2034-20: Talons Have 4 of 5 Org Teams Finish in 1st

[jiminyhopkins]

Phoenix, AZ--

It was another successful year for the minor league organization, as the Rookie, Short A, Single-A, and Double-A teams all finished in first place in their respective divisions. The Triple-A Ashland Slowriders finished in second place, 3 games behind Brooklyn. And while these teams' success isn't necessarily due to any deep prospect pool, there have been a number of standout performances that turned heads in the org this year. Not from anyone on the Top 20 list, but rather from career minor leaguers and depth players.

"We always are on the lookout for successful minor league players, even if they aren't on our prospect radar," said Talons Assistant GM Stu Coates. "We value the minor league veterans. The types of players who add depth and talent to any system. It's these unsung heroes that add to the winning culture we want to foster throughout the organization. These guys help our prospects play better and develop a winning attitude. They develop the expectation of success." Coates said.

Coates went on to give examples of such players as 23 year old DH Nicol Van Driel, whose 3.7 wars helped lead the AA Medicine Hat Flaming Nukes to an 86-54 record, the best in the system. Van Driel recorded a career best .332/.426/.635 campaign. In addition, 22 year old Rafael Rios hit 35 home runs to lead the Single-A Toledo Liberty to their third straight playoff appearance. Ramon Morales, who is a good pitcher but won't see the big leagues anytime soon, led the Daytona Beach Bikers with 1.9 wars and helped the team to a division title in Short-A. Long time organizational veteran 3B Mike Quinn, in addition to hitting 15 HR in 75 games for the Slowriders, helped mentor your power hitting prospects Martin Marin and Arturo Barron. The list goes on.

"A farm system is about more than just prospects, as funny as that sounds," added Coates. "It's about filling the entire franchise with solid players who contribute to a winning culture. I personally believe that building winning teams around your top prospects makes them that much better, and primes them for success at the big league level."

Look for a top prospect season recap at the end of the season. Go Talons!