2018 WTHB Players of the Year

Now that the minor league season is in the rearview mirror, the ring chasing is done and the players have scattered to all corners of the United States and Latin America, it's time to take a look at those players who really stepped up to the plate (or toed the mound) in a big way in 2018. System leaders in various categories have been highlighted in blue. Players are considered full season players or short season players based on where they started their seasons. A key to the levels (FNO, CC, BC, etc.) is at the end of this post.

[Note: it is my arbitrary rule that I do not consider players for these awards who have made their major league debuts. There will be one notable exception plus I will include notes on a few more of those players throughout this post in order to give a fuller picture of how some of their performances compare to my winners.]

FULL SEASON STARTERS OF THE YEAR

RHP Corbin Martin - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

LHP Ryan Hartman - September 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

This was an incredibly difficult task because, despite my best efforts, I could not pick just one of these pitchers as the Full Season Starter of the Year. LHP Ryan Hartman and RHP Corbin Martin threw roughly equivalent numbers of innings. All but four of Martin's outings were in AA and all of Hartman's were at AA so they faced the same level of competition. Hartman had the edge on wins, walk rate and strikeout rate. Martin had the edge on ERA, WHIP and hits allowed per nine innings. In the postseason, Martin had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.353 WHIP in 5.2 innings while Hartman had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.391 WHIP in 7.2 innings. If you throw out the worst outing of the season by each pitcher, you have Hartman with a 2.21 ERA and 1.008 WHIP and Martin with a 2.18 ERA and 0.978 WHIP. That is just too close for me to single out one over the other. Both Hartman and Martin had extremely good, extremely consistent seasons and Astros fans should be excited to see these two pitchers make their way closer to Houston.

As a side note, this could easily have been a 3-way tie with Tyler Ivey as the third wheel, but ultimately since Ivey threw fewer innings for the season and was not quite as dominant in the postseason, I went with Martin and Hartman.

RHP Corbin Martin (BC/CC): 9-2 with 1 save in 25 G/21 GS, 2.51 ERA, 1.008 WHIP, 35 BB:122 K in 122 IP

LHP Ryan Hartman (CC): 11-4 in 25 G/18 GS, 2.69 ERA, 1.077 WHIP, 26 BB:143 K in 120.2 IP

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Enoli Paredes (QC/BC): 6-4 with 2 saves in 24 G/5 GS, 1.43 ERA, 0.913 WHIP, 29 BB:90 K in 69 IP

RHP Tyler Ivey (QC/BC): 4-6 with 3 saves in 24 G/18 GS, 2.97 ERA, 1.027 WHIP, 29 BB:135 K in 112 IP

RHP Peter Solomon (QC/BC): 9-1 in 24 G/13 GS, 2.32 ERA, 1.093 WHIP, 32 BB:114 K in 100.2 IP

RHP Cristian Javier (QC/BC): 7-6 with 1 save in 25 G/18 GS, 2.70 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, 50 BB:146 K in 110 IP

RHP J.B. Bukauskas (QC/GCL/TC/QC/BC/CC): 4-2 in 14 GS, 2.14 ERA, 1.119 WHIP, 24 BB:71 K in 59 IP

RHP Brandon Bielak (BC/CC): 7-8 with 2 saves in 25 G/17 GS, 2.23 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 39 BB:131 K in 117 IP

RHP Brandon Bailey (BC/CC): 6-8 with 1 save in 25 G/17 GS, 2.80 ERA, 1.161 WHIP, 52 BB:136 K in 122.1 IP

RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (CC/FNO/CC/FNO): 9-4 in 25 G/21 GS, 3.97 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 39 BB:125 K in 127 IP

LHP Brett Adcock (BC/CC): 9-5 with 1 save in 25 G/14 GS, 2.89 ERA, 1.170 WHIP, 58 BB:95 K in 106 IP

LHP Parker Mushinski (QC): 4-2 with 2 saves in 27 G/12 GS, 2.33 ERA, 1.202 WHIP, 45 BB:114 K in 89 IP

RHP Luis Garcia (QC/TC/QC): 7-2 in 24 G/13 GS, 2.00 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, 41 BB:98 K in 85.1 IP

RHP Cy Sneed (3.83 ERA/1.362 WHIP) was tied with Brock Dykxhoorn for the most innings pitched in the Astros minors in the regular season with 127 innings. RHP Josh James (3.23 ERA/1.120 WHIP) led the Astros minors with 171 strikeouts in 114.1 innings prior to being called up to Houston.

FULL SEASON RELIEVER OF THE YEAR

Justin Ferrell - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Relievers aren't as clear cut as starters and I considered everything from total saves to converted save opportunities to inherited runners stranded to batting line allowed to innings pitched and number of appearances to postseason success to consistency. I strongly considered saves leader Brendan McCurry and Willy Collado (who had an excellent season but pitched fewer innings), but in the end I felt that Justin Ferrell had the best overall season. Had Ferrell not had a simply awful final game of the regular season (6 runs in 1.1 innings), I would have found this decision much easier. Backing out that appearance, Ferrell had a dominant 2.13 ERA, a 1.010 WHIP and allowed a .179/.264/.278 batting line. He converted 4 of 5 save opportunities and stranded 77% of inherited runners. Ferrell was promoted to Fresno for the postseason and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in two games with a 0.818 WHIP.

RHP Justin Ferrell (BC/CC): 7-3 with 4 saves in 34 G, 2.92 ERA, 1.082 WHIP, 25 BB:82 K in 64.2 IP, .193/.276/.313 line allowed

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Willy Collado (QC): 1-4 with 6 saves in 23 G, 2.23 ERA, 0.942 WHIP, 10 BB:55 K in 40.1 IP

RHP Tanner Duncan (QC/BC/QC): 4-3 with 6 saves in 31 G, 2.82 ERA, 1.049 WHIP, 30 BB:67 K in 54.1 IP

RHP Matt Ramsey (FNO): 3-2 in 38 G, 2.04 ERA, 1.113 WHIP, 16 BB:63 K in 53 IP

RHP Humberto Castellanos (QC/TC/QC): 3-2 with 5 saves in 23 G, 2.00 ERA, 1.156 WHIP, 11 BB:50 K in 45 IP

LHP Kit Scheetz (BC/CC): 2-1 with 7 saves in 38 G, 2.24 ERA, 1.171 WHIP, 17 BB:87 K in 38 IP

RHP Ronel Blanco (BC/CC): 7-1 with 5 saves in 32 games, 3.65 ERA, 1.235 WHIP, 29 BB:71 K in 56.2

Blanco inherited the most runners during the season. Of the 37 runners he inherited, he stranded all but eight, including stranding inherited bases loaded on three separate occasions.

RHP Brendan McCurry (FNO): 6-7 with 14 saves in 46 G, 3.69 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 17 BB:73 K in 63.1 IP

RHP Brendan Feldmann (FNO/CC/QC/BC): 2-2 with 8 saves in 33 G, 2.91 ERA, 1.338 WHIP, 20 BB:57 K in 46.1 IP

RHP Dean Deetz had a 0.89 ERA and a 1.230 WHIP in his 27 bullpen appearances with Fresno prior to being called up to Houston.

FULL SEASON POSITION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Myles Straw - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

J.J. Matijevic - May 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Once again, my arbitrary rule that MLB debuts cancel out eligibility* for WTHB awards leaves 3B Tyler White (70 G, .333/.444/.569/.1.013),  OF Kyle Tucker (100 G, .332/.400/.590/.989),  3B J.D. Davis (85 G, .342/.406/.583/.988) and 1B A.J. Reed (123 G, .255/.344/.506/.851) out in the cold, but they all had excellent seasons. Reed led the Astros minor league affiliates with 28 home runs and 108 RBI. [*Since I had already written the following prior to Myles Straw's MLB debut last night, and since he has yet to collect his first MLB at-bat, I'm making an exception to my own rule. I don't think Matijevic will mind too much!]

