USA TODAY's Minor League Player of the Year

by dkdc on Aug 25, 2008 11:22 AM EDT

USA Today is accepting fan votes for their minor league player of the year. The fan vote will be counted as one ballot along with USA Today writers.

I recommend voting at the USA Today site, but who do Minor League Ball readers think deserves the award?

Prior winners:

1988: Right-hander Mike Harkey
1989: Infielder Todd Zeile
1990: First baseman Tino Martinez
1991: Right-hander Mark Wohlers
1992: First baseman Carlos Delgado
1993: Outfielder Cliff Floyd
1994: Outfielder Billy Ashley
1995: Outfielder Andruw Jones
1996: Outfielder Andruw Jones
1997: Outfielder Ben Grieve
1998: Outfielder Gabe Kapler
1999: Left-hander Rick Ankiel
2000: Outfielder Josh Hamilton
2001: Right-hander Josh Beckett
2002: Shortstop Jose Reyes
2003: First baseman Prince Fielder
2004: Left-hander Jeff Francis
2005: Left-hander Francisco Liriano
2006: Right-hander Matt Garza
2007: Outfielder Justin Upton

Poll

Who deserves the award for Minor League Player of the Year?

Trevor Cahill, RHP, Oakland A's

56 votes

Mat Gamel, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers

29 votes

David Price, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays

39 votes

Carlos Santana, C, Cleveland Indians

11 votes

Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore Orioles

318 votes

Other

28 votes

481 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 46 comments

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Comments

Cahill

His ability to dominate hitters at such a young age, while pitching in extremely hitter friendly environments is incredible. Brandon Webb comps are not far-fetched.

Now raise your goblet of rock. It's a toast to those who rock!

by Dewey Finn on Aug 25, 2008 11:39 AM EDT 0 recs

matt weiters

not even close .. imo

I heard Tim Lincecum will win 1 Cy Young & 11 Tim Lincecums. Question is, how many Cole Hamels will he win?

by the pinstripes on Aug 25, 2008 11:40 AM EDT 0 recs

Wieters

This is a no-brainer. He is the #1 prospect in baseball right now, and he has had one amazing season.

by guru4u on Aug 25, 2008 11:58 AM EDT 0 recs

Wieters. One of the best offensive seasons in recent memory and from a catcher who’s defense has been raved about.

by 17843 on Aug 25, 2008 12:28 PM EDT 0 recs

re

About as close to a 100% vote as you can get…. Wieters

by ScottAZ on Aug 25, 2008 12:52 PM EDT 0 recs

Is there...

a seperate award for Pitcher of the Year? I could have sworn that there was.

by ahope on Aug 25, 2008 1:38 PM EDT 0 recs

Response

1988, 1991, 1999, 2001, 2004-06 all say “no, there is not”

by mrkupe on Aug 25, 2008 1:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Wieters

I like him but its not like a college guy shouldn’t be mashing A ball.

Go Pirates!!!

by cool hand Charlie on Aug 25, 2008 2:28 PM EDT 0 recs

True

So good thing he’s been destroying AA ball for the last two months.

by waka25 on Aug 25, 2008 2:44 PM EDT up 0 recs

Geo Soto

OK, this may be a complete homer call, but what would O’s fans expect from Weiters in his first year? If he came close to putting up numbers like Geovanny Soto, that would be a huge year. Look at what happened to Jay Bruce his rookie season. Started out strong, pretty pedestrian since. Now don’t get me wrong, Bruce and Weiters will be great someday, but all this Weiters love is a little sickening. Not sure what the point of this post was, maybe to put Geo Soto into the running as the best young catcher in baseball.

by goose102977 on Aug 25, 2008 2:48 PM EDT 0 recs

I think that's a pretty good bet actually

For Wieters’ first year. Maybe a bit optimistic, but nothing ludicrous

www.loftylantern.com

by OldProspects on Aug 25, 2008 3:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

He is not

McCann, Mauer, and Martin are all better. I guess Martin vs Soto can be debated. And Wieters is easily going to be better as he will hit for a higher average, walk more, an put up as much power if not more. It is why he is the game’s top prospect.

by bravitos5122 on Aug 25, 2008 2:59 PM EDT 0 recs

Response

I respect that opinion and agree Mauer is the best, but let’s look beyond fantasy baseball numbers for a second when thinking about McCann, Martin, and Soto. Soto has the best fielding %, best caught stealing %, and his CERA (catchers ERA) is better. With offensive statistics very similar to McCann and better than Martin, I think Soto is currently the best catcher in the NL.

by goose102977 on Aug 25, 2008 3:20 PM EDT up 0 recs

your arguement includes...

catchers fielding percentage and Catchers ERA?

