The 2023 High-A All-Stars and award winners
Award season is in full swing in the Minors. On Wednesday, Minor League Baseball announced the High-A end-of-season award winners and All-Star rosters, as voted on by the managers of the three leagues. In the Midwest League, MVP went to Twins outfielder Kala'i Rosario, Ian Bedell of the Cardinals locked
Award season is in full swing in the Minors.
On Wednesday, Minor League Baseball announced the High-A end-of-season award winners and All-Star rosters, as voted on by the managers of the three leagues.
In the Midwest League, MVP went to Twins outfielder Kala'i Rosario, Ian Bedell of the Cardinals locked up Pitcher of the Year and Reds shortstop Edwin Arroyo was named Top MLB Prospect.
In the Northwest League, Reid VanScoter of the Mariners took home Pitcher of the Year, while Rockies prospects Jordan Beck and Adael Amador secured MVP and Top MLB Prospect, respectively.
In the South Atlantic League, Rangers slugger Abimelec Ortiz won MVP, with Pitcher of the Year going to
Here is the full list of major award winners and the All-Star team rosters for each High-A league.
View all the 2023 Minor League All-Stars »
Midwest League
Most Valuable Player: Kala’i Rosario, Cedar Rapids (MIN)
Drafted out of high school in 2020, Rosario has progressed at the plate every year since. In 2023, the Hawaii-born outfielder tallied career highs in nearly every offensive category, including hits (112), home runs (21), RBIs (94) and OPS (.831), with the homer and RBI totals leading the Midwest League. The Twins’ No. 19 prospect put together a four-game home run streak to start June, and as a defender he recorded 14 outfield assists.
Pitcher of the Year: Ian Bedell, Peoria (STL)
Bedell was dominant from the jump, posting a 1.44 ERA through the first two months of the season. The No. 16 Cardinals prospect continued to cruise, putting up career-best marks across the board, finishing the season with a 2.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 106 strikeouts and limiting opponents to a .218 batting average over 28 appearances at High-A.
Top MLB Prospect: Edwin Arroyo (CIN)
Brought over as one of the main pieces that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle in August of 2022, Arroyo did not disappoint in his first full season in the Reds' farm system. Cincinnati’s No. 3 prospect led the Midwest League in triples (10) and High-A Dayton in runs (72), hits (118), walks (48) and stolen bases (28). The athletic shortstop also displayed an advanced fielding ability, posting a .949 fielding percentage in 434 total chances at shortstop. Arroyo was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga on Sept. 12.
All-Star Team
1B: Nathan Martorella, Fort Wayne (SD No. 10)
2B: Jace Jung, West Michigan (DET No. 4, MLB No. 67)
SS: Edwin Arroyo, Dayton (CIN No. 3, MLB No. 57)
3B: Tanner Schobel, Cedar Rapids (MIN No. 7)
C: Jimmy Crooks III, Peoria (STL No. 15)
OF: Victor Scott II, Peoria (STL No. 4)
OF: Kala'i Rosario, Cedar Rapids (MIN No. 19)
OF: Jakob Marsee, Fort Wayne (SD No. 12)
DH: Emmanuel Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids (MIN No. 3, MLB No. 48)
UTIL: Taylor Young, Great Lakes (LAD)
SP: Ian Bedell, Peoria (STL No. 16)
SP: Julian Aguiar, Dayton (CIN No. 21)
SP: Justin Wrobleski, Great Lakes (LAD No. 20)
SP: Troy Melton, West Michigan (DET No. 15)
RP: Miguel Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids (MIN)
RP: Frankie Scalzo Jr., South Bend (CHC)
Manager: Brian Dinkelman, Cedar Rapids (MIN)
Northwest League
Most Valuable Player: Jordan Beck, Spokane (COL)
Beck spent just over half of the 2023 season in the Northwest League, and he was such a powerhouse there that his limited time on the circuit was enough to earn this honor. Despite being in High-A for just 76 games, the No. 4 Rockies prospect still managed rank second in home runs (20) and lead the league in slugging percentage (.566). The 6-foot-3 outfielder slashed .292/.378/.566 before being promoted to Double-A on July 14.
Pitcher of the Year: Reid VanScoter, Everett (SEA)
Drafted in 2022, the Mariners' VanScoter didn’t make his debut until this season, and what a debut season it was. VanScoter went at least five innings in all but four of his 25 starts and fanned a Northwest League-leading 157 batters. The left-hander posted a 3.27 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP for the AquaSox.