I looked long and hard at the remaining candidates and, once again, I felt compelled to declare a tie because the two players who stood out most for me are such different types of players. J.J. Matijevic displayed elite power. His 52 extra base hits lagged behind only Reed (56) and Tucker (54) in the Astros system. And his OPS trailed only Tucker for players who had played in a minimum of 100 games for the season. On the other hand, although he collected 13 stolen bases, he was also caught stealing 13 times and he ranked in the top 10 in the system in strikeouts. Myles Straw's game was of a different variety. He led the system in runs scored, stolen bases and walks, and had the third highest average and second highest on base percentage for players appearing in 100 or more games in the system (with Tucker leading in both of those categories). Straw doesn't provide the power of someone like Matijevic, but he is a defensive web gem waiting to happen, collecting a system-leading 17 outfield assists for the season. Both of these players have bright futures ahead of them.

OF Myles Straw (CC/FNO): 131 G, .291/.381/.353/.734, 17 2B, 6 3B, HR, 31 RBI, 95 R, 70 SB:9 CS, 73 BB:102 K, 17 outfield assists

OF J.J. Matijevic (QC/BC): 101 G, .277/.350/.538/.887, 26 2B, 4 3B, 22 HR, 62 RBI, 66 R, 13 SB:13 CS, 44 BB:113 K

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

OF Yordan Alvarez (CC/FNO): 88 G, .293/.369/.534/.904, 21 2B, 20 HR, 74 RBI, 6 SB:2 CS, 42 BB:92 K (spent 6 weeks +/- on DL; had he remained healthy all season, he would likely have been a top candidate for POTY)

OF Drew Ferguson (FNO): 71 G, .304/.432/.443/.874, 14 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 6 SB:6CS, 49 BB:68 K

1B Taylor Jones (CC/FNO/CC): 123 G, .281/.374/.480/.854, 32 2B, 2 3B, 18 HR, 80 RBI, 2 SB:0 CS, 61 BB:124 K

OF Carmen Benedetti (CC): 80 G, .277/.365/.443/.808, 17 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 11 SB:5 CS, 39 BB:82 K

OF Jake Meyers (QC/BC): 121 G, .278/.363/.423/.786, 31 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, 16 SB:14 CS, 51 BB:83 K

IF Jack Mayfield (FNO): 113 G, .270/.324/.457/.782, 31 2B, 3B, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 5 SB:4 CS, 33 BB:92 K

3B Abraham Toro (BC/CC): 133 G, .247/.345/.435/.779, 35 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 78 RBI, 8 SB:4 CS, 62 BB:108 K

3B Randy Cesar (CC): 116 G, .296/.348/.428/.777, 25 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 3 SB:4 CS, 36 BB:112 K (put together a 42-game hitting streak from May 5th to June 28th in which he hit .391/.428/.627/1.055)

SS Alex De Goti (CC/FNO): 125 G, .283/.335/.440/.775, 29 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 8 SB:7 CS, 28 BB:80 K

3B Nick Tanielu (CC/FNO): 105 G, .288/.336/.418/.755, 22 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 59 RBI, 3 SB:2 CS, 28 BB:50 K

OF Bryan de la Cruz (QC/BC): 119 G, .289/.367/.375/.742, 22 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 62 RBI, 10 SB:7 CS, 51 BB:97 K

I had to cut this off somewhere, but shout out to a few guys whose speed on the bases really helped out their respective teams: IF/OF Josh Rojas (130 G, 84 R, 34 2B, 6 3B, 38 SB), OF Corey Julks (125 G, 79 R, 30 2B, 4 3B, 30 SB), OF Stephen Wrenn (121 G, 79 R, 23 2B, 4 3B, 44 SB) and OF Ronnie Dawson (119 G, 69 R, 24 2B, 2 3B, 35 RBI). IF/OF Osvaldo Duarte (BC) and SS Jonathan Arauz (QC/BC) led the Astros affiliates with nine triples each.

FULL SEASON CATCHER OF THE YEAR

Garrett Stubbs - June 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Finally, an easy one!! I like to single out a catcher who shines both offensively and defensively in a season and this one was a no-brainer. Stubbs struggled with injury issues in 2017; subsequently, although he was still solid defensively, his season at the plate was somewhat lackluster. And, although Stubbs was shelved for 12 days in May on the DL this year, he appears to have put the injury and durability questions behind him by season's end as he caught up to the AAA level in a big way both offensively and defensively.

C Garrett Stubbs (FNO): 84 G, .310/.382/.455/.836, 19 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 6 SB:0 CS, 35 BB:53 K, 45% CS rate (19 of 42)

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

C Lorenzo Quintana (CC): 70 G, .254/.316/.484/.799, 19 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 7 SB:4 CS, 15 BB:47 K, 30% CS rate (17 of 56)

C Jamie Ritchie (CC/FNO): 70 G, .293/.390/.405/.795, 16 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB:1 CS, 31 BB:57 K, 32% CS rate (20 of 62)

C Ruben Castro (QC): 38 G, .299/.395/.381/.776, 7 2B, 2 3B, 10 RBI, 1 SB:4 CS, 19 BB:27 K, 43% CS rate (17 of 40)

SHORT SEASON STARTER OF THE YEAR

There were so many great performances among those who started their seasons with short season clubs, but no one was quite so dominant as Ernesto Jaquez ... well, at least until he got to Tri-City! Jaquez started his season with the Dominican Summer League (4-0 in 9 G/4 GS, 0.25 ERA, 0.528 WHIP), then was promoted to the Gulf Coast League on August 1st (0-0 in 5G/1 GS, 1.06 ERA, 0.824 WHIP), and ended his season with two games for Tri-City (the second of which he would likely try to take back - 8 ER in 0.1 IP). Take out that final appearance and Jaquez had an astonishing 0.48 ERA and a 0.621 WHIP in 15 of his 16 games. The 19-year old Jaquez signed in July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic for $95,000. Serious consideration was also given to Chad Donato (see below). He was certainly equally deserving, but I was trying to avoid another tie.

RHP Ernesto Jaquez (DSL/GCL/TC): 5-1 in 16 G/6 GS, 1.75 ERA, 0.741 WHIP, 17 BB:74 K in 56.2 IP, .129 BA

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Heitor Tokar (DSL): 0-1 in 13 G/8 GS, 1.66 ERA, 0.762 WHIP, 6 BB:35 K in 43.1 IP

RHP Franny Cobos (DSL): 1-2 with 1 save in 14 G/5 GS, 0.60 ERA, 0.800 WHIP, 7 BB:39 K in 45 IP

RHP Brett Daniels (TC): 3-0 in 11 G/2 GS, 1.62 ERA, 0.840 WHIP, 7 BB:36 K in 33.1 IP

RHP Alfredi Jimenez (DSL/GCL): 1-3 with 2 saves in 14 G/5 GS, 1.63 ERA, 0.867 WHIP, 13 BB:63 K in 55.1 IP

RHP Valente Bellozo (DSL): 2-1 with 1 save in 14 G/8 GS, 1.74 ERA, 0.871 WHIP, 16 BB:42 K in 51.2 IP

