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Arizona Diamondbacks 2018 minor league awards

By Benjamin Chase

PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 24: Yoshihisa Hirano #66 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a ninth inning pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on September 24, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. Dodgers won 7-4. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 24: Yoshihisa Hirano #66 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a ninth inning pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on September 24, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. Dodgers won 7-4. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /
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Arizona Diamondbacks
BIRMINGHAM, AL – JUNE 19: Jackson Generals pitcher Taylor Widdener during the 2018 Southern League All-Star Game. The South All-Stars defeated the North All-Stars by the score of 9-5 at Regions Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Taylor Widener

Level(s): AA Jackson
Stats: 5-8, 26 G, 25 GS, 137 1/3 IP, 2.75 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 43/176 BB/K

Acquired from the New York Yankees as part of the deal that also brought Steven Souza to the major league club, Widener was often missed as part of that trade, but no one is missing him now after a season where he was absolutely dominant on the mound.

Widener is not built like an ace, standing just 6′ and around 200 pounds, but he has the stuff to take over like an ace and to project as a very high-level mid-rotation starter and possible staff ace for the right team. Widener will be faced with the PCL in 2019, which could look rough on Widener due to his fly ball tendencies on the mound, but looking to context-driven statistics would be wise to gauge how Widener is handling 2019 because it’s quite feasible that he finishes the 2019 season in the major league rotation.

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Runners-up

A 22nd round selection in 2016, Kevin Ginkel had an up-and-down 2017 season, but his 2018 was pure dominance between high-A and AA. He posted a combined 1.41 ERA and 0.84 WHIP on 70 innings of relief work that he posted a 12/100 BB/K ratio. Ginkel’s dominance could factor into the makeup of the 2019 Diamondbacks bullpen coming out of spring, but even if he opens in AAA, he could work to the major league pen quickly in the season if he continues his 2018 dominance.

After slowly working his way up the system and even repeating low-A in 2017, Emilio Vargas finally found his stride in 2018. He spent most of the season in high-A before finishing with a half-dozen games in AA. Combined between the levels, he posted a 2.88 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 49/170 BB/K ratio over 143 2/3 innings.

The Arizona Diamondbacks 16th round selection in the 2017 draft, Jeff Bain has moved quickly, pitching across both A-ball levels in 2018. He combined between the two levels to make 25 starts, tossing 138 innings with a 2.93 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 40/127 BB/K ratio. He’s not a strikeout-dominant pitcher, but he allowed just 5 home runs over the season with a very solid ground ball approach that could work at the back of a rotation down the road.

Next. Nationals minor league awards. dark

The Arizona Diamondbacks fell off hard at the end of the season at the major league level, and many are discussing the Diamondbacks as a potential rebuild this offseason. If they do, there at least is a baseline of talent in the system now, which was not as much the case just a pair of offseasons ago.

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