2011 Short-Season Minor League Baseball: Player and Pitcher of the Year Nominees

by John Sickels on Sep 12, 2025 3:01 PM EDT

OK, with the full-season polls up and running, let's turn our attention to the short-season teams and make some nominations for polls to run tomorrow.

As a Twins fan, I hereby nominate Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano of the Elizabethton Twins. Rosario, a fourth round pick in 2010 out of Puerto Rico, hit .337/.397/.670, with 21 homers and 17 steals, and draws comparisons to a young Bobby Abreu. Teammate Sano was a high-profile Dominican signee in 2009, earning a $3.15 million bonus, and right now it looks like a good investment if his .292/.357/.637 with 20-homer performance at age 18 is any indication.

Who else do we need to consider for both hitting and pitching awards?

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Read More: Bobby Abreu (DH - ANA), Minnesota Twins

Comments

I’ll nominate 3B/OF Chris Hawkins from the Jays organization though he played mostly OF.

by hrv2010 on Sep 12, 2025 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

Kevan Smith - Catcher, Chicago White Sox

Through two Rookie levels, the seventh round pick from 2011 was .355/.448/.626/1,073 in 56 games. Out of 72 hits, 34 were extra base hits, 9 of them were HR. 48 RBI.
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=C&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=607345

by SouthSider on Sep 12, 2025 3:17 PM EDT reply actions

Cory Spangenberg

Is he eligible?

Yoan Alcantara: .343/.367/.586 in 50 games

by jeph on Sep 12, 2025 3:19 PM EDT reply actions

he should be, but the one thing is

He bookended two runs of awesome performance with a big slump post-promotion to Fort Wayne.

My personal feeling is that because we’re talking about “short-season player of the year”, his performance at the higher level shouldn’t count for or against him. His short season line is absurd.

by mrkupe on Sep 12, 2025 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Brandon Drury: 347/.367./525. The only knock on him is he only has 6BB on the season
Tommy LaStella: .328/.401/.543 9 HR/ 26BB-28KO. Pretty good ratio

God has to bruise you before he use you. So you'll be sensitive to his touch.

by ArmyITSpec on Sep 12, 2025 3:23 PM EDT reply actions

Drury definitely needs some recognition

Would La Stella be eligible? He was drafted this year but played in the Sally which isn’t a short season league.

Another Brave I’d throw out there: JR Graham. His line: 13 G / 8 GS / 57.2 IP / 52 K / 13 BB / 1.72 ERA / 2.12 FIP / .323 BABIP. Outside of a small bump in late July, was basically dominate all season and the ace of a playoff team.

by theatlfan on Sep 13, 2025 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Sano looks impressive

I saw him play in the appy and was really impressed. He would get my vote.

by AppyAstros on Sep 12, 2025 3:28 PM EDT reply actions

Joseph Panik, SS, Giants

.341/.401/.467
28BB / 25SO
13 SB
in 270 AB

by you'vejustbeenCAINED on Sep 12, 2025 3:33 PM EDT reply actions

+1

by noelman31 on Sep 12, 2025 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Although Panik was by far the best player in the Northwest League

everyone knows the MVP should come from the best player on the best team in the league so…Jonathon Berti, it is.

by Matthew Mueller on Sep 12, 2025 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions

link

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110830&content_id=23959950&vkey=news_l126&fext=.jsp&sid=l126

by noelman31 on Sep 13, 2025 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Interesting link, thanks.

However I think you missed the sarcasm in the previous comment. Not directed at you, I believe, but at how winners for these awards are determined sometimes. Especially at the major league level.

by transmogrifier on Sep 13, 2025 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Danny Muno

Sano is my vote but hard to ignore .355 ba/ ~1.000 ops with more walks than ks. I know he’s a utility guy maybe in the end but dems results baby!

by thehitonecafe on Sep 12, 2025 3:39 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Dan Muno

He strikes me as a guy who could hold his own as a starter & he could move quickly too. I thought this was a nice choice by NYM. Power seems to be the drawback at this point, but a player with his patience & contact skills (throughout college & the NYP) in general helps himself in other ways.

Maybe a switch-hitting Mike Lansing if all breaks right although it is early.

by Matt0330 on Sep 13, 2025 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions

yeah Muno killed NYP leaguepitching from the moment he arrived.

He was obviously too talented and polished for this league after playing 4 yrs at Fresno and should have been promoted but it is what it is…

Yeah, there were not gushings over this draft pick but now he’s hard to ignore. He just seems like a player, the kind that you have to find a roster spot for… at least a UT type, if not eventually more. of course, assuming the defense is there, if the XB pop sticks then there will be room for him at any level, as the strike zone judgment seems to be there.

by ThnkGoodnessforHowieRose on Sep 13, 2025 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

From the Blue Jays I nominate:

LHP Justin Nicolino
RHP Noah Syndergaard
OF Eric Arce

by Gadfly26 on Sep 12, 2025 3:44 PM EDT reply actions

Surely Nicolino is a dead cert. for the pitcher

He’s been unhittable this year.

by TtD on Sep 12, 2025 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

by gabrielsyme on Sep 13, 2025 3:33 AM EDT up reply actions

To make sure the stats are up

Nicolino with Vancouver:
52.1IP, 28H, 9R, 6ER, 0HR, 11BB, 64K, 1.03ERA

by TtD on Sep 13, 2025 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

A few more...

Hitters:
Taylor Lindsey
Jorge Alfaro
Jeff Malm

Pitchers:
Tony Cingrani (80:6 K:BB ratio)
Tyrell Jenkins

by dbreer23 on Sep 12, 2025 4:02 PM EDT reply actions

I second the nomination of Cingrani

Saw him absolutely dominate in his final start, 10ks in 6 innings. He has a fantastic season in the Pioneer league:

1.75 ERA; 51 IP, 35 H, 6 BB, 80 k, 1 HR

by mbushskbum on Sep 13, 2025 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions

+1 on Cingrani

go long with extenze...i do

by angelsownredsux on Sep 13, 2025 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions

John

I dig some Rosario. Any idea how quickly he might move? I know the Twins are safe with prospects (particularly toolsy, raw, position players), but is he a bet for 2014? 2015?

by apoxonbothyourhouses on Sep 12, 2025 4:10 PM EDT reply actions

Yankees

Mason Williams

by cookiedabookie on Sep 12, 2025 4:19 PM EDT reply actions

+1

by InstantClassic on Sep 12, 2025 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Definitely

In the end it will be tough to top Miguel Sano in this exercize in a 2011 sense, but Mason Williams was almost undoubtedly the most exciting prospect in the NYP. He only turned 20 a few weeks back & he was tied for the league lead in SBs while also finishing in the Top 10 in OBP & SLG. All this in addition to his palpable atheltic ability of course.

by Matt0330 on Sep 13, 2025 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Blue Jay nominees

LHP Justin Nicolino
RHP Noah Syndergaard
3B/OF Chris Hawkins
OF Eric Arce

"We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question that divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct."
- Niels Bohr

by Frag on Sep 12, 2025 4:38 PM EDT reply actions