RHP Chad Donato (TC/QC): 9-0 with 2 saves in 15 G/12 GS, 1.62 ERA, 0.876 WHIP, 22 BB:98 K in 77.2 IP

RHP Austin Hansen (TC): 2-3 with 2 saves in 14 G/2 GS, 1.76 ERA, 0.880 WHIP, 13 BB:45 K in 30.2 IP

RHP Bryan Abreu (TC/QC): 6-1 with 3 saves in 14 G/7 GS, 1.49 ERA, 1.031 WHIP, 23 BB:90 K in 54.1 IP

RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez (TC): 4-1 with 1 save in 14 G/7 GS, 2.91 ERA, 1.042 WHIP, 13 BB:50 K in 55.2 IP

RHP Jojanse Torres (DSL): 1-2 with 1 save in 13 G/8 GS, 2.20 ERA, 1.073 WHIP, 8 BB:48 K in 41 IP

RHP Brett Conine (TC): 1-1 in 11 G/3 GS, 1.99 ERA, 1.074 WHIP, 11 BB:37 K in 31.2 IP

RHP R.J. Freure (TC): 3-0 in 11 G/3 GS, 0.98 ERA, 1.084 WHIP, 13 BB:29 K in 27.2 IP

RHP Fredy Medina (GCL): 1-1 in 9 G/3 GS, 2.25 ERA, 1.107 WHIP, 14 BB:34 K in 28 IP

RHP Wender Oberto (DSL): 4-3 with 1 save in 15 G/6 GS, 1.91 ERA, 1.112 WHIP, 18 BB:39 K in 56.2 IP

RHP Jose Luis Herndandez (TC/BC): 2-2 in 13 G/11 GS, 2.35 ERA, 1.134 WHIP, 10 BB:48 K in 57.1 IP

RHP Jose Antonio Hernandez (DSL): 4-4 in 15 G/7 GS, 1.90 ERA, 1.246 WHIP, 18 BB:41 K in 47.1 IP

SHORT SEASON RELIEVER OF THE YEAR

Tim Hardy - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I originally had Joey Gonzalez in the top spot in large part due to his very impressive batting line allowed (see below), but ultimately, Tim Hardy was more effective in a couple of areas, converting all of his save opportunities and allowing only one inherited runner to score on his watch. And he appeared in three more games and 11 more innings than Gonzalez, also finishing the season at a higher level. The one qualm I had with Hardy was his somewhat high walk rate, but when I dug down and saw that four of those free passes came in just one outing (in which he presumably had a case of the yips), I decided to give him his own free pass. He appeared in just one game in the postseason, allowing only one hit and striking out two in his 1.1 innings.

LHP Tim Hardy (TC/QC): 2-2 with 4 saves in 18 G, 2.05 ERA, 1.304 WHIP, 15 BB:49 K in 30.2 IP

Honorable Mention (sorted by WHIP)

RHP Joey Gonzalez (GCL/TC): 4-2 with 3 saves in 15 G, 1.37 ERA, 0.864 WHIP, 4 BB:25 K in 19.2 IP, .176/.222/.230 batting line allowed

RHP J. P. France (TC/QC): 2-0 with 2 saves in 10 G, 0.50 ERA, 0.889 WHIP, 6 BB:28 K in 18 IP

RHP Hansel Paulino (TC/QC): 2-2 with 2 saves in 18 G, 3.57 ERA/1.041 WHIP, 11 BB:45 K in 40.1 IP

SHORT SEASON POSITION PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Seth Beer - July 2018

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The first round draft pick came as advertised, shooting up through three levels of the system in his first professional season. And, although his numbers at the highest level weren't quite as gaudy as they were at the two lower levels, he was still very productive. Beer isn't known for his defensive prowess, but he certainly didn't embarrass himself in that regard as he got some great experience under his belt at both first base and the corner outfield positions. But it is Beer's bat that got him drafted and he truly excelled in hitting for average and getting on base. And I think we'll only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his developing power. Seth Beer would have been my pick for this award even if I hadn't had the chance to see him in person, but I really enjoyed seeing what a consummate professional he is and how dedicated he is to becoming the best player he is capable of being. Alex McKenna was also extremely impressive, but since he played in 23 fewer games than Beer, it made my decision easier.

OF/1B/DH Seth Beer (TC/QC/BC): 67 G, .304/.389/.496/.885, 14 2B, 12 HR, 42 RBI, 1 SB:1 CS, 25 BB:49 K

Honorable Mention (sorted by OPS)

OF Alex McKenna (TC/QC): 44 G, .311/.394/.512/.906, 8 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 6 SB:5 CS, 14 BB:40 K

SS Freudis Nova (GCL): 41 G, .308/.331/.466/.797, 3 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 9 SB:5 CS, 6 BB:21 K

OF Andy Pineda (TC/CC/TC): 46 G, .288/.362/.423/.785, 6 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 12 SB:6 CS, 14 BB:43 K

OF Carlos Machado (TC): 52 G, .304/.346/.412/.758, 10 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 5 SB:2 CS, 14 BB:26 K

SHORT SEASON CATCHER OF THE YEAR

Another catcher no-brainer! Jose Alvarez, who signed with the Astros in July 2016 out of Venezuela for $195,000 played his second season in the DSL in 2018. Alvarez repeated the 50% caught stealing rate from his first season while substantially lowering the number of passed balls he allowed. But it was his offense that the 18-year old improved on most. In 2017, Alvarez started out strong but faded badly down the stretch, but in 2018, he was able to sustain his success throughout the season. Look for Alvarez to make his U.S. debut in 2019. He will be 19 years old next June.

C Jose Alvarez (DSL): 44 G, .359/.434/.420/.854, 8 2B, 15 RBI, 5 SB:2 CS, 17 BB:27 K, 50% CS rate (26 of 52)

Honorable Mention

Although there are several other extremely good defensive catchers in the lower levels of the system, no one really stood out when looking at defense and offense combined. Many of these younger catchers have shown flashes of offensive potential, but most are works in progress.

FNO = Fresno (AAA)
CC = Corpus Christi (AA)
BC = Buies Creek (High A)
QC = Quad Cities (Low A)
TC = Tri-City (Short Season A)
GCL = Gulf Coast League (Domestic Rookie League)
DSL = Dominican Summer League (Dominican Rookie League)

WTHB Astros MiLB 2017 Players of the Year

There were so many amazing feats of baseball excellence in the Astros system this season that I wish I could acknowledge them all. Here are just a few ...

FULL SEASON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: OF KYLE TUCKER

Kyle Tucker - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Despite somewhat uneven results following his late May promotion to AA Corpus Christi, Tucker was still the player to beat in terms of the breadth of his accomplishments for 2017. In 120 games between Buies Creek and Corpus Christi, Tucker batted .274/.346/.528 with 33 doubles, five triples, 25 home runs, 90 RBI, 70 runs scored, 21 stolen bases and eight outfield assists. He was the only 20/20 man in the Astros minor league system, an accomplishment worth noting. As is the fact that he is still only 20 years old at AA.

Serious consideration was also given to Quad Cities/Buies Creek OF Carmen Benedetti (.316/.421/.452 in 92 games); Quad Cities/Buies Creek OF Ronnie Dawson (.278/.363/.437 in 129 games) and Buies Creek/Corpus Christi OF Myles Straw (.290/.405/.360 in 127 games). Benedetti has an outstanding right field arm (11 outfield assists), developing power (27 doubles, one triple and five home runs) and excellent on-base skills. Ronnie Dawson's numbers may not look that impressive until you consider that he hit .314/.410/.490 from June 1st on and .333/.413/.502 from July 1st forward. And, last but certainly not least, Myles Straw may not be a power threat, but his 38 stolen bases for the season show him to be a legitimate speed threat; he also scored 90 runs and collected 14 outfield assists.

