, he was the most dominant starting pitcher in the majors. If we dropped the innings qualification to 130, he would have led in ERA, RA9, FIP, and strikeout rate. It's too bad he couldn't tack on perhaps ten to twenty more innings or I might have considered him for the #1 spot. Eovaldi, meanwhile, did not have the traditional stats with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, but he was playing in a hitters' park in a strong division with a poor defense behind him, so a 3.75 ERA in that context becomes a lot more impressive. His .327 opponents' BABIP (batting average on balls in play) was the worst in the league, again pointing to a defense that was of no help to him, while his 195/35 strikeout to walk ratio was a strong note. Lance Lynn also earned consideration.

NL Cy Young

Winner: RHP Corbin Burnes, Brewers.
11-5, 2.43 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 234/34 K/BB in 167 innings.

Runner-up: RHP Max Scherzer, Nationals/Dodgers.
15-4, 2.46 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 236/36 K/BB in 179.1 innings.

Honorable mention: RHP Zack Wheeler, Phillies.
14-10, 2.78 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 247/46 K/BB in 213.1 innings.

This was the toughest one to decide, and I actually wouldn't argue putting these three in any order. I typically value large numbers of innings, which would put Zack Wheeler ahead, but Corbin Burnes and Max Scherzer were significantly better on a batter-for-batter basis, so much so that I think they eclipse Wheeler – barely. Burnes was the best starting pitcher in MLB on that batter-for-batter basis, absolutely dominating the three true outcomes to turn up a ridiculous 1.63 FIP, the second best mark of the entire live ball era behind only Pedro Martinez's 1.39 in 1999. You can forgive the low innings total when your success has to be categorized on an all-time scale. The Brewers had a very strong defense this year, but he still managed a relatively high .309 BABIP that indicated bad luck. In addition to FIP, he led the NL in ERA, RA9, fWAR, and strikeout rate. If he had thrown perhaps ten more innings, then I don't think this race would have been close at all.

I originally leaned towards Wheeler over Scherzer given his larger body of work, which I value, but then I checked what exactly Wheeler had on Scherzer. In order to get from Scherzer's line to Wheeler's, you'd have to post a 3.97 ERA, a 1.76 WHIP, and an 11/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 34 innings. I wouldn't necessarily have been looking for Cy Young-caliber numbers in those 34 innings to put Wheeler ahead, but I would have at least wanted #3 starter-caliber performance and that's more like a #5. Throw in that Wheeler pitched his entire season in the weak NL East while Scherzer's final seven starts were a gauntlet (Padres, Braves, Cardinals, Padres, Reds, Rockies at Coors, Padres), and that seals Scherzer's edge for second place (though he only had to face one Giants batter all season, LaMonte Wade, when he was still a National). In Scherzer's "smaller sample" 179.1 innings, he was virtually untouchable, leading the NL in WHIP while finishing second in strikeouts and ERA, third in RA9, and fourth in FIP.

Zack Wheeler had a very strong season, one that was more than deserving of consideration. I really value that he led the NL in innings pitched and strikeouts while also finishing fifth in ERA and WHIP. He went at least five innings in 30/32 starts and at least six in 27/32, and he allowed four or fewer earned runs in 30/32. He also never struck out fewer than four batters and never walked more than he struck out. Wheeler was as consistent a workhorse as they come, and he did so without the traditional pitch to contact method. Behind this trio was Walker Buehler, who earned some consideration but was safely behind.

Minor League Awards

With the minor league season coming to a close, it's time to hand out the awards for the best hitters and pitchers. Please note that this is not based on prospect status, but on performance. Performance in different levels will be weighed roughly the same to allow the awards to expand outside of just AA and AAA, though players from higher levels will get a closer look. Some general minor league information: the levels are, from highest to lowest, AAA, AA, High A, Class A, Short Season A, Rookie, and complex (GCL, AZL, DSL, VSL). The California League (one of three leagues in High A) is extremely hitter-friendly and gives a Coors Field-type effect to players' stats, while the Pacific Coast League (one of two leagues in AAA) and Pioneer League (one of two Rookie leagues) are also very hitter-friendly. The Florida State League (one of three leagues in High A) is very pitcher-friendly, and the Texas League (one of three leagues in AA) and Midwest League (one of two leagues in Class A) also lean pitcher-friendly. Most others are relatively neutral. I'll also reference my 2015, 2016, and 2017 draft rankings a fair amount. The way I weight them is like this: 2015 was just a learning year, one where I made my first list through trial with no error yet to learn from. 2016 was my warm-up year, the one where I had been through a year of rankings but still didn't have much error to learn from. 2017 was my first real year.

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%).