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PCL1 Pacific Coast League

2019 Joe Bauman Home Run Award Comes Down to Final Week

August 26, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1) News Release


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 26, 2019 -- Entering the final week of the 2019 Minor League Baseball season, Reno Aces slugger Kevin Cron's 38 home runs leads a group of Triple-A sluggers battling for the annual Joe Bauman Home Run Award, presented by Musco Sports Lighting. The top regular season home run hitter in the domestic-based leagues wins the Joe Bauman Home Run Award, which is presented at the Baseball Winter Meetings, as well as a check representing $200 for each home run he hits.

The award, first presented in 2002, is named for Joe Bauman, who set a then-professional record with 72 home runs in 1954 while playing for the Roswell Rockets of the Class-C Longhorn League.

Cron leads a crowded leaderboard as Las Vegas' Seth Brown sits in second place with 37 home runs and Sacramento's Jaylin Davis and Albuquerque's Sam Hilliard are tied for third with 35 longballs.

Cron, who has 38 home runs for the Aces and one with the Arizona League Diamondbacks on a rehab assignment, set the Aces' single season home run record on August 11 with his 33rd homer. He also hit five home runs in 27 games over three stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Cron has six multi-homer games and hit three homers in a game on April 25 against Fresno and on Aug. 13 at Oklahoma City. He has homered in three consecutive games three times (April 15-18, April 25-27 and May 14-17).

Cron, 26, was selected by the Diamondbacks in the 14th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Texas Christian University. He made his Major League debut for the Diamondbacks on May 24, 2019, and hit his first Major League home run June 7 at Toronto off Marcus Stroman. His father, Chris, is manager of the Reno Aces, and his brother, C.J., is a first baseman for the Minnesota Twins.

Classification leaders, provided they are not the overall winner, receive a $500 cash award. In addition to the Triple-A sluggers battling for the overall award, Chattanooga's Ibandel Isabel (Reds), the runner-up for the 2018 overall award, leads the Double-A ranks with 26 home runs, four ahead of Trenton's Chris Gittens (Yankees). Pirates power hitting prospect Mason Martin leads the Class-A classification with 34 home runs between Greensboro and Bradenton. At the Short Season level, Orem Owlz (Angels) shortstop Jeremiah Jackson leads with 21 home runs, seven more than his next competitor.

Minor League Baseball will announce the 2019 Joe Bauman Home Run Award winner Sept. 9. The recipient will receive his trophy and monetary award Monday, Dec. 9, at the Baseball Winter Meetings Awards Luncheon in San Diego, California.

Joe Bauman Home Run Award winners

Year Player HR Team(s)

2018 Pete Alonso~ 36 Binghamton (AA), Las Vegas (AAA)

2017 A.J. Reed 34 Fresno (AAA)

2016 Dylan Cozens 40 Reading (AA)

2015 A.J. Reed 34 Lancaster (A), Corpus Christi (AA)

2014 Kris Bryant 43 Tennessee (AA), Iowa (AAA)

2013 Joey Gallo 40 Hickory (A), Arizona (Rookie)

2012 Darin Ruf 38 Reading (AA)

2011 Bryan LaHair 38 Iowa (AAA)

2010 Mike Moustakas^ 36 Omaha (AAA), Northwest Arkansas (AA)

2009 Mitch Jones* 35 Albuquerque (AAA)

2008 Dallas McPherson 42 Albuquerque (AAA)

2007 Craig Brazell 39 Omaha (AAA), Wichita (AA)

2006 Kevin Witt 36 Durham (AAA)

2005 Brandon Wood 43 Rancho Cucamonga (A), Salt Lake (AAA)

2004 Ryan Howard 46 Reading (AA), Scranton (AAA)

2003 Graham Koonce 34 Sacramento (AAA)

2002 Ivan Cruz 35 Memphis (AAA)

~- Alonso and Ibandel Isabel tied with 36. Alonso was declared winner by virtue of having more RBI (119 to 78)

^- Moustakas and Mark Trumbo tied with 36. Moustakas was declared winner by virtue of having more RBI (124 to 122)

*- Jones and Jon Gaston tied with 35. Jones was declared winner by virtue of having more RBI (103 to 100)

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