Note that I did not consider any players who have already made their major league debut (sorry, Tony Kemp!).

STARTER OF THE YEAR: RHP ROGELIO ARMENTEROS

Rogelio Armenteros - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

There were a number of very good pitching performances in the Astros minor league system in 2017, but no one was quite as dominant as Rogelio Armenteros. Armenteros split his season between Corpus Christi and Fresno and compiled a 10-4 record with a 2.04 ERA, a 1.043 WHIP and 38 walks to 146 strikeouts in 123.2 innings. His stats were almost identical at the two levels with the main difference being an astonishing 8-1 record in his 10 starts at the higher level.

Honorable mention goes to Quad Cities/Buies Creek RHP Carson LaRue (12-7, 3.23 ERA, 1.133 WHIP, 30BB:105SO in 120 IP); Quad Cities/Buies Creek RHP Jorge Alcala (7-6, 3.05 ERA, 1.061 WHIP, 45BB:95SO in 109.1 IP); Buies Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Yoanys Quiala (9-5, 2.57 ERA, 1.187 WHIP, 24BB:92SO, 108.2 innings); and Quad Cities/Buies Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Forrest Whitley (5-4, 2.83 ERA, 12.13 WHIP, 34BB:143SO, 92.1 IP).

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR: RHP NICK HERNANDEZ

Nick Hernandez - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I struggled with this one a little bit, but ultimately I went with Nick Hernandez. Hernandez was lights out in his time with Buies Creek (1.59 ERA, 0.853 WHIP with 9 saves in 24 appearances), but the numbers following his promotion to Corpus Christi were a little less flashy (5.84 ERA, 1.297 WHIP with 1 save in 14 appearances). But once I dug down a little bit further, I was sold. Hernandez inherited 32 runners and allowed only two of them to score and he converted 10 of 11 save opportunities. He ended the season with a 1-3 record, 10 saves, a 3.38 ERA, a 1.040 WHIP and held batters to a .170 average in 38 appearances (58.2 IP).

There were several other pitchers that I considered for this award, primary among them Buies Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Riley Ferrell (3.67 ERA, 1.204 WHIP, 6 saves in 38 appearances). Ferrell started out the season slowly, but hit his stride late. He had a 2.45 ERA and a 0.773 WHIP from July 1st forward, holding batters to a .158 batting average. In his final nine appearances, he allowed only three hits, zero walks and zero runs over 12.1 innings.

CATCHER OF THE YEAR: CHUCKIE ROBINSON

Chuckie Robinson - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I like a catcher who is a well-rounded player and that sums up who Chuckie Robinson is. He not only has a solid bat (.274/.330/.463 with 32 doubles, two triples and 15 home runs) and a good arm (41% caught stealing rate in 2017), but he can also steal an occasional base as he did seven times during the season. He was an invaluable member of the Quad Cities team both during the season as he caught around 30 or so pitchers who came through the level, as well as the River Bandits postseason, catching eight of nine games and contributing four home runs and eight RBI.

SHORT SEASON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: OF RAMIRO RODRIGUEZ

Rodriguez spent the vast majority of his season with the Dominican Summer League with a mid-August promotion to the Gulf Coast League that saw him continue with his dominance at the plate. In 58 games, Rodriguez hit .335/.440/.500 with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 24 RBI, 37 runs scored and eight stolen bases. He walked 30 times to only 23 strikeouts. Rodriguez is from Panama and will be 20 in February.

STARTER OF THE YEAR: LHP ANTONIO PUJOLS

In his first season in the Astros system, Pujols made quite an impression, compiling a 4-2 record with a 1.65 ERA, a 0.933 WHIP and 16 walks to 49 strikeouts in 54.2 innings of work. He held opposing batters to a .186/.250/.266 batting line. Pujols is from the Dominican Republic and will turn 20 in January.

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR: RHP JESUS BALAGUER

Jesus Balaguer was 5-2 with 4 saves, a 2.73 ERA and a 1.061 WHIP in 18 bullpen appearances for Greeneville, Tri-City and Quad Cities this season. He walked 15 batters and struck out 53 in 33 innings of work and held hitters to a .175/.271/.263 batting line. Balaguer, who just turned 24 in August, is from Cuba and 2017 was his first season in the U.S.

TEAM OF THE YEAR: QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

Russ Steinhorn - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Russ Steinhorn guided the 62 players who came through the River Bandits clubhouse in 2017 to the Midwest League Championship in his second season as a manager in the Astros system. He first managed in the Dominican Summer League in 2016, an experience that came in very handy for him as 30 of those 62 players he managed in Quad Cities were Latin American and ran the gamut in their abilities to communicate in the English language. Steinhorn created a great clubhouse culture that blended all of the personalities and backgrounds, resulting in a vibrant atmosphere with great chemistry and energy both on and off the field. The River Bandits ended the season with a 79-59 record, the best mark in the Astros minor league system and, of course, bragging rights at Spring Training 2018 as they will be the only Astros MiLB team to be presented with championship rings.

A perfect ending to a season that will never be forgotten! #QuadCitiesRiverBandits#2017MidwestLeagueChamps#MiLB pic.twitter.com/G1V00IwZLL

— Russ Steinhorn (@Russ_Steinhorn) September 17, 2017

MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS ...
(SOME SERIOUS, SOME NOT SO MUCH)

BEST HAIR: RHP DEAN DEETZ

Dean Deetz - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Not only does he have hair that would fit in alongside Yuli Gurriel and George Springer, he also has a great sense of humor and took no offense when I mentioned that his hair made him look like a porcupine.

Honorable mention has to go to Cesar Rosado though ...

MOST LIKELY TO BREAK OUT DANCING IN THE CLUBHOUSE (OR ANYWHERE ELSE FOR THAT MATTER): OF RONNIE DAWSON

🕺🏾🕺🏾 pic.twitter.com/Hf5hGGSYrr

— Ronnie Dawson (@ronniedawsonn) August 10, 2017

BEST BASEBALL NAME: OF FILDEX PERFECTO

Surely the Astros are planning to convert this young man to a pitcher just so someone gets the opportunity to report on a Perfecto Perfecto one day!!!

BEST USE OF DUGOUT PAPER CUPS: RHP CY SNEED

Cy Sneed - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

HAVE A GAME AWARD, PART 1: C EDUARDO DE OLEO

De Oleo hit three home runs in ONE GAME on April 21st. It was only his second game in the Astros system.

MOST INTERESTING FACE: RHP CRISTIAN JAVIER

Cristian Javier - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

I have been intrigued by Javier's face since I met him last year ... so interesting, mysterious and somehow vulnerable. Oh, and he's a really good pitcher too!

BEST DEBUT BY A PITCHER IN 2017: LHP KIT SCHEETZ

With apologies to NDFA RHP Brendan Feldmann and 11th rounder LHP Brandon Beilak, each of whom had terrific starts to their pro careers, I have to go with Kit Scheetz, another non-drafted free agent who started his season with the Gulf Coast League rookie club, was quickly promoted to Tri-City and earned his way to Quad Cities in mid-August. From rookie ball to earning a win in Low A postseason play in your first professional season while compiling a 1.72 ERA and a 1.021 WHIP is pretty impressive no matter how you look at it. In 47 innings in the regular season, he walked nine and struck out 53.

