International League Top MLB Prospect Award explained

International League Top MLB Prospect Award
Sport:	Baseball
League:	International League
Givenfor:	Best regular-season rookie in the International League
Country:	United States Canada Cuba
Presenter:	International League
First:	Randy Jackson (1950)
Mostrecent:	Masyn Winn (2023)

The International League Top MLB Prospect Award is an annual award given to the best rookie player in Minor League Baseball's International League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers.^[1] Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, members of the media, coaches, and other representatives from the league's clubs have previously voted as well.^{[2] [3]} Though the circuit was founded in 1884,^[4] it did not become known as the International League on a consistent basis until 1912. The first Rookie of the Year Award, as it was originally known, was not issued until 1950. After the cancellation of the 2020 season,^[5] the league was known as the Triple-A East in 2021 before reverting to the International League name in 2022.^{[6] [7]} The Top MLB Prospect Award began to be issued instead of the Rookie of the Year Award in 2021.^[8]

Twenty-six outfielders have won the award, the most of any position. First basemen, with 13 winners, have won the most among infielders, followed by third basemen and shortstops (9), and second basemen (4). Nine pitchers and three catchers have won the award.

Seventeen players who have won the Top MLB Prospect Award also won the International League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in the same season: Don Buford (1963), Joe Foy (1965), Mike Epstein (1966), Merv Rettenmund (1968), Luis Alvarado (1969), Roger Freed (1970), Jim Rice (1974), Mike Vail (1975), Rich Dauer (1976), Scott Bradley (1984), Dan Pasqua (1985), Randy Milligan (1987), J. T. Snow (1992), Chris Colabello (2013), Steven Souza Jr. (2014), Rhys Hoskins (2017), and Joey Meneses (2018).^[9] The only player to win the Top MLB Prospect Award and then later win the MVP Award is Ben Gamel, who was the 2015 Rookie of the Year and 2016 MVP.^[9] Of the nine pitchers who have won Top MLB Prospect, five also won the league's Pitcher of the Year Award (formerly the Most Valuable Pitcher Award) in the same season: Bob Trice (1953), Jason Isringhausen (1995), Brian Rose (1997), Brandon Duckworth (2001), and Julio Teherán (2011).^[9]

Seventeen players from the Rochester Red Wings have been selected for the Top MLB Prospect Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Syracuse Mets (7); the Columbus Clippers (6); the Norfolk Tides and Richmond Braves (5); the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (4); the Charlotte Knights, Gwinnett Stripers, and Pawtucket Red Sox (3); the original Buffalo Bisons, Durham Bulls, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Louisville Bats, and Montreal Royals (2); and the Columbus Jets, Havana Sugar Kings, Indianapolis Indians, Louisville Colonels, Memphis Redbirds, Omaha Storm Chasers, Ottawa Athletics, Richmond Virginians, Springfield Cubs, and Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) (1).

Eleven players from the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the New York Yankees organization (10); the Atlanta Braves organization (8); the Philadelphia Phillies organization (6); the Boston Red Sox organization (5); the Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals organizations (4); the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds organizations (3); the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations (2); and the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Nationals organizations (1).

Winners

Position

Indicates the player's primary position

Year!scope="col"

