MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Verdugo Honored by Dodgers

Published on October 1, 2015 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, Mich. - The Los Angeles Dodgers today named 2015 Great Lakes Loons outfielder Alex Verdugo as the Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year.

Verdugo opened the season with the Loons in his second professional season, where he ranked among the team leaders in batting average (.295, 5th), hits (124, 1st), doubles (23, 2nd), home runs (5, T-2nd), RBI (42, 3rd), total bases (163, 2nd) and stolen base (13, 2nd) in 101 games. He had a season-high 14-game hitting streak from June 16-July 2 and batted a league-best .349 (66-for-189) with nine doubles, four home runs, 87 total bases, 20 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .832 OPS in 44 second-half games to earn a selection to the Midwest League's Postseason All-Star Team.

Verdugo, who turned 19 on May 15, was promoted to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on August 14 and helped lead the Quakes to a 2015 California League championship, its first title since 1994. He batted .385 (35-for-91) with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 19 RBI along with a .406 OBP and a .659 SLG in 23 games for the Quakes, while posting a .323 average (10-for-31) with a .400 OBP, a double, a homer and seven RBI in eight postseason games. On August 26, he hit for his first career cycle and finished the season with a seven-game hitting streak (September 1-7), while also being honored as the league's Offensive Player of the week for the period August 31-September 7, batting .577 (15-for-26) with four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI.

The Arizona native batted .311 (159-for-512) with 32 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 61 RBI along with a .340 OBP and a .441 SLG in 124 combined games for the Loons and the Quakes. He was also exceptional in both levels with runners in scoring position, batting a combined .316 (37-for-117) with eight doubles and a triple. Verdugo was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Sahuaro High School in Arizona.

Both Verdugo and Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year Zach Lee will be honored in an on-field pregame ceremony prior to Friday's 7:10 p.m. game against the San Diego Padres.

Branch Rickey Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year: 1989-2015

Year Player of the Year Pitcher of the Year

1989 Mike Huff, Albuquerque (OF) Jim Poole, Vero Beach (LHP)

1990 Henry Rodriguez, San Antonio (OF) Jamie McAndrew, Bakersfield/San Antonio (RHP)

1991 Eric Karros, Albuquerque (IB) Pedro Martinez, San Antonio/Albuquerque (RHP)

1992 Mike Piazza, San Antonio/Albuquerque (C) Todd Williams, Bakersfield/San Antonio (RHP)

1993 Billy Ashley, Albuquerque (OF) Kip Gross, Albuquerque (RHP)

1994 Billy Ashley, Albuquerque (OF) Greg Hansell, Albuquerque (RHP)

1995 Adam Riggs, San Bernardino (IF) Gary Rath, San Antonio/Albuquerque (LHP)

1996 Paul Konerko, San Antonio/Albuquerque (IF) Billy Neal, Vero Beach (RHP)

1997 Paul Konerko, Albuquerque (IF) Dennys Reyes, San Antonio/Albuquerque (LHP)

1998 Angel Peña, San Antonio (C) Luke Prokopec, San Bernardino/San Antonio (RHP)

1999 Chin-Feng Chen, San Bernardino (OF) Eric Gagné, San Antonio (RHP)

2000 Joe Thurston, San Bernardino (IF) Carlos Garcia, San Bernardino (RHP)

2001 Phil Hiatt, Las Vegas (IF) Ricardo Rodriguez, Vero Beach (LHP)

2002 Joe Thurston, Las Vegas (IF) Edwin Jackson, South Georgia (RHP)

2003 Franklin Gutierrez, VB/Jacksonville (OF) Greg Miller, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (LHP)

2004 Joel Guzman, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (OF) Chad Billingsley, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (RHP)

2005 Andy LaRoche, Vero Beach/Jacksonville (IF) Chad Billingsley, Jacksonville (RHP)

2006 James Loney, Las Vegas (1B) Mark Alexander, Jacksonville/Las Vegas (RHP)

2007 Chin-lung Hu, Jacksonville/Las Vegas (IF) James McDonald, Inland Empire/Jacksonville (RHP)

2008 Ivan De Jesus, Jr., Jacksonville (IF) James McDonald, Jacksonville/Los Angeles (RHP)

2009 Dee Gordon, Great Lakes (IF) Scott Elbert, Chattanooga/Albuquerque/Los Angeles (LHP)

2010 Jerry Sands, Great Lakes/Chattanooga (IF/OF) Rubby De La Rosa, Great Lakes/Chattanooga (RHP)

2011 Scott Van Slyke, Chattanooga (IF/OF) Shawn Tolleson, Great Lakes/Rancho/Chattanooga (RHP)

2012 Joc Pederson, Rancho Cucamonga (OF) John Ely, Albuquerque (RHP)

2013 Scott Schebler, Rancho Cucamonga (OF) Zach Lee, Chattanooga (RHP)

2014 Joc Pederson, Albuquerque (OF) Julio Urias, Rancho Cucamonga (LHP)

Corey Seager, Rancho Cucamonga/Chattanooga (IF)

2015 Alex Verdugo, Great Lakes/Rancho Cucamonga (OF) Zach Lee, Oklahoma City (RHP)

The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with six World Series championships and 21 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence. Visit the Dodgers online at www.dodgers.com, follow them on Twitter @Dodgers and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Dodgers. For media information, visit www.dodgerspressbox.com.

The Great Lakes Loons are a ninth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. For tickets and more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com, or call 989-837-BALL.

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Midwest League Stories from October 1, 2015


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