CUTEST COUPLE, PART 1: TRENT WOODWARD AND KYLE TUCKER

Trent Woodward and Kyle Tucker - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

BEST NICKNAME: FREUDIS "SUPER" NOVA

Freudis was christened "Super" Nova after hitting two home runs in one game on August 3rd.

BEST SMILE: 1B DEX MCCALL

Dex McCall - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

HAVE A GAME AWARD, PART 2: C NERIO RODRIGUEZ

Rodriguez caught five baserunners in one game on July 28th. In addition, he hit a home run. According to MLB pipeline, that combination has NEVER happened before.

BEST DEBUT BY A POSITION PLAYER IN 2017: JOSH ROJAS

Josh Rojas - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

There are several deserving candidates, but I have to go with the 26th rounder out of the University of Hawaii. Not only did he skip rookie ball and the short season clubs altogether to make his debut with Low A Quad Cities, he also subbed in at AAA Fresno at the end of the season, and he more than held his own at the plate, hitting .261/.319/.478 with five doubles, five triples and 10 home runs in 56 games. Primarily a third baseman/second baseman, he also played a couple games at short and ended up playing outfield in the postseason where he was credited with two outfield assists.

ONLY IN THE DSL AWARD: ASTROS ORANGE TEAM

On June 21st, the Astros Orange team scored six runs in one inning without collecting a hit ... six walks, three hit batters, two wild pitches, one passed ball and one stolen base ... only in the DSL!

CUTEST COUPLE, PART 2: TROY SIEBER AND KRISTIAN TROMPIZ

Troy Sieber and Kristian Trompiz - July 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

HAVE A GAME AWARD, PART 3: 1B/OF JOSE BENJAMIN

Benjamin hit for the cycle in only four at-bats in a rain shortened game on July 17th ... double in the first, triple in the third, home run in the fifth and single in the sixth.

HALL OF FAME AWARD: RHP BROCK DYKXHOORN

Brock Dykxhoorn - April 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Dykxhoorn has the distinction, as far as I know, of being the only current Astros minor leaguer to have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame ... the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, that is. He was inducted this past summer as a member of the Pan Am Gold Medal 2015 Canadian National Team.

MOST LIKELY TO BREAK A FEW HEARTS: RHP FORREST WHITLEY

Forrest Whitley - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

What can I say? He's talented, charming, good looking and a top prospect! 

HAVE A GAME AWARD, LAST CALL: C JAMIE RITCHIE

Jamie Ritchie - August 2017

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Ritchie hit for the cycle on August 6th ... home run in the second, single in the fifth, double in the seventh, triple in the eighth. According to twitter, saving the triple for last (and getting it) is the equivalent of getting every beautiful girl in the bar to go home with you at closing time.

2017 ASTROS MILB BY THE NUMBERS

TEAM STATS

• 893: Regular season Astros minor league games played
• 456-437: Cumulative record of all nine Astros MiLB teams
• +150: Cumulative run differential for all nine teams
• 9: Astros MiLB teams
• 5: Astros MiLB teams with winning records
• 2: Astros MiLB teams advancing to the playoffs (Greeneville and Quad Cities)
• 1: Astros MiLB team winning a League Championship (Quad Cities/Midwest League Champions)

• 5.52: Highest team ERA in the Astros MiLB system (Fresno Grizzlies)
• 4.13: Cumulative ERA for all pitchers in the Astros MiLB system
• 3.53: Lowest team ERA in the Astros MiLB system (Gulf Coast League Astros)
• 1.607: Highest team WHIP in the Astros MiLB system (Fresno Grizzlies)
• 1.397: Cumulative WHIP for all pitchers in the Astros MiLB system
• 1.216: Lowest team WHIP in the Astros MiLB system (Buies Creek Astros)

• .473: Highest team SLG in the Astros MiLB system (Fresno Grizzlies)
• .397: Cumulative SLG for all players in the Astros MiLB system
• .316: Lowest team SLG in the Astros MiLB system (DSL Astros Orange)
• .359: Highest team OBP in the Astros MiLB system (Fresno Grizzlies)
• .337: Cumulative OBP for all players in the Astros MiLB system
• .304: Lowest team OBP in the Astros MiLB system (Tri-City ValleyCats)
• .282: Highest team BA in the Astros MiLB system (Fresno Grizzlies)
• .251: Cumulative BA for all players in the Astros MiLB system
• .216: Lowest team BA in the Astros MiLB system (Tri-City ValleyCats)

OFFENSIVE LEADERS

• 166: Hits by Fresno IF/OF Tony Kemp in 118 games
• 107: Walks by Corpus Christi 1B Jon Singleton in 117 games, the most in the minors in 2017
• 104: RBI by Fresno 1B A.J. Reed in 127 games
• 95: Runs scored by Fresno IF/OF Tony Kemp in 118 games
• 66.7%: Caught stealing percentage by DSL C Brandon Benavente in 40 games (36 of 54)
• 38: Stolen bases by Buies Creek/Corpus Christi OF Myles Straw in 127 games
• 35: Doubles hit by Corpus Christi OF Jason Martin in 125 games
• 34: Home runs hit by Fresno 1B A.J. Reed in 127 games, the most in the minors in 2017
• 18: Times that DSL 3B Yeuris Ramirez was hit by pitch in 57 games
• 16: Outfield assists from Corpus Christi OF Ramon Laureano in 123 games
• 12.5%: Extra-base hit percentage by Fresno OF Derek Fisher in 84 games
• 11: Sacrifice hits from Quad Cities/Buies Creek OF Stephen Wrenn in 125 games
• 10: Sacrifice flies from Quad Cities/Buies Creek OF Yordan Alvarez (90 games) and Fresno OF Preston Tucker (128 games)
• 9: Triples hit by Fresno IF/OF Tony Kemp in 118 games

Minimum 300 PA for full season and minimum 150 PA for short season to qualify

• .583: SLG from Fresno OF Derek Fisher, the full season leader
• .500: SLG from DSL OF Ramiro Rodriguez, the short season leader
• .440: OBP from DSL OF Ramiro Rodriguez, the short season leader
• .421: OBP from Quad Cities/Buies Creek OF Carmen Benedetti, the full season leader
• .335: BA from DSL OF Ramiro Rodriguez, the short season leader
• .329: BA from Fresno IF/OF Tony Kemp, the full season leader

PITCHING LEADERS

• 146: Strikeouts by Fresno RHP Rogelio Armenteros in 123.2 innings
• 136.1: Innings pitched by Fresno RHP David Martinez
• 64.2: Innings pitched by Quad Cities/Buines Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Kevin Hill in 2017 with ZERO home runs allowed
• 45: Bullpen appearances by Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Kevin Comer
• 23: Games started, shared by Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Trent Thornton and Fresno RHP David Martinez
• 17: Wild pitches by Tri-City LHP Carlos Hiraldo in 57.2 innings
• 14: Hit batters by DSL RHP Jean Reyes in 34.1 innings
• 12: Wins by Quad Cities/Buies Creek RHP Carson LaRue
• 10: Saves by Buies Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Nick Hernandez
• 6.3%: Percentage of inherited allowed to score by Buies Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Nick Hernandez (2 of 32)
• 3.36: GO/AO by Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Andrew Thome, the highest ground out to air out rate in the system
• 0.41: GO/AO by Tri-Cities/Quad Cities RHP Cristian Javier, the lowest ground out to air out rate in the system

Minimum 70 innings pitched for full season and minimum 40 innings pitched for short season to qualify

