Award season continues for the Rangers with less than a month before the start of spring training. The organization has announced their 2017 Minor League Award recipients.
Tom Grieve Player of the Year – Ronald Guzman
Part of the Rangers famous international “Class of 2011” that also included Nomar Mazara and Rougned Odor, Guzman is on the 40-man roster and perhaps the first baseman of the future in Arlington. Considered the No. 3 prospect in the Rangers system, “Condor” hit .298 with 12 home runs and 62 RBI in 125 games at Triple-A Round Rock.
Guzman also led the Express in runs, hits and multi-hit games. Hitting from the left side of the plate, Guzman is at his best when he keeps his swing compact and focuses on drilling line drives to all parts of the field.
Nolan Ryan Pitcher of the Year – Kyle Cody
The Rangers No. 18 prospect, Cody had the lowest ERA among the organization’s minor league pitchers. The 6-foot-7, 245-pound righty went 9-6 with a 2.64 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 23 games with Low-A Hickory and High-A Down East.
Cody has shown to maintain a 92-95 mph fastball deep into and climbed as high as 98 on the radar gun. He was drafted in the sixth-round by the Rangers in 2016 and has the make-up to be in the starting rotation as early as 2020.
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Defender of the Year – Jose Trevino
Trevino rated statistically as the top defensive catcher in the Texas League at Double-A Frisco. The Rangers No. 13 prospect has won two consecutive minor league Gold Glove Awards and is currently on the Rangers 40-man roster.
Known more for his defense, Trevino had a caught-stealing percentage at 41.3 percent behind the plate for the Roughriders. He was a sixth-round pick of the Rangers in 2014 and started at three positions (third base, catcher and shortstop) during his college career at Oral Roberts.
Reliever of the Year – Ricardo Rodriguez
Rodriguez combined to go 5-1 with 17 saves and a 1.34 ERA in 35 relief appearances with High-A Down East and Double-A Frisco. The righty is on the Rangers 40-man roster and made his major league debut against the Detroit Tigers in August, striking out two in one inning of work. He appeared in a total of 16 games last season with the Rangers, striking out 11 in 13 innings and got his first MLB save against the Los Angeles Angels.
The minor league recipients will be honored at the 2018 Dr Pepper Texas Rangers Awards Dinner, which takes place this Friday, January 19 at Gilley's Dallas. Tickets for the dinner, which will honor a number of baseball personalities and feature appearances by Texas Rangers past and present, are now on sale at www.texasrangers.com/awards. Individual tickets for the Dr Pepper Awards Dinner are priced at $110.00 each with tables of ten also available. Net proceeds benefit the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.
The dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m.
