The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced their minor league Pitcher and Player of the Year awards, giving the honors to James Marvel and Mason Martin, respectively. That’s not a big surprise on either side, as both were clearly ahead of everyone else in terms of numbers.
Marvel, who is currently pitching in the majors, had a 3.10 ERA in 17 starts with Altoona, followed by a 2.67 ERA in 11 starts with Indianapolis. He has made two starts so far with the Pirates. He ranked first this year in ERA out of all minor league pitchers with 100+ innings, while also ranking first in strikeouts and second in innings pitched.
Martin combined to hit 35 homers between Low-A and High-A, with a .935 OPS in Low-A, and an .862 OPS in High-A. Martin led the Pirates’ minor league system in homers, beating the next best player by 12 homers. He also ranked first in OPS out of anyone with 250+ plate appearances.
I had Martin as my Player of the Year for Baseball America, considering pitchers and position players for that award. Marvel was my pick for the top pitcher.
