2024 MiLB Awards Show winners -- Hitter, Pitcher, more
The second annual MiLB Awards Show aired on MLB Network on Monday night, with hardware handed out to the best of the best in the Minor Leagues during the 2024 season.
If you missed the show, we¡¯ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of the finalists and winners for each award.
More on the MiLB Awards Show:
Minor League Hitting Prospect of the Year: Kristian Campbell, 2B/SS/OF, Red Sox
Bryce Eldridge hit for power and climbed four levels as a 20-year-old, and Deyvison De Los Santos led the Minors in homers and RBIs while bouncing between three organizations. But Campbell did a little bit of everything offensively, putting together the best all-around campaign at the plate in the Minors. Boston's No. 5 prospect (No. 74 overall) compiled a slash line of .330/.439/.558 with 20 home runs, 94 runs scored, 77 RBIs and 24 steals across three levels. He led all Minor Leaguers in total bases with 240 and ranked among the best in a slew of other major categories. More ?
Runners-up: De Los Santos, 3B/1B, Marlins; Eldridge, 1B, Giants
Minor League Pitching Prospect of the Year: Quinn Mathews, LHP, Cardinals
It¡¯s not easy to strike out 200 batters in a Minor League season. But St. Louis' No. 3 prospect (No. 80 overall) made it look easy, and in his pro debut, no less. The Cardinals knew Mathews could miss a lot of bats when they made him their fourth-round pick in 2023; he finished second in the Division 1 in strikeouts to Paul Skenes that year as a senior at Stanford. But what Mathews accomplished in his first season was rare. His 202 strikeouts in 143? innings gave Mathews only the second 200-K season in the Minors since 2011. More ?
Runners-up: Caden Dana, RHP, Angels; Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals
All-MiLB Prospect Team
The Red Sox lapped the field here. They were the only organization with three players named, and they all made the first team: Campbell and outfielders Roman Anthony (BOS No. 2/MLB No. 12) and Jhostynxon Garcia (BOS No. 12). The Cubs and Guardians placed second with two players apiece, all on the second team. More ?
Breakout Player of the Year: Campbell
Campbell divided scouts a bit at Georgia Tech, wasn't drafted until the fourth round in 2023 and wasn't in our preseason Top 100 Prospects list. Then he went out and had the most productive season of any hitter in the Minors. The 22-year-old climbed from High-A to Triple-A, exceeding expectations at every level.
Runners-up: Dana, RHP, Angels; Lazaro Montes, OF, Mariners
Minor League Debut of the Year: Mathews
Mathews simply had the kind of season you don¡¯t see often in the Minors, and even less often from a first-year player. The 23-year-old southpaw went 8-5 with a 2.76 ERA in 26 starts, making at least four starts at four different levels but never more than nine before hopping to the next. His 202 strikeouts were 28 more than any other pitcher in MiLB. That¡¯s a pretty good beginning to your pro career.
Runners-up: Leodalis De Vries, OF, Padres; Sykora, RHP, Nationals
Defensive Player of the Year: Carson Williams, SS, Rays
Williams won a MiLB Gold Glove as a 19-year-old in his first full pro season at High-A in 2022, and his defensive ability has only gotten better as he¡¯s developed into baseball¡¯s No. 4 overall prospect. The 21-year-old has never logged a defensive inning off shortstop in his pro career, which is saying something in a Rays system famous for moving all of its players around in the name of versatility. Not Williams. The club's top prospect is sticking at the 6 and looks like Tampa Bay¡¯s slam-dunk shortstop of the future.
Runners-up: Homer Bush Jr., OF, Rays; Cooper Pratt, SS, Brewers
Best Alternate Identity: Jersey Diners (Somerset Patriots)
The Double-A affiliate of the Yankees won fans far and wide when the Patriots announced they'd suit up for three games this year as the Jersey Diners, paying homage to their home state's claim as Diner Capital of the World. Somerset -- out of a field of seven finalists -- was served up the Best Alternate Identity Award for the effort, which also resulted in a packed ballpark and buzz throughout the world of the Minors. More ?