• 13.9: Strikeouts per nine innings for Quad Cities/Buies Creek/Corpus Christi RHP Forrest Whitley in 92.1 innings (143 strikeouts), the full season leader
• 11.6: Strikeouts per nine innings for Tri-City RHP Colin McKee in 41 innings (53 strikeouts), the short season leader
• 5.8: Hits per nine innings for Quad Cities/Buies Creek RHP Jorge Alcala in 109.1 innings, the full season leader
• 4.2: Hits per nine innings for Tri-City RHP Colin McKee in 41 innings, the short season leader
• 1.7: Walks per nine innings for GCL/Tri-City/Quad Cities LHP Kit Scheetz in 47 innings, the short season leader
• 1.6: Walks per nine innings for Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Trent Thornton in 131.1 innings, the full season leader
• 5.89: Strikeout-to-walk rate for GCL/Tri-City/Quad Cities LHP Kit Scheetz in 47 innings, the short season leader
• 4.39: Strikeout-to-walk rate for Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Trent Thornton in 131.1 innings, the full season leader
• 0.933: WHIP from DSL LHP Antonio Pujols in 54.2 innings, the short season leader
• 1.043: WHIP from Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Rogelio Armenteros in 123.2 innings, the full season leader
• 1.65: ERA from DSL LHP Antonio Pujols in 54.2 innings, the short season leader
• 2.04: ERA from Corpus Christi/Fresno RHP Rogelio Armenteros in 123.2 innings pitched, the full season leader

Previous By The Numbers Posts from 2017
April
May
June
July
August/September

If you made it this far, thank you all for reading! And a special thanks to Dustin Nguyen who has provided continuously excellent recaps and helped keep me sane over these last few years!!! Come back soon for my Rule 5 post.

Astros 2016 Minor League Players of the Year

Sometimes, selecting the Astros MiLB Players of the Year is a no-brainer. That wasn't the case this year. There were far too many deserving players, and I ended up awarding a couple of ties. Having too many good players isn't a bad problem to have.

With that said, presenting WTHB's 2016 Players of the Year ...

FULL SEASON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: OF RAMON LAUREANO

Laureano did everything well in 2016. In 116 games between High A Lancaster and AA Corpus Christi, he hit .319/.428/.528 with 28 doubles, seven triples, 15 home runs, 73 RBI, 89 runs scored and he led the Astros system with 43 stolen bases. He also played all three outfield positions and collected 12 outfield assists while making only three errors all season.

Ramon Laureano - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Honorable Mention goes to OF Drew Ferguson: .315/.408/.542 in 105 games (between High A Lancaster and AA Corpus Christi), 29 doubles, 3 triples, 17 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 84 runs scored

STARTERS OF THE YEAR: RHP BRADY RODGERS AND RHP JOSE LUIS HERNANDEZ

Rodgers and Hernandez were virtually in lock step in what they each managed to accomplish this season. Rodgers was 12-4 in 22 starts for AAA Fresno with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.152 WHIP in 132 innings. He walked only 23 batters while striking out 116. Rodgers hit only one batter all season and had zero wild pitches. He also had two complete games for the season, including one complete game shut out.

Hernandez was the only other pitcher in the system with two complete games and one complete game shut out. He was 6-5 with one save in 24 games (21 starts) between Low A Quad Cities and High A Lancaster. In 125.1 innings, he had a 2.94 ERA and a 1.189 WHIP. He walked 24 while striking out 127 batters.

Brady Rodgers - September 2015

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR: RHP JAMES HOYT

Hoyt led the Astros system and the Pacific Coast League with his 29 saves in 2016. In 49 appearances for AAA Fresno, Hoyt was 4-3 with 29 saves, a 1.64 ERA and a 0.873 WHIP. He walked 19 batters and struck out 93 in 55 innings.

James Hoyt - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

CATCHER OF THE YEAR: GARRETT STUBBS

Stubbs' win of the Johnny Bench award in college wasn't a fluke and he proved that with his fine sophomore campaign. In 86 games (67 at catcher) between High A Lancaster and AA Corpus Christi, Stubbs hit .304/.391/.469 with 22 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, 15 stolen bases (!), and he walked 43 times while striking out 48 times. Behind the plate, he had a .997 fielding percentage and caught 51% of runners attempting to steal.

Garrett Stubbs - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

SHORT SEASON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: OF STEPHEN WRENN AND 2B RYNE BIRK

Sixth-rounder Wrenn provided more than a little pop, collecting 15 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs over his 71 games (.260/.324/.471) between Short Season A Tri-City and Low A Quad Cities. He also swiped 15 bags, scored 46 times and drove in 39.

Birk, drafted by the Astros in the 13th round this year, missed some time this season on the DL, but what he accomplished in his 43 games with Tri-City and Quad Cities was nothing short of remarkable. Hitting .293/.385/.455 with 13 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 31 RBI, 30 runs scored, and five stolen bases, he also managed to walk 21 times while striking out only 16 times in those 43 games.

Stephen Wrenn - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Ryne Birk - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

STARTERS OF THE YEAR: RHP ENRIQUE CHAVEZ AND RHP JHEYSON CARABALLO

Chavez started his season with Short Season A Tri-City and ended it with Low A Quad Cities. Between the two venues, he was 3-4 with one save, a 2.89 ERA and a 0.995 WHIP in 62.1 innings of work (14 games/10 starts). Chavez walked 15, struck out 51 and held hitters to a .205 batting average.

Caraballo toiled for the Dominican Summer League Astros Blue team this summer. In 13 games (8 starts), he compiled a 3-0 record with three saves, a 2.85 ERA and a 0.913 WHIP. Caraballo walked 11 and struck out 46 in 53.2 innings, holding hitters to a .199 average.

Enrique Chavez - July 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR: LHP YEREMI CEBALLOS

This 17-year old Dominican lefty shone in his first professional season, playing for the Dominican Summer League Astros Blue team. In 19 appearances (34 innings), Ceballos was 2-1 with one save, a 0.79 ERA and a 1.147 WHIP. He held batters to a .183 average.

CATCHER OF THE YEAR: GABRIEL BRACAMONTE

Bracamonte (no relation to Astros bullpen catcher Javier) split his season between Rookie League Greeneville and Short Season A Tri-City. In 28 games (all of them behind the plate), he hit .278/.362/.367 with six doubles and a triple. He walked 11 times, struck out 13 and even managed to steal a couple of bags. Defensively, he played errorless ball and caught 43% of would-be stolen base runners.

Gabriel Bracamonte - June 2016

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Congratulations, gentlemen! Fine jobs from all.

>>>>>><<<<<<<

I'm still working on my not-so-serious awards presentations so check back soon for a giggle or two.

WTHB Presents the 2014 Bobby Awards

It's time to hand out the postseason Bobby Awards to a few deserving players and coaches for their 2014 seasons. I will start with the more serious awards and follow with the not-so-serious ones. The envelope please ...

Full Season Starting/Tandem Pitcher of the Year: LHP Tommy Shirley
RHP Nick Tropeano was under serious consideration for the honor, as was LHP Josh Hader, but in the end I was extremely impressed with what Tommy Shirley accomplished this season and I wanted to give him some special acknowledgment for that. For the first three months of the season, Shirley appeared in 17 games (13 starts) for Corpus Christi and managed a 1.88 ERA and a 0.927 WHIP in 86.1 innings pitched during his first season pitching against Texas League hitters. He held batters to a .201 batting average and walked only 17 batters while striking out 78. Once he was promoted to Oklahoma City in July, he had a tough couple of starts before settling in the rest of the way. He allowed 11 earned runs in his first two outings, but then allowed only four in the next 11. Shirley was moved to the bullpen after three starts presumably due to the fact that his previous high in innings was 75.1. He ended the season with a 2.53 ERA, a 1.099 WHIP, and 32 walks to 100 strikeouts in 117.1 innings. And in those 10 relief appearances, he stranded all but one of 11 runners he inherited! I look forward to seeing what I've heard alternatively called his "Invisiball" or "Bugs Bunny Fastball" on a major league mound in the not so distant future.

