The Boston Red Sox on Tuesday recognized some of their highest-performing farmhands.
The Red Sox announced the winners of their 2021 Minor League Awards, which were selected by the organization's baseball operations department and minor league roving instructors.
Here's the complete list of winners:
Offensive Player of the Year: INF Nick Yorke
Defensive Player of the Year: INF/OF Ceddanne Rafaela
Starting Pitcher of the Year: RHP Brayan Bello
Relief Pitcher of the Year: RHP Durbin Feltman
Baserunner of the Year: INF Christian Koss
Latin Program Position Player of the Year: OF Allan Castro
Latin Program Pitcher of the Year: RHP Jedixson Paez
The Red Sox's farm system has drastically improved over the past couple of seasons under chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom -- progress that's even more encouraging given the strides made at the major league level in 2021 after a tumultuous 2020 campaign.
Yorke's inclusion among the award winners is especially noteworthy, as the 2020 first-rounder was the first draft pick of the Bloom era. The selection surprised many analysts at the time, but the early returns clearly are positive. The 19-year-old batted .325 with 14 home runs, 62 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and a .928 OPS in 442 plate appearances between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville this season.
The Red Sox also announced Tuesday that pitcher Kutter Crawford has been recognized as the 2021 recipient of the Lou Gorman Award, given annually to a Red Sox minor leaguer who has demonstrated dedication and perseverance in overcoming obstacles while working his way to the major league team.
