Sea Dogs announce 2023 team award winners

Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs concluded a memorable 2023 season with the presentation of their annual team awards prior to the final home game of the season at Hadlock Field. On Sunday, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox acknowledged recipients of the Most Valuable Player, Pitcher of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and the Charlie Eshbach Citizen of the Year Awards. All recipients are voted on annually by the fans who make each season possible.

Nick Yorke was awarded team MVP while Luis Guerrero earned Pitcher of the Year honors. Chase Meidroth earned Defensive Player of the Year and Tyler Dearden was voted the Charlie Eshbach Citizen of the Year Award.

Most Valuable Player- Nick Yorke

Nick Yorke represented an integral part of the Sea Dogs lineup with consistent offensive production and a glove to match. The second baseman tallied 109 games with Portland this season and led the team in runs (73), hits (118), RBI (61), and doubles (25). His average (.269), RBI (61), hits (118), doubles (25), triples (5), extra-base hits (43), total bases (192), and runs scored (73) ranked within the top ten amongst Eastern League hitters this season. The infielder recorded just six errors across 221 attempts this season in 95 games started at second base to record the second-best fielding percentage (.984) amongst second basemen in the league. In Baseball America’s Best Tools survey, he was chosen as the Best Defensive Second Baseman in the Eastern League. Yorke represented the Sea Dogs in the MLB Futures Game in Seattle alongside IF Marcelo Mayer and RHP Luis Guerrero where he recorded the farthest-hit ball of the day (388 ft) on either side with a double off the wall as the starting second baseman for the American League. Yorke was the first-round pick for the Red Sox (pick 17) in the 2020 MLB Draft.

Pitcher of the Year- Luis Guerrero

The flame-throwing closer appeared in 43 games with Portland before earning a promotion to Triple-A Worcester on September 6th. Prior to his promotion, Guerrero tallied a 3-2 record along with an impressive 1.81 ERA. He still leads the Eastern League and all of Double-A pitchers in saves with 18 on the season while ranking third in the category amongst all Minor League pitchers this year. In Baseball America’s Best Tools survey, he was selected as the “Best Reliever” in the Eastern League. Guerrero was the closer in one of two no-hitters for the Sea Dogs this season that occurred on July 23rd at Hadlock Field against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Guerrero combined with Wikelman Gonzalez and Brendan Cellucci to record the second of the season and just the seventh in franchise history following CJ Liu’s complete-game seven-inning no-hitter back on May 6th in Akron. He was also one of three Sea Dogs representatives in the MLB Futures game on July 5th in Seattle where he flashed a notorious fastball touching triple digits before retiring the lone batter he faced with a strikeout. Guerrero was acquired by the Red Sox in the seventeenth round of the 2021 MLB draft (pick 496).

Defensive Player of the Year- Chase Meidroth

Chase Meidroth quickly became a highlight reel player for the Sea Dogs with dazzling defensive plays after his promotion to Double-A on May 9th this season. The true second baseman has flashed his versatility with 15 games started at the position while equally impressing with 53 starts at third base and 15 at shortstop. Across a combined 212 chances at third, second, and shortstop, Meidroth has recorded just six errors on the season. In Baseball America’s Best Tools Survey Meidroth was selected as the Best Defensive Third Baseman in the Eastern League. Most notably, Meidroth tracked down a pop fly at second base ranging into the outfield to make a catch with his back to the plate to be nominated for Capital One’s Premier Plays of the Month on MILB.com. Additionally, he was featured on MILB.com for a play at third where he made a barehanded grab off a broken bat chopper that bounced off the third base bag. Meidroth coupled strong defense with a strong bat to record the second-best on-base percentage in the Eastern League (.382). He continued the momentum with a .500 on-base percentage in the month of September while batting .333 in the final month of the season. Meidroth was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round (pick 129) in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Charlie Eshbach-Citizen of the Year- Tyler Dearden

After spending time across two seasons with the Sea Dogs in the city of Portland, Tyler Dearden quickly became a fan favorite. Dearden spends countless hours throughout the season connecting with fans by signing autographs before and after games while also having conversations with local ticket holders. He consistently volunteers his time to help support various Sea Dogs promotions through video board pieces and in-game content to add to the fan experience at Hadlock Field. While all awards are voted on by the fans, the Charlie Eshbach Citizen of the Year award displays an even stronger testament to the impact that players can have on the organization both on and off the field. On the field, Dearden completed the season batting .263 with a .355 on base percentage in 70 games with the Sea Dogs. Dearden also highlighted the completion of a suspended game at Hadlock Field against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on July 21st where he represented the first batter to come to the plate in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth. He launched the second pitch he saw to the video board and sealed the deal with a walkoff homer in the 7-6 win. Dearden was drafted by the Red Sox in the 29th round of the 2017 MLB Draft (Pick 881).