Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Season 23 Award Winners

With the World Series going on, it also means Awards time, so let's look at who took home the hardware in Season 23!

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
American League - Albert Cruz, Pawtucket - .322 AVG 51 HR 139 RBI
Cruz won the AL MVP in a blowout, with a tremendous season that saw him league the lead in Slugging and OPS, while finishing top 3 in the triple crown categories.  This is his 2nd consecutive MVP award, a very impressive feat for the 23 year old.  No player in Cobbfather history has won 3 MVP awards, much less three in a row, so it looks like Cruz could be the first on both counts. 

National League - Willie Cerda, Little Rock - .323 AVG 61 HR 138 RBI
Cerda won his first MVP with a dominant season where he led the NL in Home Runs, Runs, Slugging and OPS.  Cerda keeps the streak alive, becoming the 17th different NL MVP in the past 17 seasons.  Given what an incredible bat Cerda has, and the fact that he is only 25 years old, that streak could be ending very soon.    

CY YOUNG AWARD
American League - Ron Gross, Pawtucket - 18-3 2.68 ERA 171 K
Gross took the Cy Young award in a year there wasn't a dominant AL pitcher, but several very good ones, making  Pawtucket the home of both the MVP and Cy Young winner.  Gross's 18-3 record and very good ERA is what likely stood out to voters.   This was his first Cy Young win. 

National League - Don Monahan, Dover - 20-2 2.07 ERA 241 K
Unlike the AL, the NL did have a dominant pitcher, making the Cy Young voting a no-brainer.  On top of winning the pitching triple crown, Monahan also led the league in Innings Pitched and Quality Starts.  Monahan has compiled a ridiculous 93-13 record in 4 and a half seasons with Dover.  This is his 2nd Cy Young win, also taking the award in Season 20.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
American League - Gregory Evans, Trenton - 13-9 2.50 ERA 134 K
Evans impressed with a stellar rookie campaign for Trenton to take home the AL Rookie of the Year award.  Evans looks legit, and should be a future contender for the Cy Young award.  He won't strike out a ton of guys, but has a very crafty arsenal that should make him elite for seasons to come. 

National League - Lefty Leverton, Buffalo - 17-7 3.02 ERA 171 K
Leverton was a workhorse for Buffalo, posting great stats in route to capturing the NL Rookie of the Year title.  Leverton should be able to throw a ton of quality innings for many seasons to come.  He might not quite be elite, but he will be a solid workhorse and a valuable asset to any rotation.

FIREMAN OF THE YEAR
American League - Gus Masaoka, Atlanta - 3.20 ERA 48 SV, 1st win
National League - Will Ogden, Dover - 3.10 ERA 45 SV, 1st win

Silver Slugger Awards
American League
DH Crash Meacham Atlanta 2nd
C Michael Minor Pawtucket 1st
1B Albert Cruz Pawtucket 2nd
2B Philip Vasquez San Francisco 1st
3B Brooks Gose Trenton 2nd
SS James Dillard Charlotte 2nd
LF Neifi Gandarillas Louisville 1st
CF Joshua Hendrick San Juan 1st
RF Vladimir Troncoso San Juan 1st

National League
P Daniel Haselman Little Rock 1st
C Santiago Arroyo Buffalo 1st
1B Greg Riley Texas 2nd
2B Steve Hansell Florida 1st
3B Dustan Jackson Houston 4th
SS Gail Roberts Texas 1st
LF Willie Cerda Little Rock 1st
CF Gary Harvey Florida 1st
RF Carlos Trevino Little Rock 2nd

Gold Glove Awards
American League
P Kyle Gibson Pawtucket 1st
C Bob Tucker New York 2nd
1B Jose Tavarez Albuquerque 1st
2B Joe Foster San Juan 3rd
3B Benjamin Delcarmen Rochester 5th
SS Hector Charles Rochester 1st
LF Tomas Sanches Colorado Springs 1st
CF Ariel Espinoza Charlotte 2nd
RF Wilfredo Chavez Trenton 2nd

National League 
P Bryant Landrum Florida 1st
C Napoleon Mullin Florida 1st
1B Javier Perez Buffalo 1st
2B Ching-Lung Suzuki Austin 1st
3B Felipe Olivares Salt Lake City 2nd
SS Esteban James Pittsburgh 10th
LF Harry Amarista Austin 1st
CF Eli Espinosa Texas 2nd
RF Ryan Martin Seattle 1st