With the end of the 2024 minor league season nearly upon us, it’s time to reflect back and look at which players had the most standout seasons. Last year’s award winners included Tyler Tolbert, Mason Barnett, Javier Vaz, and Austin Charles. A full list of last year’s award winners is listed below. The Royals award a winner of six awards each September.
- George Brett Hitter of the Year (2023 Winner: Tyler Tolbert)
- Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year (2023 Winner: Mason Barnett)
- Frank White Defensive Player of the Year (2023 Winner: Daniel Vazquez)
- Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year (2023 Winner: Dairon Blanco)
- Mike Sweeney Community Service Award (2023 Winner: Austin Charles)
- Alex Gordon Heart and Hustle Award (2023 Winner: Javier Vaz)
Here’s a look at predictions for each award following the 2024 season.
George Brett Hitter of the Year: Blake Mitchell
Mitchell’s 133 wRC+ this season ranked second in the entire farm system, behind only DSL standout Raimel Medina. He finished the regular season as the only teenager in the entire minor leagues to have 18 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases. All while playing in his first professional season. Mitchell looks like the real deal and has a real chance to become Kansas City’s next elite prospect, joining former top prospects Bobby Witt Jr., Wil Myers, and Alex Gordon. A late season promotion has him playing playoff baseball with the Quad Cities River Bandits and he should continue next season at High-A as well. The gap between Mitchell and Jac Caglianone for the team’s top prospect spot isn’t all that large — and that isn’t a knock on Caglianone in any way. Mitchell is just that good.
Paul Splittorff Pitcher of the Year: Noah Cameron
This was a tougher decision than the Hitter of the Year Award. A handful of arms had standout seasons, including Steven Zobac, Ethan Bosacker, and Felix Arronde, just to name a few. In the end, I think the local St. Joseph product edges out the rest. Cameron debuted in 2024 back with Northwest Arkansas and pitched 16 games at Double-A. His 3.21 FIP at the level was impressive, but that mark continued strongly in Omaha. After his midseason promotion, Cameron became one of the International League’s very best pitchers. He won the Pitcher of the Month Award for August after allowing just seven runs to score in 38.1 IP. Cameron’s first six starts with Omaha were all quality starts, and he’s positioned himself well to have a shot at the big league rotation to open 2025.
Frank White Defensive Player of the Year: Carson Roccaforte
Carson Roccaforte played more than 1,000 innings in center field this season — 1,042 so far to be exact. In that sample, he committed just one error. His 2.57 range factor per nine innings was fantastic, and he has a real chance to be at least as good as Kyle Isbel defensively. A then-22-year-old Kyle Isbel posted a 2.04 range factor per nine innings with High-A Wilmington. Carson Roccaforte is the real deal defensively, and it provides him with a very solid floor as he continues to move through the minor leagues. He’s perhaps the best center field prospect in the entire farm system and will get a chance to prove himself again in 2025, hopefully with Northwest Arkansas.
Willie Wilson Baserunner of the Year: Gavin Cross
Tyler Tolbert led the system with 49 stolen bases this season. He was caught five times for a 90% stolen base success rate. Gavin Cross just edged Tolbert with a 93% success rate. In the eyes of many, Cross was a future corner outfielder who would be able to provide good power potential but would likely slow down over time. That may still be the case, but I’m not as sure now as I was a year ago. Cross looks like he could be more of a complete player, providing hit tool and speed in addition to good pop. He stole 23 bags a year ago and followed that up with 30 more this season.
Alex Gordon Heart and Hustle Award Winner: Justin Johnson
The season-long stat line doesn’t show it, but Justin Johnson was one of the biggest grinders in the entire farm system over the season’s second half. Johnson was a relatively unheralded tenth-round pick last season, signing with the Royals for just $57,500. He settled in as a serious boost to the River Bandits lineup down the stretch. It’s a huge reason why the team punched their ticket to this year’s postseason. The Bandits used Johnson as more of a leadoff man after the All-Star Break. The result was an outstanding .302/.402/.459 slash line over 43 games to end the year. Johnson doesn’t hit many homers or steal a ton of bags. He does, however, provide gritty plate appearance after gritty plate appearance. He’s a true gamer at the plate and deserves more praise for his recent success.
