YSN Press Release: Team Announces 2053 End of Year Awards
Yellow Springs, OH – The Yellow Springs Organization released its list of 2053 player awards. A new part of the team's yearly goals to recognize the achievements of their players, the list was debuted in 2052, with the potential goal of back-filling with "retro awards" though due to some issues with coordination, the latter has not happened yet, per the team owner, Bo Jordan.
"We want to do that right," said Jordan, "or not do it all."
2053 was a rough year for the team, which finished 69-93, its worst record since 2025. Still, the team had some highlights, most notably the resurgence of 2B Dong-Po Thum.
"It was not the year we were hoping for. But with another year under the belt of our young pitching staff and some key additions we plan to make, 2054 will be much better," said GM Rob McMonigal
The 2053 Awards are as follows:
2053 Coach of the Year Award:
Angel Cuevas, Manager of the Alomogordo Road Runners
Cuevas took over in 2053 after the prior season saw the team mired in a 29-39 season, with a 28-40 season for 2051. He grabbed the bull by the horns, accepted the new, supposedly weaker players from the 2053 draft, and got them to their first playoff bid since 2041. "He provided exactly the spark I wanted," said McMonigal, and I'm so very happy to present this award to him.
2053 Offensive Player of the Year Award:
3B Jeremy Pickens
While an argument could be made for Thum here, Pickens' 28 home runs (best on the team), 91 RBIs (best on the team), .863 OPS (best on the team), and 131 WRC+ (best on the team) give him the nod. The recently re-signed infielder could have had an even greater season if he hadn't gotten hurt for a bit around the All-Star Break.
2053 Defensive Player of the Year Award:
2B Dong-Po Thum
When all is said and done, this will likely be re-named the Thum Award. He was at it again in 2053, with a zone rating of 10.6, a range factor of 4.5 and 78 double plays. Thum didn't quite get another fielding award, mostly due to some injuries and reduced playing time, but his work was recognized by being an All Star, the Nine's lone representative.
2053 Pitcher of the Year Award:
SP Mathis Gerard
Gerard is quietly one of the better mid-rotation pitchers in the BBA. He managed an 11-11 record on a losing team, with a 181.2 innings pitched in 32 starts, often going into the 6th inning of games and had 17 total quality starts. His 141 Ks were second on the team.
2053 Rookie of the Year Award:
SP Reece Newsome
Newsome made his much-anticipated debut, and was certainly exciting to watch. The 2049 first rounder got to the BBA and held his own, going 9-14 with a 4.71 ERA. He led the team with 146 strikeouts in 174 innings across 32 starts, of which 10 were considered quality starts. While home runs hurt him (he led the league with 39), his 1.37 WHIP was promising, as he limited baserunners and often gave up solo shots. With another year under his belt, Newsome looks ready to help anchor a spot on the hill every 5 days for the Nine.
2053 Prospect of the Year Award
C Jim Kantor
It's no secret the Nine need more position player prospects. McMonigal saw this and drafted Kantor with the first round selection. And he more than proved he was worth the nod. Leading the Road Runners to the playoffs,Kantor slugged 15 homers in 58 games, with an OPS of .977. He had 52 RBIs, notched 10 doubles, and scored35 times. He's got a cannon arm, throwing out over 50% of those who dared to try, and his CERA was a solid 3.80, though there's still some work to do with framing. Kantor's stats sing and he looks to be ready to take over at catcher for the Nine around the time Rodriguez will be ready to hang up the cleats.