Winner	Team	Organization	Position
1950		Springfield Cubs	Chicago Cubs	Third baseman	^[10]
1951		Montreal Royals	Brooklyn Dodgers	Third baseman	^[11]
1952		Rochester Red Wings	St. Louis Cardinals	Shortstop	^[12]
1953		Ottawa Athletics	Philadelphia Athletics	Pitcher	^[13]
1954		Syracuse Chiefs	Philadelphia Phillies	Pitcher	^[14]
1955		Rochester Red Wings	St. Louis Cardinals	Outfielder	^[15]
1956		Montreal Royals	Brooklyn Dodgers	Pitcher	^[16]
1957		Buffalo Bisons	Kansas City Athletics	Pitcher	^[17]
1958		Havana Sugar Kings	Cincinnati Redlegs	First baseman	^[18]
1959		Rochester Red Wings	St. Louis Cardinals	Outfielder	^[19]
1960		Buffalo Bisons	Philadelphia Phillies	Shortstop	^[20]
1961		Richmond Virginians	New York Yankees	Shortstop	^[21]
1962		Columbus Jets	Pittsburgh Pirates	Third baseman	^[22]
1963		Indianapolis Indians	Chicago White Sox	Third baseman	^[23]
1964		Syracuse Chiefs	Detroit Tigers	Outfielder	^[24]
1965		Toronto Maple Leafs	Boston Red Sox	Third baseman	^[25]
1966		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	First baseman	^[26]
1967				Outfielder	^[27]
1968				Outfielder	^[28]
1969		Louisville Colonels	Boston Red Sox	Shortstop	^[29]
1970		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	Outfielder	^[30]
1971		Syracuse Chiefs	New York Yankees	Outfielder	^[31]
1972		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	Outfielder	^[32]
1973		Syracuse Chiefs	New York Yankees	Outfielder	^[33]
1974		Pawtucket Red Sox	Boston Red Sox	Outfielder	^[34]
1975		Tidewater Tides	New York Mets	Outfielder	^[35]
1976		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	Second baseman	^[36]
1977		Richmond Braves	Atlanta Braves	Catcher	^[37]
1978				Second baseman	^[38]
1979		Tidewater Tides	New York Mets	Outfielder	^[39]
1980		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	Shortstop	^[40]
1981		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	Third baseman	^[41]
1982		Richmond Braves	Atlanta Braves	Third baseman	^[42]
1983				Outfielder	^[43]
1984		Columbus Clippers	New York Yankees	Catcher	^[44]
1985				Outfielder	^[45]
1986				First baseman	^[46]
1987		Tidewater Tides	New York Mets	First baseman	^[47]
1988		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	Outfielder	^[48]
1989		Syracuse Chiefs	Toronto Blue Jays	Catcher	^[49]
1990		Pawtucket Red Sox	Boston Red Sox	Outfielder	^[50]
1991		Rochester Red Wings	Baltimore Orioles	Outfielder	^[51]
1992		Columbus Clippers	New York Yankees	First baseman	^[52]
1993		Richmond Braves	Atlanta Braves	Shortstop	^[53]
1994		Syracuse Chiefs	Toronto Blue Jays	Outfielder	^[54]
1995		Norfolk Tides	New York Mets	Pitcher	^[55]
1996		Charlotte Knights	Florida Marlins	Outfielder	^[56]
1997		Pawtucket Red Sox	Boston Red Sox	Pitcher	^[57]
1998		Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons	Philadelphia Phillies	Second baseman	^[58]
1999		Columbus Clippers	New York Yankees	First baseman	^[59]
2000		Durham Bulls	Tampa Bay Devil Rays	Third baseman	^[60]
2001		Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons	Philadelphia Phillies	Pitcher	^[61]
2002		Durham Bulls	Tampa Bay Devil Rays	Outfielder	^[62]
2003		Charlotte Knights	Chicago White Sox	Second baseman	^[63]
2004		Rochester Red Wings	Minnesota Twins	Outfielder	^[64]
2005				Pitcher	^[65]
2006		Charlotte Knights	Chicago White Sox	Third baseman	^[66]
2007		Louisville Bats	Cincinnati Reds	First baseman	^[67]
2008		Rochester Red Wings	Minnesota Twins	First baseman	^[68]
2009		Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees	New York Yankees	Outfielder	^[69]
2010		Gwinnett Braves	Atlanta Braves	First baseman	^[70]
2011				Pitcher	^[71]
2012				First baseman	^[72]
2013		Rochester Red Wings	Minnesota Twins	First baseman	^[73]
2014		Syracuse Chiefs	Washington Nationals	Outfielder	^[74]
2015		Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders	New York Yankees	Outfielder	^[75]
2016		Columbus Clippers	Cleveland Indians	Outfielder	^[76]
2017		Lehigh Valley IronPigs	Philadelphia Phillies	First baseman	^[77]
2018				First baseman	^[78]
2019		Louisville Bats	Cincinnati Reds	Outfielder	^[79]
2020
2021		Omaha Storm Chasers	Kansas City Royals	Shortstop	^[80]
2022		Norfolk Tides	Baltimore Orioles	Shortstop	^[81]
2023		Memphis Redbirds	St. Louis Cardinals	Shortstop	^[82] ^[83]

Wins by team

Active International League teams appear in bold.

