2035-36: Talons Awards Candidates

[jiminyhopkins]

Phoenix, AZ--

Phoenix is a well balanced team, in that there aren't any players who really stand out for the end of season awards. But there were some great performances, so lets see if there are any Talons who could get some down-ballot votes.

MVP
CF Thad Meyer (.302/.341/.530, 28 HR, 87 RBI)
When you think of the Talons, you think of big sluggers. But Meyer, in his second full season, might just be the best of them all. He did lead the team in wars with 5.2, and even led the Brewster with 60 doubles. Meyer also stole 56 bases and slashed .302/.341/.530. He was an above average defender in center field. Since most voters go by war, Thad may get some love.

CY
RHP Jose Trujillo (19 - 7, 4.01 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 158 K)
19 wins don't mean much any more when it comes to Cy Young Voting, but Jose was tied for the league lead in that respect. His ERA and strikeout totals weren't even close to the top of the leaderboards. We don't actually expect Trujillo to get serious consideration for the award, but as the premier Talons pitcher, he's here by default.

Fireman
RHP Timofei Bakitski (2 - 8, 4.91 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 74 K)
VODAK saved 40 games for the first time in his career, good for 4th place in the Johnson League. His ERA was problematic, evidence of number of tough losses and blown saves throughout the year. Even though his FIP was a respectable 3.54, we don't expect that a third Reliever of the Year award will be gracing his shelf this season.

Rookie
3B Brendan Kerndl (.261/.327/.476, 28 HR, 80 RBI)
A product of the Talons International Complex signed in 2029, Kerndl made his ML debut this season and recorded a 2.2 war, tops among Talons rookies. His 28 home runs and .215 isolated power led all JL Rookies in those categories, and his 80 RBI was fifth. Below average defense at the hot corner, however, will prevent him from taking home the hardware.
LF Martin Marin (.304/.355/.497, 18 HR, 58 RBI) was the other high profile Talons rookie, and a hot start (.330 with 9 HR and 19 RBI in April) made him the early favorite. He faded back to the pack, however, and an injury cut short his season in August.

Zimmer Diamond Glove
2B Manuel Martinez (.283/.334/.454, 20 HR, 75 RBI)
Manuel's 18.0 zone rating led all players in the Brewster, and was twice as good as any other in the Johnson League, and not just at 2B but at all positions. His stellar defense no doubt made up the bulk of his 5.1 wars, though he was no slouch with the bat, either.

Puckett Gold Bat
C Andres Martinez (.245/.338/.519, 34 HR, 91 RBI) led all Johnson League backstops in home runs and RBI. He was also second in total bases and 4th in OPS.
CF Thad Meyer was second in home runs, RBI, OPS, and runs scored among JL players at his position. He was first in stolen bases, total bases, and extra base hits.

[usnspecialist]

i had 7 guys on my list for the 8th pick in 2033, and I was actually really upset when you took meyer and I was stuck with Mendoza. I think he is going to be a great one.