You’ve got to be kidding me

by nms on Aug 25, 2008 3:34 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re:

OK, fielding % was pushing it, but I included CERA because Soto handles the pitching staff like a veteran…

by goose102977 on Aug 25, 2008 3:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

That staff?

That’s not what makes him good…

Talkin' Sports

by BlackOps on Aug 25, 2008 5:26 PM EDT up 0 recs

Oh Sure

Because every minor league all-star comes to the majors and excels like Delmon Young and Jay Bruce, right? I’ll take Soto over that punch and judy hitting wonder Mauer and the overrated Martin. The only young catcher in Geo’s league is McCann. Jesus Christ, that the hell does a Cubs prospect have to do to get a little respect on this site? Win the damn triple crown? I’m still pissed all you haters out there thought Soto was overrated as the 45th best prospect. Morons.

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

by WayneCampbell08 on Aug 25, 2008 3:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

sooo

Soto is better than Mauer who has both a higher EQA and wOBA* while playing in the superior league. Both of which he leads by at least .020. Yes, of course.

by bigboy1234 on Aug 25, 2008 5:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

Morons

This is coming from someone who hated the Cubs aquisition Rich Harden. Mauer’s VORP is significantly higher than Soto’s, as is McCann’s. Mccann is not in Soto’s league – Soto is still trying to get into McCann’s league. As a Cub fan, no one is happier with his production than I am, but let’s keep it real.

by slurve on Aug 25, 2008 7:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

Re: Morons

Can we look at this from a non-fantasy baseball perspective for a second (VORP being only a statistic for the player’s offense)? More than half of the game is defense, people forget that on these sites when they throw only offensive numbers around. I contend that if you take their defense into account, Soto and McCann are closer than one might think…that is the type of year Soto is having.

by goose102977 on Aug 25, 2008 9:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

But

We can leave Soto out of Mauer’s league.

Talkin' Sports

by BlackOps on Aug 25, 2008 9:14 PM EDT up 0 recs

the problem is

there isn’t really a good statistical measure of defense and that goes 100fold for catcher defense… yet you tried to make a case for Soto>McCann not only based on attempted statistical evaluations of catcher defense but based on the very, very, very worst ways (fld% and CERA) one could ever approach catcher D.

I’m a Braves fan and I would agree that Soto has a better glove than McCann, but Soto is a year older and only has a fraction of the offensive track record McCann does. Soto is certainly very good, don’t get me wrong, but he is going to have to up his bat and maintain his D to equal what McCann adds to a team.

by nms on Aug 25, 2008 9:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

catcher's D

Defense from a catcher is largely unimportant/over-rated by many. I’d take Mike Piazza over any catcher in the history of the game and not’s even close. Not to say it’s completely unimportant, but all-in-all it’s not a very big factor when considering runs saved vs. runs produced.

…and CERA is a complete waste of time. A wad of silly putty would have an outstanding CERA behind the plate with the Cub’s staff.

by slurve on Aug 25, 2008 10:33 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm confused

Even dealing strictly with hitting, why are they certainly better?

