Down on the Farm: Anderson Given Top Honor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As MLB prepares for its playoffs in October, many of the minor league systems across the nation completed their 2016 seasons and championship series throughout the month of September. Twenty four former Razorbacks helped populate the minor league rosters throughout the summer and three made their major league debuts this year.

Of those 24 minor league players, many were integral parts in their respective teams’ postseason runs and are now on the cusp of reaching the major leagues after strong summers.

Andrew Benintendi, Brett Eibner and Matt Reynolds were just the newest set of Razorbacks to make it to The Show for the first time, but there are plenty more that are right on their heels.

Anderson Earns Minor League Player of the Year Honors

Infielder Brian Anderson had one of the better seasons among former Razorbacks. Splitting time between High Single-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville, Anderson hit .265 this summer with 11 home runs and a career-high 65 RBIs. He was ranked as the “best defensive infielder” in the Miami Marlins organization by Baseball America and is the No. 4 Marlins prospect by MLB.com.

Anderson was named the Minor League Player of the Year for the Marlins organization earlier this week, leading all Marlins minor leaguers with 128 hits, while his .348 on-base percentage ranked third.

Congratulations to our Minor League Player of the Year, @AndersonBrian01! pic.twitter.com/nwoiFLCyBt

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 23, 2016

From Campus to the Pros

Jumping right into the minor league system after finishing their final seasons as Razorbacks in May, pitchers Zach Jackson and James Teague, as well as infielder Michael Bernal, seemed to adjust well to the minor league game.

After his call-up to Single-A Vancouver in mid-July, Jackson posted a 1-1 record with a 3.38 ERA, limiting opposing hitters to a .206 batting average. He also struck out 23 compared to just 12 walks in 17.2 innings.

As for Teague, he had arguably the best season out of any of the newest Hog minor leaguers, splitting time in rookie ball with the GCL Orioles and Single-A Short Season Aberdeen Ironbirds. Teague went 4-1 this summer with a 2.84 ERA, striking out 31, while giving up just 11 walks in a combined 31 2/3 innings.

Bernal, while hitting a modest .260 in his first professional season with the AZL Giants, finished at a torrid pace with a .375 average and three multiple hit games during his last 10 appearances.

Other Minor League #ProHogs Notes

• Pitcher Trey Killian ranked second in the South Atlantic League in wins this year while playing for the Single-A Asheville Tourists of the Colorado Rockies organization. Posting a 12-6 record with a 3.87 ERA, he also struck out 136 batters, the fourth-most in the league in 146 1/3 innings. During his final 10 starts, Killian was 6-2 with a 2.44 ERA that included two starts of six shutout innings.

• As the 12^th-best prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, right-handed pitcher Ryne Stanek broke through the season, reaching Triple-A Durham in July after a full year in Double-A Montgomery. Combined this year between Double-A and Triple-A, Stanek posted just four wins in 11 starts with a 4.30 ERA. He began the spring as a primary starter for Montgomery, but was moved to the bullpen upon arriving in Durham, making 16 appearances for the Bulls, earning two victories and one save. Stanek has still been one of the prospects to watch all season as he was selected to the 2016 MLB Futures Game in July and could be one of the top Triple-A pitchers in 2017.

• Following a similar path has been pitcher D.J. Baxendale. Starting the year in Double-A Chattanooga in the Minnesota Twins organization, Baxendale made the jump to Triple-A Rochester in late June and hasn’t looked back. In Triple-A alone, Baxendale held a 1.29 ERA in 23 appearances and gave up just five earned runs and eight walks over 35 innings. During his final 10 games of the season, the Arkadelphia, Arkansas native struck out 26 batters in 20 2/3 innings.

2016 Minor League ProHogs Statistical Rundown