The Atlanta Braves announced their 2009 Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year award recipients today. The players will be honored at a ceremony prior to this Friday's home game.
| Level | Player of the Year | Pitcher of the Year |
| Organizational | Jason Heyward | Craig Kimbrel |
| Gwinnett Braves | Barbaro Canizares | Mariano Gomez |
| Mississippi Braves | Matt Young | Kyle Cofield |
| Myrtle Beach Pelicans | Donnell Linares | Cory Gearrin |
| Rome Braves | Yoel Campusano | J.J. Hoover |
| Danville Braves | Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg | Matt Crim |
| Gulf Coast League Braves | Christian Bethancourt | Robinson Lopez |
| Dominican Summer League | Edison Sanchez | Andy Otero |
Not too many surprises here -- maybe Campusano, but there's hardly anyone else at Rome to give it to. Some guys get left out because of promotions and such. Adam Milligan certainly should be listed somewhere, but he didn't stay put long enough at any one level (Still, he should have won it for Rome). Freddie Freeman should also be listed somewhere, but his equal time between hi-A and AA cost him great stats at any one level for a season.
0 recs | 34 comments
Finally!
I’m gonna be at one of these games. The Heyward autograph ball is in my sights. I can’t wait to see RSF’s auto. CB, you got one yet?
10-4 - September 14, 2009
No, I don’t. I really only care about getting cards signed, so I didn’t bother him when I saw him.
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
hey, you made a card for one of the Upton brothers, right? I think RSF is worthy.
10-4 - September 15, 2009
This is true. I didn’t have a picture of him before I saw him though. But by the time I see him in ST I’ll have his Danville card.
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
Mariano Gomez??
I am not too thrilled with this pick. Maybe I saw him blow a few too many games.
parish - September 14, 2009
RSF
thats his auto jus overlap the letters
TMAC85 - September 14, 2009
Cofield
like him but i think he will be a throw in when we make a trade this offseason
TMAC85 - September 14, 2009
Sucks for me
I’m not going to be in town for either of the last weekend series. Any locals want to help a brother out and get a Heyward autographed ball for me?
royhobbs - September 14, 2009
i will trade you a Jason Heyward autograph ball for a Winston Salem Dash hat.
10-4 - September 15, 2009
lol
Any chance I could talk you into having your wife go in line with you for a Heyward ball, for like some Braves vouchers, for whatever handful of games we have left this season?
royhobbs - September 15, 2009
I can give it a shot for ya. I’m planning to be at (at least) tomorrow, Friday and Sunday’s games this week.
Lizziebeth - September 15, 2009
i’ll be there too, so hopefully between me and you we can get this poor man the Heyward autograph that he dedicated his entire summer to getting.
10-4 - September 15, 2009
Didn’t he play in Rome pretty much all last year? Doesn’t rohyobbs live like 40 minutes from there? Should have maybe worked that out already….
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
If Kimbrel can get his walks under control, what do ya’ll think he ETA in Atlanta will be? And what role? 7th, 8th inning stopper, or closer?
ATLandUNC - September 14, 2009
you almost have to say he will be up next year at some point. I mean he finished in AAA this season
yondaime4 - September 14, 2009
With the way he mows people down, you would think if he can get his walks to even a tolerable level that they would want him up ASAP. My personal guess would be late May, unless he suddenly forgets how to pitch.
ATLandUNC - September 14, 2009
im gonna go ahead a guess
that he’ll break camp with the team.
Scott Coleman - September 14, 2009
Cody Johnson
I know he struck out a bajilion times, but still…he had more HRs than everyone else on Myrtle Beach’s entire team.
Scott Coleman - September 14, 2009
This. I think his overall season was still better than Linares’.
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
As much as my knee jerk reaction is to say that Freddie Freeman should be on the list somewhere, I’m not even sure that he had one of the best seasons for a first baseman in the system. When you compare him to the other three notable first basemen from this season, Barbaro Canizares, Gerry Rodriguez, and RSF, they have better numbers.
Canizares 130 G, .294, 12 HR, 79 RBI, .800 OPS
Freeman 111 G, .282, 8 HR, 58 RBI, .771 OPS
Rodriguez 123 G, .269, 23 HR, 83 RBI, .802 OPS
Spanjer-Furstenburg 62 G, .359, 8 HR, 53 RBI, .953
Now I’d fully agree that Freeman’s are, speaking in the long-term, the most impressive due to his age (both Rodriguez and RSF were older than him playing at lower levels), but this isn’t about who’s the best prospect, it’s about who had the best season. Heck, in half as many games RSF hit as many homers and almost as many RBIs.
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
RSF and Gerry probably wouldn’t have had those stats at A+/AA this season though.
Mighty Healthy - September 15, 2009
But they weren't at A+ or AA...