Joe Mauer is 25 and has a career OPS of .855 with an OPS this year of .864

Brian McCann is 24 and has a career OPS of .859 and an OPS this year of .898

Russell Martin is 24 and has a career OPS of .814 and an OPS this year of .791

Geovany Soto and has an OPS this year (and for his career) of .870. The question with Soto, of course, is will he continue to hit at this rate but he seems to be certainly in the same caliber as Mauer and McCann and probably slightly better than Russell Martin (though Martin does steal some extra bases). I don’t think it’s an unreasonable argument to say that Soto, Mauer and McCann are the best young catchers in the game, and that Wieters has a solid chance to join them next year

www.loftylantern.com

by OldProspects on Aug 25, 2008 3:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

Chacin

Jhoulys Chacin has to be in the discussion. There’s no questioning that he’s had a marvelous season … 18-3, ERA in the 2s, impressive GB% rate, very good control, young for his level……

by rdf8585 on Aug 25, 2008 4:48 PM EDT 0 recs

Too young

If you look at all the recent award winners, it seems to me they give the award to players in the high minors who put up great seasons and have great potential. Probably so they look smarter for having a great success rate of award winners who become average to great major leaguers.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Aug 25, 2008 5:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

A little love...

for Pablo Sandoval, Max Ramirez, Chris Davis, Ryan Tucker, Jay Bruce is due. Reaching the majors is kinda cool. Sorta the idea for a minor leaguer eh?

Micheal Stanton as well.

If I was voting I’d give it to Dallas MaPherson though. What a year.

by casejud on Aug 25, 2008 5:21 PM EDT 0 recs

Bruce and Davis....

are spending half the season in the majors. Why would a player be a Minor League Player of the Year when they only spent half a season there. That’s like giving the NL Cy Young to CC Sabathia. It’s an insult to the players who spent the whole (or at least majority) of the season in the minors. Even Max Ramirez only has like 75 games in so far this season.

As I said above, they give the award to players in the high minors, that’s why Stanton won’t get it. And they never give the award to a guy who is in AAA at the age of 28. Not exactly a prospect. McPherson is a good AAA player right now, but he has already failed at the Major League level. No one else on that list has.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Aug 25, 2008 5:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sabathia

I bet that CC will finish second to Webb in this years Cy Young voting. I wouldn’t even have an issue with him winning as there is basis for him getting the award. Rick Sutcliffe was traded from the Indians to the Cubs on June 13, 1984. He went on to win the Cy Young after only starting 20 games for the Cubbies after pitching 15 starts for the Indians.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Aug 25, 2008 7:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

If that happens....

then I will never have any faith in any award ever again. I can deal with Webb winning the Cy Young in the NL this year, but it shouldn’t be as much of a runaway ballot as many seem to think. Compare his numbers to Lincecum:

Webb:
184IP (2nd in NL)
157 Hits
153K (8th in NL)
2.74 ERA (3rd in ERA)
1.10 WHIP (3rd in WHIP)
19 Wins (1st in NL)

Lincecum:
177.2IP (5th in NL)
144 Hits
200K (1st in NL)
2.48 ERA (1st in NL)
1.19 WHIP (11th in NL)
14 Wins (5th in NL)

Lincecum leads the NL in two of the three Pitching Triple Crown categories. And if he was on a decent team, it’s likely he might be leading all three. Webb deserves the Cy Young by a little over Lincecum probably… but no way in Hell does Sabathia deserve runner-up status.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Aug 25, 2008 11:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

Plus....

Lincecum has 6 games this year where he went 6 or more innings giving up 2 or less earned runs… and got a no decision. Webb has two such starts. If we gave them both wins in all those games, they are almost equal in Wins… which is the only reason Webb will win the Cy Young this year over Lincecum (and that’s not including the game a couple weeks ago where Lincecum had 4.1 innings of 1-hit ball going before having to leave the game after taking a hit ball off the knee).

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Aug 25, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up 0 recs

Nobody...

…loves Timmy more than me but Brandon has earned ebery one of those wins and it is hardly the “only reason” he is going to win the Cy Young. Pitching environment counts too and Webb pitches and wins in a tough park and for a team that dosn’t score consistently. He’s the best starter in the NL. Tim is gaining on him fast but I’d have no probelm voting for Webb as the CY winner. He’s great.

by casejud on Aug 26, 2008 12:17 AM EDT up 0 recs

BINGO

Arizona is a HORRIBLE pitchers park; check out his Home/Away splits:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/psplit.cgi?n1=webbbr01&year=2008

by soccerman0 on Aug 26, 2008 2:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

Check stats...

before using the home park. Webb has been better on the road than at home. But look what Lincecum has done.