Team	Award(s)	Year(s)
Rochester Red Wings	17	1952, 1955, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013
Syracuse Mets (Syracuse Chiefs)	7	1954, 1964, 1971, 1973, 1989, 1994, 2014
Columbus Clippers	6	1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2016
Norfolk Tides (Tidewater Tides)	5	1975, 1979, 1987, 1995, 2022
Richmond Braves		1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1993
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons/Yankees)	4	1998, 2001, 2009, 2015
Charlotte Knights	3	1996, 2003, 2006
Gwinnett Stripers (Gwinnett Braves)		2010, 2011, 2012
Pawtucket Red Sox		1974, 1990, 1997
Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970)	2	1957, 1960
Durham Bulls		2000, 2002
Lehigh Valley IronPigs		2017, 2018
Louisville Bats		2007, 2019
Montreal Royals		1951, 1956
Columbus Jets	1	1962
Havana Sugar Kings		1958
Indianapolis Indians		1963
Louisville Colonels		1969
Memphis Redbirds		2023
Omaha Storm Chasers		2021
Ottawa Athletics		1953
Richmond Virginians		1961
Springfield Cubs		1950
Toronto Maple Leafs	1965

Wins by organization

Active International League–Major League Baseball affiliations appear in bold.

Organization	Award(s)	Year(s)
Baltimore Orioles	11	1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2022
New York Yankees	10	1961, 1971, 1973, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2009, 2015
Atlanta Braves	8	1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1993, 2010, 2011, 2012
Philadelphia Phillies	6	1954, 1960, 1998, 2001, 2017, 2018
Boston Red Sox	5	1965, 1969, 1974, 1990, 1997
Minnesota Twins	4	2004, 2005, 2008, 2013
New York Mets		1975, 1979, 1987, 1995
St. Louis Cardinals		1952, 1955, 1959, 2023
Chicago White Sox	3	1963, 2003, 2006
Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati Redlegs)		1958, 2007, 2019
Los Angeles Dodgers (Brooklyn Dodgers)	2	1951, 1956
Oakland Athletics (Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics)		1953, 1957
Tampa Bay Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)		2000, 2002
Toronto Blue Jays		1989, 1994
Chicago Cubs	1	1950
Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland Indians)		2016
Detroit Tigers		1964
Kansas City Royals		2021
Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins)		1996
Pittsburgh Pirates		1962
Washington Nationals		2014

