Tigers prospect Briceño takes home Fall League's Joe Black MVP Award
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – You don’t always know that you’re witnessing history when you see it. But anyone who watched Josue Briceño on a daily basis during the 2024 Arizona Fall League campaign knew that he was hitting at a prolific rate unlike anything seen in the circuit’s 32 years. On
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – You don’t always know that you’re witnessing history when you see it. But anyone who watched Josue Briceño on a daily basis during the 2024 Arizona Fall League campaign knew that he was hitting at a prolific rate unlike anything seen in the circuit’s 32 years.
On a tear from the moment that he arrived in the desert, the Tigers’ No. 9 prospect was named the Joe Black MVP Award winner Saturday after becoming the first player in AFL history to win the Triple Crown.
The league’s list of previous MVPs includes MLB notables from Nolan Arenado (2011) to Gleyber Torres (2016), but most impactful for Briceño is that he becomes the first Venezuelan-born honoree since the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2017. The two also share the distinction of being the two most recent recipients of the award to have done so in their age-19 campaign.
“To share the honor with a fellow Venezuelan [is] incredible. To share with Ronald Acuña Jr.? Even more so,” Briceño said via interpreters Annalee Ramirez and Analis Castro. “To win something like this is exciting.”
“Any time you put your name next to some of those other names, it’s really incredible,” Scottsdale and Double-A Richmond manager Dennis Pelfrey said earlier in the week. “But what I talk about a lot is not trying to be somebody else. Be the first Josue Briceño, and then players the next five or six years in the AFL will be trying to match what he did.”
A brief synopsis of Briceño’s incredible run through Fall League pitching:
Oct. 12: 3-homer game, 5 RBIs
Oct. 16-22: 4 straight multihit games, 3 homers, 6 RBIs
Nov. 12: 5-for-5, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs
Nov. 11-13: Reached base safely in 11 straight plate appearances
The Arizona Fall League is supposed to be hard, especially if you’ve just turned 20 years old. But it appears Briceño missed that memo. The first hitter to reach the double-digit home run plateau since Mike Olt in 2011, Briceño tore through the premier prospect circuit, leading the way with a .433 average, a .509 on-base percentage and his 10 homers. He also led in OPS (1.376), hits (39) and total bases (78) to boot, finishing with 27 more bases than the next-closest batter (Salt River's Caleb Durbin).
“It’s very easy power and it’s a pretty simple stroke,” Scottsdale hitting coach Casey Harms said of Briceño earlier in the week. “He’s the same guy, day to day and at-bat to at-bat, so that puts him in a position to have success.”
Going on a historic 25-game run at the dish didn’t seem to be in the cards for Briceño earlier this season when he missed over three months due to a PCL sprain in his right knee. Knee injuries for a backstop -- a young one in particular -- are concerning, so when the left-handed hitter headed to Arizona, the Tigers decided it would be as a first baseman/designated hitter.
“I’m the kind of person that needs to maintain a certain calmness to be able to achieve what I want and gain a level of consistency,” Briceño said. “This is the pace I’ve been working toward. There were certain changes to my batting stance that helped me. I’d say my return in general after the injury, as well -- I didn’t lose that [feel] or the mechanics because of the injury.
“I think it has helped me a lot, playing first base, because I can focus a little bit more on hitting. But just like any other position, you still want to focus on both.”
For years, Tigers fans became accustomed to a native of Maracay, Venezuela, manning first base. Miguel Cabrera is likely to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after he becomes eligible in 2029, an achievement that all players at the Fall League dream of. But for Briceño, the Cabrera parallels are deep: the two are from the same hometown, and on his current trajectory, it may not be long before he gives Detroit another Maracay-born first baseman in the Majors.
When Briceño joined the Tigers as part of its 2022 international signing class, he tied for the third-highest signing bonus ($800,000). There was a lot to like in his raw power and size -- 6-foot-4, 200 pounds -- but sometimes it takes a bit of development for offensive production to come to the forefront.
“There are things that happen in the academy and within the organization that aren’t seen,” Briceño said. “There are so many things that help you mature -- as an organization and as a player, this is what we look for.”