Top MLB Prospect: Adael Amador, Spokane (COL)
The 20-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop has done nothing but hit since turning pro in 2021, and Amador's tenure with Spokane was his most impressive stretch so far. He tallied 67 knocks in 54 High-A games and collected hits in five or more consecutive games five separate times over the campaign. The Rockies' top-ranked prospect finished the season with Double-A Hartford.
All-Star Team
1B: Tyler Locklear, Everett (SEA No. 11)
2B: Michael Turconi, Vancouver (TOR)
SS: Adael Amador, Spokane (COL No. 1, MLB No. 21)
3B: Ivan Melendez, Hillsboro (ARI No. 8)
C: Harry Ford, Everett (SEA No. 2, MLB No. 39)
OF: Jordan Beck, Spokane (COL No. 4, MLB No. 83)
OF: Yanquiel Fernandez, Spokane (COL No. 2, MLB No. 49)
OF: Alberto Rodriguez, Everett (SEA No. 17)
DH: Hogan Windish, Everett (SEA)
UTIL: Sterlin Thompson, Spokane (COL No. 6)
SP: Reid VanScoter, Everett (SEA)
SP: Dylan Ray, Hillsboro (ARI No. 19)
SP: Yu-Min Lin, Hillsboro (ARI No. 4)
SP: Carson Palmquist, Spokane (COL No. 21)
RP: Matt Svanson, Vancouver (TOR)
RP: Tyler Myrick, Eugene (SF)
Manager: Ryan Scott, Everett (SEA)
South Atlantic League
Most Valuable Player: Abimelec Ortiz, Hickory (TEX)
Ortiz’s highest rated tool is his power (which earns a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale), and that showed in 2023. The No. 14 Rangers prospect swatted a league-leading 26 jacks for the Crawdads -- five coming in a seven-day span -- and drove in 81 runs, both career highs. Ortiz slashed .290/.363/.624 and amassed 42 extra-base-hits in 80 games.
Pitcher of the Year: Drew Thorpe, Hudson Valley (NYY)
In his first year of pro ball, the 6-foot-4 left-hander lived up to his second-round Draft status and then some. In 18 starts for the Renegades, Thorpe, a finalist for MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year, led the league in batting average against (.215), ERA (2.81) and WHIP (1.37). The No. 5 Yankees prospect dazzled in July with a dominant 0.31 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in four starts and spun a whopping seven scoreless starts before earning a promotion to Double-A Somerset in August.
Top MLB Prospect: Jackson Holliday, Aberdeen (BAL)
If the fact that Holliday has risen through the entire Baltimore Minor League system in 2023 isn’t enough to prove his talent, a look at his numbers makes it abundantly clear. In 57 games with the IronBirds, Holliday collected 65 hits and 21 extra-base knocks, leading to a .314/.452/.488 slash line. The No. 1 Orioles prospect also displayed his elite plate awareness, walking 50 times compared to 54 strikeouts and putting together a 26-game on-base streak to start off his High-A tenure. Holliday went on to thrive at Double-A before earning a promotion to Triple-A Norfolk.
All-Star Team
1B: Abimelec Ortiz, Hickory (TEX No. 14)
2B: Tsung-Che Cheng, Greensboro (PIT No. 20)
SS: Jackson Holliday, Aberdeen (BAL No. 1, MLB No. 1)
3B: Blaze Jordan, Greenville (BOS No. 12)
C: Drake Baldwin, Rome (ATL No. 28)
OF: Dru Baker, Bowling Green (TB)
OF: Roman Anthony, Greenville (BOS No. 2, MLB No. 35)
OF: Dylan Beavers, Aberdeen (BAL No. 9)
DH: Jase Bowen, Greensboro (PIT No. 29)
UTIL: Carson Williams, Bowling Green (TB No. 2, MLB No. 19)
SP: Drew Thorpe, Hudson Valley (NYY No. 5, MLB No. 100)
SP: Keyshawn Askew, Bowling Green (TB)
SP: Isaac Coffey, Greenville (BOS)
SP: Josh Stephan, Hickory (TEX No. 15)
RP: Jack Neely, Hudson Valley (NYY)
RP: Paul Gervase, Brooklyn (NYM)
Manager: Chad Comer, Hickory (TEX)
Brendan Samson is a contributor to MiLB.com.