Tommy Shirley - March 2013

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Full Season Relief Pitcher of the Year: RHP Tyler Brunnemann
This one really wasn't a hard choice at all. Brunnemann simply dominated in his time at Quad Cities and more than held his own after his promotion to Lancaster in early August. In 33 bullpen appearances between the two venues, he had a 1.90 ERA and a 0.892 WHIP in 61.2 innings of work. He walked 15 batters and struck out 69. He held batters to a .183 batting average for the season. Also, if my hand-kept records are correct, I am showing that of 25 inherited runners, only 8 went on to score. He was also named MVP for the just completed 2014 California League Championshp Series. Not bad for a 40th round draft pick! (Oh, and he wears high socks.)

Tyler Brunnemann - September 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Full Season Player of the Year: CF Brett Phillips
I am an unabashed fan of Brett Phillips as a player and as a person, but going in to the season, I never really thought that he would be in the mix for my Player of the Year, much less the winner. But what he accomplished this season showed off all his tools. He hit for average, got on base at a good clip, had excellent power numbers, exhibited speed on the basepaths and showed off his canon of an arm in centerfield. It was a truly incredible season. For the season, he hit .310/.375/.529 with 29 doubles, 14 triples (yes, you read that correctly), 17 home runs, 68 RBI, 23 stolen bases and had 17 outfield assists. Yeah, that happened. [Full Disclosure: I was somewhat torn between Phillips and Conrad Gregor and I turned to trusty co-author of WTHB, Dustin, and asked him what he thought. He gave Phillips the edge by "the thinnest possible razor-thin margin." After putting all the numbers down on paper, I definitely agreed.]

Brett Phillips - September 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Short Season Pitcher of the Year: RHP Troy Scribner
This was undoubtedly one of the hardest categories for me. Under serious consideration were the fine seasons of RHP Agapito Barrios, RHP Erasmo Pinales, RHP Elieser Hernandez and RHP Joe Musgrove. But in the end, I went with Scribner's sheer dominance. Scribner made a couple of spot appearances in Corpus in April (2-0 with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.200 WHIP) before returning to Extended Spring Training. He was then assigned to the Short Season A Tri-City ValleyCats where he was 7-1 with a 1.38 ERA and a 0.962 WHIP in 10 starts. Scribner was promoted to Quad Cities for his final five starts and had mixed results at the higher level, but for the season he ended with a 10-3 record, a 2.09 ERA, a 1.102 WHIP, and walked 27 batters while striking out a whopping 102 in 81.2 innings pitched.

Short Season Relief Pitcher of the Year: RHP Derick Velazquez
There were also a number of fine seasons amongst the relief corps. In particular, RHP Aaron Vaughn and RHP Josue Uribe stood out. And RHP Eric Peterson's final month of the season was ridiculous (in a good way). But the hands-down winner was Velazquez. In 18 games for Tri-City, he was 2-1 with four saves, a 1.57 ERA and a 0.870 WHIP in 23 innings pitched. Only one base was stolen on his watch and he stranded 11 of the 14 runners he inherited. Oh, yeah, and he only walked two batters for his season while striking out 24.

Short Season Player of the Year: 1B A.J. Reed
Reed, the Astros 2nd round pick from 2014, hit the ground running in his first professional season. In 34 games at Tri-City, he hit .306/.420/.516 in 34 games and was promptly promoted to Quad Cities at the end of July where he played in an additional 34 games, hitting .272/.326/.528. In those 68 total games, he scored 43 runs; hit 20 doubles, one triple and 12 home runs; drove in 54 runs; stole two bases; and walked 30 times while striking out 54 times. In addition, he is an excellent defensive player! Unfortunately, I just missed Reed in my whirlwind tour of the Astros minor league ballparks this summer, but by all accounts, he is a truly special player. Another player under serious consideration for this award was a 17-year old Dominican player who earned a late promotion from the DSL to the GCL. 2B Frankeny Fernandez is still a bit rough around the edges, but what he was able to accomplish in his first season of professional ball was remarkable.

Defensive Catcher of the Year: Roberto Peña
Just put Peña down as a given to win this every year until he graduates to the major leagues. In 93 games catching in Lancaster this season, he had a .996 fielding percentage, 9.02 range factor and he caught 57% of would be base-stealers (that is not a typo). He is the most elite of elite catchers.

Offensive Catcher of the Year: Jamie Ritchie
Ritchie was actually on my short list for Short Season Player of the Year, but he was edged out since he didn't play in as many games as Reed. In 47 games for Tri-City, the 13th round 2014 draft pick hit .331/.455/.465 with 12 doubles, two triples and a home run. He even stole five bases, an uncommon occurrence for most catchers. And he walked (29 times) more than he struck out (26 times), an uncommon occurrence for most hitters regardless of position.

Postseason MVP (Player): 1B Tyler White and DH Chase McDonald
I was going to jokingly award this to Tyler McDonald or Chase White because I simply couldn't decide between the two. They had the two most potent bats in the JetHawks line-up in the post-season. Between the two players, they scored 10 runs, collected eight doubles and four home runs and drove in 12 runs in eight post-season games.

Postseason MVP (Pitcher): RHP Tyler Brunnemann
Until the final game of the California League Championship Series on Monday, I was leaning toward awarding this to Joe Musgrove for his fine work in the New York-Penn League series, but Brunnemann was named the MVP of the Cal League Finals for a reason. Coming into the fifth inning of Monday's game with two runners on and no outs, Brunnemann retired the next three batters without allowing a run across. And he went on to pitch a total of three hitless innings with six strikeouts to earn the win. All told, Brunnemann appeared in five games with a 1.35 ERA and a 0.750 WHIP and stranded all eight runners that he inherited. Case closed.

Comeback/Breakthrough Pitcher of the Year: RHP Chris Devenski
To say that Devenski had a tough year in 2013 is a bit of an understatement. He struggled mightily at Lancaster (7.88 ERA and 1.819 WHIP) and was demoted to Quad Cities where he started to figure things out again, but still ended the season with a 6.60 ERA and a 1.592 WHIP. Fast forward a season and his success at Lancaster (4.11 ERA and 1.070 WHIP) led to his promotion to Corpus Christi in early July. There he put up a 3.92 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP in his final 10 appearances. Quite the turnaround!

Comeback/Breakthrough Player of the Year: 1B/DH Chase McDonald
For McDonald, the 2014 improvements represented a nice breakthrough for the 2013 12th round pick. McDonald had a solid season in 2013 (.245/.341/.413), but you just knew that he was capable of much more than that. In 2014, he showed that he was, indeed, capable of more as he put up a very nice .279/.363/.481 batting line with 25 doubles, 16 home runs and 67 RBI in 102 games at Quad Cities. He was rewarded with a promotion to Lancaster for the last game of the season and had a very nice postseason campaign.

Manager of the Year: Lancaster's Rodney Linares
Linares managed his team to a first half Championship, dealt adeptly with the loss of one Astros top prospect to injury and with the highly public struggles of another top prospect, had a revolving door installed in the clubhouse because of promotions, injuries and one retirement, and then went on to win his second California League Championship title in three years with a team that had only a handful of players who started the season there.