Fellow Tigers prospect Thayron Liranzo (No. 6) became the first player in franchise history to earn Fall Stars Game MVP honors earlier this month. Briceño adds to the organization’s recent run of prospect honors by becoming the second Detroit player to take home the league’s MVP (Chris Shelton, 2004).
After being serenaded with “M-V-P!” chants when coming to the plate over the season’s final days, Briceño joins names like Acuña Jr., Arenado, Kris Bryant (2013) and Royce Lewis (2019) as winners of the Fall League’s most prestigious on-field honor.
Jesse Borek is a reporter/coordinator of prospect content at MLB Pipeline and MiLB. Follow him on Twitter @JesseABorek.
10 prospects at Spring Training who are lighting up Statcast
One of the best parts of Spring Training every year is getting to see the top prospects in baseball. A lot of the time, it's the first look fans get at MLB's future stars. But we also know a lot more about those prospects going into Spring Training than we
Questions plague Peeples' trailblazing story
A version of this story previously appeared on MiLB.com in 2007. We present it again as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Prospects to watch this spring -- one for each team
Spring may not have arrived quite yet, but Spring Training has! Players have reported to camp and exhibition games kick off Thursday with the Cubs visiting the Dodgers in Glendale, Ariz.
8 of the best team matchups in Spring Breakout
After Spring Breakout's dynamic debut last year, the prospect showcase event returns in full force for 2025. All 30 Major League teams will field squads of top prospects to face off in 16 games from March 13-16 -- the Cubs and Nationals will play twice since there's an odd number
Fowler: A 19th-century baseball pioneer
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
Everything you need to know about prospects and Spring Training
This story was excerpted from MLB Pipeline's newsletter. Subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Arkansas-based Mariners affiliate to honor legacy of the Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine sounds like it could be the name of a baseball team playing in Arkansas' capital city, and for three nights during the 2025 season, it will be. The story behind the name transcends baseball, however. From Aug. 21-23, the Arkansas Travelers -- Seattle's Double-A affiliate --
MiLB podcast breaks down Spring Training storylines
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Leaf Peepers? Thunder Chickens?! Coming to the Minors this year
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Dodgers greats Newcombe and Campanella made history as Minors teammates
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
15 prospects primed for a bounceback season from injury
A lot of players will be getting a fresh start heading into the 2025 season. Prospects who missed significant time due to injury have had upwards of six months between regular-season games to return to health. Now they'll be looking to re-establish their value and maybe even reach new heights.
Check out the newest Minor League team logos for 2025
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
The two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond. No, there aren't any
Did you know the Superdome was once home to a Minor League team?
On Sunday, one of the world’s most-watched sporting events will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Believe it or not, decades before Super Bowl LIX came to town, the same building was home to a Minor League Baseball team for one season. The 1977 Triple-A New Orleans Pelicans
How a Black pitcher's brief PCL stint in 1916 generated a historic card
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2010. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
The Show Before the Show: Episode 489
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minors legend Jones still holds batting record
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2008. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers. Grover "Deacon" Jones spent more than a half-century in baseball, serving the game at almost every level and in
Hooks have a new look -- and more -- on the line for 20th season
In advance of a milestone season at Whataburger Field, the Corpus Christi Hooks are making a change. The Houston Astros' Double-A affiliate unveiled new logos and uniforms on Friday evening, marking the first time they have significantly altered their look since debuting in 2005. According to Hooks general manager Brady
Here's how Jackie Robinson fueled Montreal to a Minor League title in 1946
A version of this story originally appeared on MiLB.com in 2006. We present it here once more as Minor League Baseball celebrates Black History Month with stories of Black baseball pioneers.
They're due! MiLB's longest active title droughts
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
These players could earn teams extra Draft picks in 2025
Since the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) was implemented under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, four players have earned their clubs extra Draft picks. The PPI rewards teams for promoting their best prospects to the big leagues at the start of the season, enabling them to earn a Draft pick if
Each team's best non-Top 100 prospect
There just isn't enough room to fit all the worthy talents on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. We unveiled our latest rankings last Friday, and now we're going to spotlight the best prospect in each farm system who couldn't quite make the cut. We undertook the same exercise last