So that doesn’t really matter in terms of evaluating their raw numbers.
MichaelProcton - September 15, 2009
actually, their age and the level they are playing at...
would matter in terms of evaluating their #s.
Mr. Sanchez - September 15, 2009
Absolutely…in terms of who’s going to be the better player in the long term. When you’re looking at a player of the year type thing, I think who just straight raked is more important. No question whatsoever that Freeman is a much, much better prospect than those other guys, but they really did put up better season.
With the context of their ages, Freeman put up a more impressive season that tells a lot more about his future, but when it comes to raw numbers, the other guys were better.
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
I understand when you look at the "raw"ness of the numbers...
but I just can’t take the context of age/experience/development level out of it when looking at minor league #s. For example, let’s say Gwinnett next year has Barbaro Canizares at DH with Freddie Freeman at 1B the entire season with Cuban B hitting .313/.397/.501, 23 HR and 86 RBI and FF hitting .298/.406/.484, 16 HR and 78 RBI. What would the “raw” numbers mean there? Or let’s put Teheran and Mike Minor in Mississippi for all of next year, if Minor has slightly better “raw” numbers how much would that matter?
Mr. Sanchez - September 15, 2009
and I think the orgainization took age into account too...
see Christian Bethancourt in GCL when Layton Hiller had more than twice as many RBIs and was clearly more productive at the plate based on the raw #s.
Mr. Sanchez - September 15, 2009
Your example with Freeman and Canizares doesn’t really work, since the numbers are so close. They end up with almost the same RBIs, which depending on their placement in the batting order, could be explained easily, and nearly identical OPSs, so yes, in that situation Freeman would get the nod. And obviously it means more that Freeman did it, he’s 10 years younger.
As for Hiller and Bethancourt, yes, Hiller’s numbers are a good bit better. He also played in 21 more games (which doesn’t account for his 25 point higher OPS, which he clearly beat Bethancourt on). Of course, we don’t know how much defense accounted into things either. Sure, Hiller doesn’t have any errors, but, to me, it’s not hard for an outfielder to not make errors; it’s not a sign he’s a good, or even acceptable defender. I don’t know. I saw Bethancourt catch a little in ST, but not enough to really judge him, so I don’t know about him either. But, it’s a possibility.
I’m sorry you can’t look at one season out of context of the player’s development, and really that’s probably for the best cause you’ll be better at evaluating players. But when you’re trying to determine a player of the year for a level or league or organization, you gotta go with who actually performed the best, not who performed the best given the context of their situation.
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
i guess i shouldn't say "can't" look at just raw numbers...
because of course I can read a stat line. But just saying that when looking at minor league numbers, the raw numbers aren’t worth much without the context. Obviously better raw numbers are preferable, but better raw numbers on a 22 year old in rookie ball aren’t exactly better than a 19 year old in AA.
I agree with you, especially when we are determining player of the year honors for each minor league club, just saying is all. As for the choices, outside of Linares (Cody Johnson), it’s kind of hard to argue with the picks (maybe Hiller for Bethancourt, Vladimir Nunez for Gomez, Oberholtzer could be co- with Crim, or half year of Rodriguez or Milligan vs. a full year of Campusano)
Mr. Sanchez - September 15, 2009
The better raw numbers would clearly be Canizares'.
The player of the year award (batter or hitter) goes to the best player who puts up the best numbers. The prospect of the year award can go to the guy with the best age-adjusted numbers.
MichaelProcton - September 16, 2009
Thank you.
MichaelProcton - September 16, 2009
just for fun, a full roster for minor league player of year...
not projection style or based on levels, but who had the best year per position…
C-Jesus Sucre
1B-RSF
2B-Brooks Conrad (who else? Campusano?)
3B-Donnell Linares
SS-Diory Hernandez (again, who else? Mycal Jones?)
LF-Adam Milligan
CF-Matt Young (Kyle Rose had a good season, but not as long as Young)
RF-Jason Heyward
pitchers may as well be a full staff—Oberholtzer, Crim, Masters, Teheran, Kimbrel, Gomez, Gearrin, Ortegano, Lopez, Brewer, Ortero.
Mr. Sanchez - September 15, 2009
Yeah…yodamie14 and I are gonna do this soon…
cbwilk - September 15, 2009
don't overlook
JJ Hoover…….
rbravesfan - September 16, 2009
Ok...what I think
stood in line with the Misses and my boy to get autographs..and spoke a little with a few…and had my son pose for a pic with Heyward…I guess I will do a post when I download the pic off the camera? ok on with my top three I met.
1. RSF is a very likable kid
2. Matt Young has Steve Garvey forearms
3. I am not gay but if I was I would be Heyward’s B-thch…very healthy and cool kid!
talked with a few others so I guess I will try my best CBWilk impression and write a little?
bravestatoo - September 20, 2009
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