At home he has a 3.41 ERA in 74 innings giving up 65 hits (7 HR) and striking out 82.
On the road he has a 1.98 ERA in 95.2 innings giving up 75 hits (2 HR) and striking out 110.

ESPN doesn’t have his last game figured into his splits, which was an 8 inning, 8K, 4H, no runs start at home.

So, while the perception is that Timmy is putting up his great numbers because of a favorable home park, he has a sub-2.00 ERA everywhere else

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Aug 26, 2008 4:13 PM EDT up 0 recs

but the flipside of that is

Tim isn’t better much better than average in the half of his starts that come at home.
Thats why h/r splits are silly.

by nms on Aug 26, 2008 4:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

The Phone Book isn't a pitcher's park

Look it up… it’s played pretty average in run terms. The Coliseum is a much worse park for hitters. (Which makes sense when you consider that the parks are oriented in opposite directions relative to the prevailing winds in the Bay Area, which blow toward home in the Coli and toward the outfield in San Fran.)

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Aug 26, 2008 8:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

Faith in awards?

Didn’t you lose faith in awards whenever Palmeiro won a Gold Glove at first when he played less then 30 games at the position and over 100 at DH?

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Aug 25, 2008 11:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

+1

It’s easy to get all would up trying to figure out the logic of certain award voting. It also often HAS NO LOGIC and therefore,…isn’t worth it.

by casejud on Aug 26, 2008 12:19 AM EDT up 0 recs

LOL

Why would i care if a guy in the minors was INSULTED? Also, there are so many appartent “rules” fort this award that I have already lost interest…

1 Cant be a future star in low minors
2 Cant be the player who has had the best year if you have already played in the big leagues
3 Cant have been so good that you got called to be in the big leagues

Only a player who is good enough to play in the majors but somehow didnt get called up gets it…esp a player who started, and will finish looks like , the year playing at levels to low for his talents…

Matt Wieters wins!

I vote for Chris Davis and insult all minor leaguers instead. He was the best player in the minors this year IMO.

by casejud on Aug 26, 2008 12:26 AM EDT up 0 recs

So....

you believe that someone who will likely have more at bats in the majors than the minors should win the Minor League Player of the Year award? So does that mean that Nelson Cruz should get AL MVP Consideration since he had such a great year this season? He is spending part of this season in the majors.

Did I say the MiLB POY couldn’t play in the majors? No. But they should at least spend a majority of the season in the minor leagues (Upton played in the Majors last year, and he won the award).

You are acting like these are my rules. Look at the list of past winners!!!! Who do they give the award to? They give it to great players in the high minors who have great seasons and spend most of the season in the minor leagues. Reyes, Francis, Garza, Liriano, Upton… all started in the majors the season after winning the award. USA Today probably does this for a reason…. as I stated above “…so they look smarter for having a great success rate of award winners who become average to great major leaguers.”

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Aug 26, 2008 1:11 AM EDT up 0 recs

Hell...

If we are solely looking at stats, and ignoring prospect status altogether, then the award should come down to either Dallas McPhereson or Nelson Cruz. Wieters’ season pales in comparison to those two when you only look at the stats.

Prospect status HAS to be a consideration when thinking about the minor league POY. And when you do take that into consideration, Wieters is the landslide choice. Sure, you can argue that Chris Davis has had a better year than Wieters, but he is nowhere close to the same prospect that Wieters is.

by guru4u on Aug 26, 2008 9:45 AM EDT up 0 recs

Actually

Wieters has a strong case even if you ignore prospect status. His season doesn’t pale in comparison to anyone.

Cruz
341/430/693 (1.123 OPS vs league OPS of .801)

Kaaihue
320/460/634 (1.094 OPS vs league OPS of .767)

Wieters
350/451/599 (1.050 OPS vs league OPS of .735)

McPherson
275/380/613 (0.993 OPS vs league OPS of .801)

Only Cruz and Kaaihue have better raw numbers than Wieters. Once you adjust for park factors, defense, and positional scarcity, I think Wieters has easily been the best offensive player in the minor leagues this year.

by dkdc on Aug 26, 2008 10:12 AM EDT up 0 recs