USA TODAY International Edition
Help choose minors’ best
Four position players, pitcher are finalists
Since 1988, USA TODAY Sports has bestowed its Minor League Player of the Year award on the top- performing prospect from the Class A level all the way to the doorstep of the major leagues.
We seek a player whose production level matches or exceeds his potential as a prospect, and in this era the time between when a player flourishes on the farm and has a major impact in the big leagues isn’t long.
Four of our past five honorees — Paul Goldschmidt, Wil Myers, Xander Bogaerts and Kris Bryant — were All- Stars this season, and 2015 winner Blake Snell is in the rotation with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Nominees are determined and voted on by a 10- person panel at USA TODAY Sports, but fans also have a say in the process.
Through Tuesday, you can vote at mlb. usatoday. com for your 2016 winner, and the player with the most fan votes will receive one vote toward the total.
Our five finalists:
3B Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
Age: 22.
Stats through Tuesday: In Class AA/ AAA: .306 average, .986 on- base- plus- slugging percentage ( OPS), 20 home runs, 61 RBI. With the Astros: .230 average, .692 OPS, four homers in 123 plate appearances.
His case: Bregman led the Class AA Texas League in on- base percentage (. 415) and posted a 1.015 OPS in an 18- game stint with Class AAA Fresno before making his major league debut July 25. After a 1- for- 32 start with Houston, Bregman has 25 hits in his last 81 at- bats (. 309) with four home runs, all in his first full pro season after Houston drafted him second overall in 2015.
OF David Dahl, Colorado Rockies
Age: 22.
Stats through Tuesday: In Class AA/ AAA: .314 average, .963 OPS, 18 homers, 61 RBI, 17 stolen bases. With the Rockies: .330 average, .923 OPS, four homers in 118 plate appearances.
His case: Like Bregman, Dahl blasted through the final two levels of the minors and debuted in the majors July 25. Unlike Bregman, Dahl flourished from the jump, beginning his career with a 17- game hitting streak, tying a 75year- old record. His major league performance only adds shine to his minor league campaign.
2B Yoan Moncada, Boston Red Sox
Age: 21.
Stats through Tuesday: In high Class A/ Class AA: .298 average, .934 OPS, 14 homers, 51 extra- base hits in 460 plate appearances.
His case: With enviable depth throughout the organization, the Red Sox haven’t aggressively moved Moncada through the system, and he has taken advantage. He got on base at a .427 clip with Salem ( Va.), tops in the Carolina League. His production hasn’t slipped in 39 games against much older competition with Class AA Portland ( Maine), with a .386 OBP and 10 homers in 176 plate appearances. Moncada might force the Red Sox to put him in their 2017 plans.
RHP Joe Musgrove, Houston Astros
Age: 23.
Stats through Tuesday: In Class AA/ AAA: 7- 4, 2.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 87 strikeouts in 851⁄3 innings. With the Astros: 1- 2, 5.20 ERA, 25 strikeouts in 272⁄3 innings in five games.
His case: Pitching in the hitter- friendly Texas and Pacific Coast leagues, Musgrove walked just 10 and averaged slightly better than a strikeout per inning. He’s made four starts for the Astros and should emerge as a rotation cog in 2017.
OF Tyler O’Neill, Seattle Mariners
Age: 21.
Stats through Tuesday: In Class AA: .302 average, .913 OPS, 23 homers, 96 RBI, 10 stolen bases in 531 plate appearances.
His case: At 5- 11, 210 pounds, O’Neill packs a lot of power into a compact frame. After hitting 32 homers in 106 games with high Class A Bakersfield ( Calif.) in 2015, O’Neill has nearly repeated that feat over a full season with Jackson ( Tenn.) against significantly older competition and in a tougher offensive environment. He’s on track to win the Southern League triple crown.