The Boston Red Sox today announced right-handed pitcher Brandon Workman has been named the team’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year and shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been named Minor League Offensive Player of the Year.
The club has tabbed outfielder Jackie Bradley as the Defensive Player of the Year with third baseman Garin Cecchini receiving the organization’s Base Runner of the Year Award. Right-handed pitcher Keivin Heras and outfielder Manuel Margot represent the Dominican Summer League Red Sox as Minor League Latin Program Pitcher and Player of the Year.
Also being honored is outfielder Daniel Nava, the organization’s winner of the Lou Gorman Award. Created in 2011, the award is given annually to a Red Sox minor league player who has demonstrated dedication and perseverance in overcoming obstacles while working his way to the Major League team.
The 2012 Minor League Awards are selected by the Red Sox baseball operations department and minor league roving instructors. The recipients will be honored during a pre-game, on-field ceremony today as the Red Sox continue their series with the Baltimore Orioles.
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Workman combined to go 10-8 with a 3.50 ERA (54 ER/138.2 IP) and 130 strikeouts in 25 starts between High-A Salem and Double A-Portland. The 24-year-old ranked among organizational minor league leaders in strikeouts (T-2nd) and wins (4th), and among Carolina League leaders in ERA (4th, 3.40), WHIP (2nd, 1.09) and opponent batting average (2nd, .244). He was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for April 23-29 after tossing a 6.0-inning, three-hit shutout in a start on April 27. Workman was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
The 19-year-old Bogaerts hit .307 (146-for-476) with 37 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, 81 RBI and 44 walks in 127 games with High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, including a .326 average (30-for-92) in 23 games for the Sea Dogs. He was named Carolina League Player of the Week for July 30-August 5 and was selected as a Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star. He also represented the Red Sox organization at the 2012 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, playing for the World team. After an August 9 promotion to Double-A, Bogaerts hit safely in 19 of 23 games with Portland, including 10 multi-hit contests. Named to Baseball America’s 2012 Minor League All-Star Second-Team, he ranked among organizational minor league leaders in home runs (T-2nd), RBI (3rd) and batting (T-4th). Bogaerts signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent in August of 2009.
Bradley committed just seven errors in 260 chances for a .973 fielding percentage in 115 games between right field (1 game) and center field (114 games) with High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. He batted .315 (146-for-463) with 42 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 87 walks and 63 RBI in 128 games with Salem and Portland. The 22-year-old hit .359 (84-for-234) with 26 doubles, 34 RBI and 52 walks for Salem before making his Double-A debut on June 21. Bradley was named Topps Player of the Month in the Carolina League for May, batting .382 (34-for-89) with 21 walks to lead all CL hitters. He ranked second in Boston’s minor league system in batting average, was selected as a Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star and named to Baseball America’s 2012 Minor League All-Star Second Team. Bradley was selected as the fourth pick by the Red Sox (sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds, 40th overall) in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.
The 21-year-old Cecchini led the Red Sox organization with 51 stolen bases for Single-A Greenville, third-most in the South Atlantic League, and was caught stealing just six times for an 89.4 percent success rate. He led qualifying South Atlantic League third basemen with a .944 fielding percentage, committing 14 errors in 251 chances. Named a South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star, he ranked among league leaders in doubles (T-3rd, 38) and runs scored (T-4th, 84). Cecchini was selected as the sixth pick by the Red Sox (4th round, 143rd overall) in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
Heras was 6-1 with a 2.03 ERA (14 ER/62.0 IP) in 13 starts for the Dominican Summer League Red Sox. Named a DSL All-Star, the 18-year-old held opponents to one earned run or less in nine of his 13 starts. He led the team in wins (tied) and innings pitched.
Margot hit .285 (74-for-260) with 10 doubles, 45 RBI, 36 walks and 33 stolen bases in 68 games for the DSL Red Sox. The 17-year-old ranked third among DSL leaders with 33 stolen bases and was selected as a Dominican Summer League All-Star. He paced the club in hits, RBI, stolen bases, runs (49) and total bases (110).
Nava had served as equipment manager for his college baseball team at Santa Clara University before transferring to the College of San Mateo where he hit over .400 in two seasons. He returned to Santa Clara for his senior year and led the West Coast Conference in hitting (.395) and on-base percentage (.495) in 2006 but went undrafted out of college. He was cut from the Chico Outlaws in the independent Golden League before being called back and named top Independent League prospect by Baseball America in 2007. Nava signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in January of 2008. Making his Major League debut at 27-years-old on June 12, 2010, Nava hit a grand slam in his first pitch seen, becoming the second Major Leaguer ever to do so. After appearing in 60 Big League games in 2010, he spent the 2011 season with Triple-A Pawtucket and was outrighted from Boston’s 40-man roster during that season. Nava attended minor league Spring Training this year and started the season with Pawtucket before being selected to the Major League roster on May 10. Despite two trips to the disabled list due to a left wrist sprain, Nava has appeared in 78 games with Boston this year, the second-most among Red Sox outfielders in 2012.
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