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MLB: Carolina League Names Hitter and Pitcher of the Year

By Benjamin Chase

Jun 6, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Golden Glove awards of Los Angeles Dodgers players at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 6, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Golden Glove awards of Los Angeles Dodgers players at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

The class high-A Carolina League announced their MVP and pitcher of the year for 2016, making them the first MLB affiliate league to do so. Did they get the choices right?

MVP: Bobby Bradley, Lynchburg Hillcats, Cleveland Indians organization

The league definitely chose power with their choice of Bradley as the MVP, but it’s hard to argue that any hitter struck fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers the way the first baseman did this year. He hit .245/.355/.494/.849 with 29 home runs and 101 runs batted in on the season.

Bradley was ranked #4 in the Indians system mid-season update by Baseball America before the trade of Clint Frazier, and MLB.com has placed him #3 in the system after the trade, so there’s consensus that he’s behind only Bradley Zimmer and Brady Aiken in the Indians system. Bradley’s biggest struggle is going to be contact due to his long swing and high strikeout numbers. The 20 year-old Bradley struck out 29.88% of the time this year, which is actually a 3% improvement over his 2015 season.

Pitcher of the year: Trevor Clifton, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Chicago Cubs organization

While Bradley was the power guy at the plate, Clifton brought the power stats on the mound. He led the Carolina League in ERA with a 2.87 mark. Originally drafted in the 12th round of the 2013 draft by the Cubs, Clifton has climbed the organization ladder one step at a time, but this year was a big step forward as he bested his 2015 ERA by over a full run and posted a 1.19 WHIP as well. He also posted 122 strikeouts over 113 innings, the first full season he struck out more than a batter per inning.

The 21 year-old righty is not as well-regarded as a prospect as Bradley, though he does sit as the #8 prospect in the Cubs organization according to MLB.com. There are some who still see Clifton as a future reliever, but he has shown the kind of control that could allow him to work his three-pitch mix in the middle of a big-league rotation.

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