Chris Owings Named PCL Rookie of the Year

For the third consecutive season, a player from the Reno Aces was named the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year.  Shortstop Chris Owings took home the honors earlier this week, following in the footsteps of outfielders Collin Cowgill (2011) and Adam Eaton (2012).  Owings, who also was named to the PCL All Star Team during the week, was a first round (#41) pick of the Arizona Diamondbacksin 2009.

Chris Owings was named PCL Rookie of the Year. Image: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The 22-year old South Carolina native leads the league in runs scored with 98, hits with 174 and total bases with 254 and ranks third in batting with a .327 average.  This, despite the fact he recentlymissed two weeks of the season with a hamstring injury.  In the field, he leads all shortstops in assists with 331 and tied for fourth in putouts with 124 in games as of August 26th.  Owings was both an All-Star and Futures Games selection and in June became the first D’backs minor league player to be named Organizational Player of the Month for three consecutive months.

Reno is currently in last place in the Pacific Northern Division and will be concluding their season on Labor Day.  I would expect Owings to be called up to Arizona on September 1st although playing time might be sparse.  He is currently blocked by Didi Gregorius at short and Aaron Hill at second.  Any playing time Owings receives just might be an audition for another organization.

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