
Baltimore Orioles' 2014 Minor League Awards
There are just 10 games left in the regular season for the playoff-bound Baltimore Orioles. Ten more games until Camden Yards starts rocking because of October baseball.
Now that the Orioles have clinched the AL East, the season's final few games will likely be a bit tedious for O's fans, a group anxious to get to the postseason already.
And while the excitement around the O's is just getting underway, the minor league season is coming to an end.
As an organization, the O's have built up some solid depth in the minor leagues, and some of that depth really stood out this season. Guys stepped up and demonstrated their talents, surely causing the big club to take notice.
Let's take a look at which guys performed at the top level in the O's minor league system and who is deserving of recognition.
Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year: Mike Yastrzemski
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The grandson of Carl Yastrzemski was not supposed to be this good this quickly.
Selected in the 14th round of last year's draft, the O's knew that Mike Yastrzemski had talent but didn't think he'd begin his career with this much of an exclamation point.
In 2014, Yastrzemski hit .288 with a .346 OBP combined at Delmarva, Frederick and Bowie. He raked 34 doubles, 16 triples, 14 homers and tallied 75 RBI.
The 18 stolen bases and 96 runs scored weren't too shabby either. And keep in mind that Yastrzemski posted that kind of offensive production while rotating between all three outfield spots.
Note that even though Yastrzemski played after being drafted last season (57 games), I'm considering 2014 his rookie year due to it being his first full season of professional baseball.
Cy Young: Steven Brault
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Left-hander Steven Brault split time between Frederick and Delmarva this season and put up some impressive numbers between those two affiliates.
Brault totaled 24 starts (21 of which were with Delmarva), pitching 146.1 innings of ball with two complete games. His 2.77 ERA is outstanding, and he allowed just 114 hits.
His strikeout-to-walk ratio was fantastic, allowing 30 walks while striking out 124 batters and notching a disgusting .216 batting average against.
At 22 years of age, Brault is worth keeping an eye on. Expect him to start the 2015 season at Double-A Bowie.
Breakout Player: Chance Sisco
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Taken with the 61st overall pick in the 2013 draft, Chance Sisco was absolutely brilliant this year.
Sisco led the entire South Atlantic League in batting with his impressive .340 average, recording 145 hits in 426 at-bats.
The catcher also notched 27 doubles, two triples, five homers and 63 RBI while posting a .406 OBP in 114 games.
Those numbers are pretty incredible, especially from a catcher. And when you take into consideration that Sisco's minor league career average and OBP are sitting at .345 and .419, respectively, you can't help but be baffled by the impressive consistency he's displayed at the start of his career.
Still just 19 years old, Sisco has a ways to go before he makes it to the big leagues. However, if he keeps posting numbers like that, the O's will be sure to have him on their radar at all times.
Biggest Disappointment: Mike Wright
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In 2013, right-hander Mike Wright was named the Orioles' minor league pitcher of the year when he went 11-3 with a 3.11 ERA in 26 starts for Double-A Bowie and one start for Triple-A Norfolk.
However, 2014 was not kind to Wright, as he spent much of the season at Triple-A trying to keep his ERA below the 6.00 mark.
Wright's struggles are curious, to say the least, given the success he displayed in 2013. The O's were hoping he'd be ready to contribute by September of this year, but he didn't prove he belonged in the bigs this season.
To his credit, Wright did settle down and find himself toward the end of the season, giving up more than three earned runs just once in his final 10 outings (he made 26 starts overall). He didn't allow a run in his final three starts, covering 22.2 innings, and just missed a no-hitter in his second-to-last start of the season, giving up the lone hit against him with two outs in the ninth inning.
Maybe Wright is back on track and will return to form in 2015, forcing his way to the majors by the end of the summer. Seeing as how he'll be 25 years of age in January, it would be in Wright's best interest to make sure 2015 is a good season for him, because if he struggles like he did this season, he could find the end of his leash before he knows it.

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