Blue Jays announce 2013 Webster Award winners
The TORONTO BLUE JAYS are pleased to announce the following players have been selected as this year's recipients of the R. HOWARD WEBSTER AWARDS, recognizing the most valuable players at each of the Club's minor league affiliated teams: SS RYAN GOINS (AAA), OF BRAD GLENN (AA), 2B JON BERTI (A), OF DWIGHT SMITH Jr. (Low-A), 1B L.B. DANTZLER (Short-A), 1B/3B MATT DEAN (Rookie Advanced), SS FRANKLIN BARRETO (Rookie) and RHP MIGUEL CASTRO (DSL).
GOINS becomes the 26th player in Blue Jays history to win two or more WEBSTER AWARDS, having won with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats last season. The rest are first time winners.
Buffalo Bisons, International League (AAA): Ryan Goins (5-10, 170 lb.)
Bats: Left; Age: 25; Born: Round Rock, TX
SS Ryan Goins hit .257 this season in 111 games, with a .311 OBP, 22 doubles (2nd on team), one triple, six home runs, 46 RBI, and 42 runs scored. The 5-10, 170 pound, left-handed hitter posted a combined .981 fielding percentage in 101 games at shortstop, nine games at 2nd base, and one game at 3rd base. Goins hit .276 against right-handed pitching, with a .336 OBP and .728 OPS.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Eastern League (AA): Brad Glenn (6-2, 200 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 26; Born: Tulsa, Ok
OF Brad Glenn led the team offensively, posting a .264 average (2nd on team) with a .334 OBP (3rd), .459 SLG (1st), .793 OPS (2nd), 28 doubles (1st), 17 home runs (2nd), 69 RBI (1st), and 195 total bases (1st). The 6-2, 220 pound right-handed hitter finished his season with Buffalo, hitting five home runs in just 18 games.
Dunedin Blue Jays, Florida State League (A): Jon Berti (5-10, 175 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 23; Born: Troy, MI
2B Jon Berti led the Florida State League with 56 stolen bases and 85 runs scored. The 18th round pick of the Blue Jays in 2011 was named as the Florida State League's best base-running prospect in Baseball America's 2013 Best Tools Survey. Berti posted a .250 batting average this season (2nd on team), with a .338 OBP (2nd), 18 doubles, five triples and three home runs in 128 games.
Lansing Lugnuts, Midwest League (Low-A): Dwight Smith Jr. (5-11, 180 lb.)
Bats: Left; Age: 20; Born: Peachtree City, GA
OF Dwight Smith Jr. hit .284 (1st on team), with a .365 OBP (1st), 17 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 57 runs scored (2nd), 46 RBI, and 25 stolen bases (2nd) in 109 games this season. The 53rd overall pick in the 2011 draft played 77 games in LF and 27 in CF
Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League (Short-A): L.B. Dantzler (5-11, 200 lb.)
Bats: Left; Age: 22; Born: Winter Haven, FL
1B L.B. Dantzler also won the Northwest League's Player of the Year/MVP Award, helping the Canadians to their 3rd consecutive Northwest League Championship. The 5-10, 200 pound left-handed hitter finished the season with a .302 average (2nd in NWL), .889 OPS (2nd in NWL), 20 doubles (1st in NWL), 9 home runs (1st in NWL) and 35 RBI in 59 games. Dantzler finished with a .993 fielding percentage in 417 total chances.
Bluefield Blue Jays, Appalachian League (Rookie Advanced): Matt Dean (6-3, 190 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 20; Born: Highland Village, TX
1B/3B Matt Dean won the Appalachian League batting title with a .338 average, and also led the league with a .909 OPS (.390 OBP, .519 SLG). In 63 regular season games for Bluefield, the 6-3, 190 pound right-hander had 14 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 37 runs scored, 35 RBI and eight stolen bases. Dean also posted a .996 fielding percentage in 503 chances.
Gulf Coast Blue Jays, Gulf Coast League (Rookie): Franklin Barreto (5-9, 174 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 17; Born: Caracas, Venezuela
SS Franklin Barreto hit .299 (2nd on team) with a .368 OBP (2nd), .529 SLG (1st in league), .897 OPS (1st on team), 26 XBH (1st in league), 16 doubles, six triples, four home runs, 30 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases (1st on team). Barreto was ranked as the #1 International Prospect by Baseball America before he was signed last season.
DSL Blue Jays, Dominican Summer League: Miguel Castro (6-5, 190 lb.)
Throws: Right; Age: 18; Born: La Romana, Dominican Republic
RHP Miguel Castro played across three levels of the Blue Jays Minor League system in 2013, including Bluefield, the Gulf Coast League, and the Dominican Summer League. In the DSL, Castro recorded a 1.36 ERA in 53.0 innings, with 71 strikeouts and 12 walks in that time. He held opposing hitters to a .208 average and posted a 0.98 WHIP.