Hitting Coach of the Year: Joel Chimelis of Quad Cities
Chimelis took a team largely comprised of players from the 2013 Tri-City team that had a batting line of .246/.322/.345 (as well as from the weak-hitting 2013 Greeneville team) and ended up coaching them to a .261/.340/.362 line in 2014. He oversaw great improvements from Brett Phillips, Jon Kemmer, Chase McDonald and others and ended up with a dozen or so of his players successfully graduating to the next level before the season was over.

Pitching Coach of the Year: Corpus Christi's Doug Brocail
Brocail was supposed to be a Special Assistant to the General Manager this season. And he was, but he also ended up taking on the Pitching Coach duties of the Hooks team when Gary Ruby fell ill. He gets this award not only for doing double duty, but because of the way he handled four pitchers who have not been considered top prospects in the system. Brocail recognized what Tommy Shirley had accomplished in Lancaster the prior year and built on that beautifully, resulting in Shirley's success and eventual promotion. He was able to coax from Jordan Jankowski the absolute dominance that emerged by season's end. And he successfully continued the development (started by Lancaster Pitching Coach Don Alexander earlier in the season) of Chris Devenski and Tyson Perez, each of whom opened some eyes by the end of the season. And, as he told me, he really had fun doing it (but don't tell his wife!).

Team of the Year: Lancaster JetHawks
California League Champions, Baby!!! 'Nuff said.

Now for some of the not-so-serious awards ~

Funniest Tweeter: Brian Holmes
Holmes is not quite as prolific a tweeter as Kenny Long (who I still miss for his frequent Tweets of the Day), but what he lacks in quantity, he makes up for in quality.

The California League, where cacti outnumber humans.
— Brian Holmes (@BHolmes130) May 17, 2014

Best Twitter Handle: Chris Cotton
Cotton is the reigning champion with his @58percentCotton handle.

Best Name in the Astros System: Frankeny Fernandez

I still miss Geronimo Franzua and Rayderson Chevalier, but Fernandez is a Frankenstein nickname waiting to happen!

Best Nickname in the Astros System: Ramon Laureano
In a nod to Ramen (Ramon/Ramen, get it?), the very serious looking Laureano has been christened "Noodles" by his teammates.

Ramon "Noodles" Laureano - July 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Name Most Likely to be Misspelled: RHP Brock Dykxhoorn
Dykxhoorn's name is also probably the most likely to be mispronounced as well, but he's Canadian so he'll always be gracious about any gaffes.

Most Likely to Give Up Baseball for a Career in Modeling: Lance McCullers
That is one photogenic young man!

Lance McCullers - September 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The Bridesmaid Award: OF Tanner Mathis
Last season, Mathis was a late addition at Lancaster prior to the postseason, but he never got into a game. This season he ended up on the DL in late August and had to watch the postseason from the dugout again. Next year, we hope that Tanner is finally a bride.

Best Mustache: Delino DeShields
This bushy caterpillar from DeShields just edges out Mike Hauschild's Fu Manchu.

Most Likely to be Misidentified as Amish: Brett Phillips
Seriously, take a look at his playoff beard in his picture at the top. Doesn't he look like he's out on Rumspringa?

Player Most Likely to Cause Road Closings: Chase McDonald
Since both of McDonald's postseason home runs at Lancaster landed on Avenue I, the City of Lancaster might need to put traffic controls in place when McDonald presumably returns there next season.

The Joey Tribbiani Award: Bryan Muniz
Just look at this picture. "How YOU doin'?"

Bryan Muniz - July 2014

Photo by Jayne Hansen

The "Wild Thing" Award: RHP Gerald Benzant
With 15 hit batters and 18 wild pitches in 37.2 innings, Benzant reminds me of another pitcher who had a similar season a couple years back. Jandel Gustave, had 5 wild pitches and 21 hit batters in only 19.1 innings in 2011. Now he is one of the most exciting heat-throwing prospects in the Astros system. Let's see if Benzant can follow in his footsteps.

Best Overheard Conversation of 2014: Lancaster Pitching Staff
During early work one day in May, I was out taking pictures and overheard a very animated conversation among the Lancaster pitching staff regarding the existence of mermaids, Bigfoot and aliens. I won't out anyone, but one particular college-educated player was adamantly in the pro-mermaid camp.

Best Photobomb: Devonte German

Aaron Greenwood & Dean Deetz

Being Photobombed by Devonte German

July 2014 - Photo by Jayne Hansen

The Alleve Award: Tyler White
After holding the crown for two years, Matt Duffy finally stepped down as the hit-by-pitch leader in the Astros minor leagues. This year the "honors" go to Tyler White who was plunked 19 times. Duffy faded to fifth place with 12.

Armed and Dangerous, Part I: C Roberto Peña

Pena led the Astros system, by far, with his 57% caught stealing rate.

Armed and Dangerous, Part II: CF Brett Phillips

Phillips led the Astros minors in outfield assists with 17 in 130 games.

Armed and Dangerous, Part III: LHP Kent Emanuel

Emanuel picked off 12 baserunners this season.

The Workhorse Award, Part I: LHP Rudy Owens
Owens, after missing most of last season due to injury, pitched the most innings of any Astros minor leaguer in 2014 at 135. And he pitched another 5.2 at the major league level!

The Workhorse Award, Part II: RHP Jason Stoffel
Stoffel led the Astros minors in bullpen appearances ... by far! He pitched 64.2 innings in 54 outings.

The Winner Winner Chicken Dinner Award: Josh Hader, Chris Devenski and Troy Scribner
This trio tied with 10 wins each to lead the Astros minors.

The Mighty Mouse Award: Jamaine Cotton, Tyson Perez, Andrew Walter and Ryan Thompson

These four pitchers are all tied atop the Astros minor league leaderboard for most saves in a season with 12 each. Most impressive from this list is Ryan Thompson who accomplished the feat in 14 to 17 fewer games than the other three! And for those who don't get the Mighty Mouse reference, go here.

The Fireman Award: Kevin Chapman, Josue Uribe, Mitch Lambson, Jordan Mills and Jason Stoffel
Although Kevin Chapman led this list by stranding a whopping 79% of inherited runners, the other four were close behind. All five of these relief pitchers stranded 72% or more of the runners they inherited.

Most Likely to Outrun a Coyote: OF Delino DeShields

DeShields is definitely a roadrunner and is a three-time winner in this category with 54 stolen bases. Meep meep!

Walk Like a Man Award: 3B Rio Ruiz

Ruiz led the Astros system with 82 walks in 130 games.

The Wizard of Oz Award: OF Preston Tucker

There's no place like home and that's precisely where this wizard sent 94 players as he led the organization in RBI.

One for the Money: 2B Tony Kemp

Kemp led the Astros minor leagues in hits with 167.

Two for the Show: 3B Rio Ruiz and OF Teoscar Hernandez

This duo tied for most doubles in the system with 37 each.

Three to Get Ready: OF Brett Phillips

Phillips' 14 triples led the organization.

Go, Cat, Go: OF Preston Tucker

Tucker's organization-leading 24 home runs earn him a pair of blue suede shoes.

The Cyborg Award: RHP Jordan Jankowski

At the end of the season, Jankowski was relentless, striking out 38 batters in his last five outings (24 innings pitched), leading some to believe that Jankowski really is a Cyborg.

Most Remarkable Feat: IF Ronald Torreyes
Torreyes played in 27 straight games from August 1st through August 29th before finally striking out on August 30th. Wow.

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I wish I could have given an award to every player in the system after such a terrific year, but, alas, I finally ran out of time and ideas.