References

Specific

General

• Web site: International League Award Winners. International League. Minor League Baseball. May 11, 2022. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210706231816/https://www.milb.com/international/history/award-winners. July 6, 2021.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Triple-A Award Winners and All-Stars. Minor League Baseball. November 7, 2022. November 7, 2022.
2. Web site: Jackson. Josh. Here are the 2021 Triple-A All-Stars. Major League Baseball. October 5, 2021. May 14, 2022.
3. Web site: Anthony Ranaudo Named I.L. Most Valuable Pitcher. Worcester Red Sox. Minor League Baseball. August 26, 2014. May 14, 2022.
4. Web site: Terranova. Rob. Then and Now: International League. Minor League Baseball. March 17, 2022. May 12, 2022.
5. Web site: 2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved. Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. July 1, 2020.
6. Web site: Reichard . Kevin . Minor League Baseball Overhaul Unveiled. Ballpark Digest. February 12, 2021. February 13, 2021.
7. Web site: Historical League Names to Return in 2022. Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. March 16, 2022.
8. Web site: Postseason All-Stars . Minor League Baseball . October 6, 2021 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211006131417/https://www.milb.com/fans/postseason-all-stars . October 6, 2021.
9. Web site: International League Award Winners. International League. Minor League Baseball. May 11, 2022. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20210706231816/https://www.milb.com/international/history/award-winners. July 6, 2021.
10. Web site: Randy Jackson Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
11. Web site: Héctor Rodríguez Mexican & Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
12. Web site: ay Jablonski Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
13. Web site: Bob Trice Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
14. Web site: Jim Owens Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
15. Web site: Jackie Brandt Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
16. Web site: Fred Kipp Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
17. Web site: Walt Craddock Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
18. Web site: Rogelio Alvarez Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
19. Web site: Charlie James Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
20. Web site: Bobby Wine Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
21. Web site: Tom Tresh Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
22. Web site: Bob Bailey Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
23. Web site: Don Buford Minor & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
24. Web site: Jim Northrup Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
25. Web site: Joe Foy Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
26. Web site: Mike Epstein Winter & Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
27. Web site: Curt Motton Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
28. Web site: Merv Rettenmund Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
29. Web site: Luis Alvarado Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
30. Web site: Roger Freed Minor, Winter & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
31. Web site: Rusty Torres Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
32. Web site: Al Bumbry Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
33. Web site: Otto Velez Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
34. Web site: Jim Rice Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
35. Web site: Mike Vail Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
36. Web site: Rich Dauer Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
37. Web site: Dale Murphy Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
38. Web site: Glenn Hubbard Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
39. Web site: Mookie Wilson Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
40. Web site: Bobby Bonner Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
41. Web site: Cal Ripken Jr. Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
42. Web site: Brook Jacoby Minor & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
43. Web site: Brad Komminsk Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
44. Web site: Scott Bradley Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
45. Web site: Dan Pasqua Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
46. Web site: Orestes Destrade Minor & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
47. Web site: Randy Milligan Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
48. Web site: Steve Finley Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
49. Web site: Francisco Cabrera Minor, Japanese, Independent, Mexican & CPBL Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
50. Web site: Phil Plantier Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
51. Web site: Luis Mercedes Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
52. Web site: J.T. Snow Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
53. Web site: Chipper Jones Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
54. Web site: Shawn Green Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
55. Web site: Jason Isringhausen Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
56. Web site: Billy McMillon Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
57. Web site: Brian Rose Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
58. Web site: Marlon Anderson Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
59. Web site: Kurt Bierek Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
60. Web site: Aubrey Huff Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
61. Web site: Brandon Duckworth Minor & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
62. Web site: Carl Crawford Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
63. Web site: Aaron Miles Minor, Fall & Independent Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
64. Web site: Jason Kubel Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
65. Web site: Francisco Liriano Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
66. Web site: Josh Fields Minor, Fall, Winter, Japanese & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
67. Web site: Joey Votto Minor, Fall & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
68. Web site: Randy Ruiz Minor, Winter, Japanese, Mexican & Independent Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
69. Web site: Austin Jackson Minor, Winter & Fall Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
70. Web site: Freddie Freeman Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
71. Web site: Julio Teheran Minor, Winter & Independent Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
72. Web site: Ernesto Mejia Minor, Winter & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
73. Web site: Chris Colabello Independent, Winter & Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
74. Web site: Steven Souza Jr. Minor, Fall & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
75. Web site: Ben Gamel Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
76. Web site: Yandy Díaz Cuban, Minor, Fall & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
77. Web site: Rhys Hoskins College, Amateur, Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
78. Web site: Joey Meneses Minor, Winter & Japanese Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
79. Web site: Aristides Aquino Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
80. Web site: Bobby Witt Minor Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. May 14, 2022.
81. Web site: Gunnar Henderson Minor Leagues Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. November 7, 2022.
82. Web site: Terranova. Rob. The 2023 Triple-A All-Stars and Award Winners. Minor League Baseball. October 4, 2023. October 4, 2023. October 4, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231004195952/https://www.milb.com/news/milb-reveals-triple-a-all-stars-and-award-winners-for-2023. live.
83. Web site: Gunnar Henderson Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. October 4, 2023.