The minor league seasons are nearly over, with the Atlanta Braves AAA affiliate still playing out the string. So awards are in order.
The Atlanta Braves annually mark the end of the minor league seasons with organizational awards that recognize the accomplishments of their best players. This year might be particularly noteworthy, given that there was an actual minor league season.
These awards, given to the top pitcher and top position player are now named after two of the Braves’ best-known Hall of Famers from their history. The names should not be of particular surprise:
- The Phil Niekro Award goes to RHP Bryce Elder, who rocketed through 3 levels of the minors this year, and was rumored to be a possible spot-starter option for one of the recent games in San Diego… while that didn’t happen, it speaks volumes about his accomplishments this year.