Blue Jays Announce 2014 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: OF KEVIN PILLAR (AAA), 2B JON BERTI (AA), OF DWIGHT SMITH (High-A), 3B MITCH NAY (Low-A), SS FRANKLIN BARRETO (Short-Season), SS RICHARD URENA (Rookie Advanced), C/1B JUAN KELLY (Rookie) and 1B ENMANUEL MORETA (DSL).
BERTI, SMITH and BARRETO join rare company having won two or more WEBSTER AWARDS. Each was honoured last season and are now one of 29 players with multiple selections. The rest are first time winners.
Buffalo Bisons, International League (AAA): Kevin Pillar (6-0, 205 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 25; Born: West Hills, CA
OF Kevin Pillar…spent most of 2014 with Buffalo ranking in the top five of many of the lnternational League's offensive categories at the time of his final promotion (to Toronto), including 1st in doubles (39), 3rd in batting average (.323) and extra-base hits (52), as well as 5th in slugging pct. (.509) and stolen bases (27). The right-handed hitter owned the longest hit streak in the IL this season, hitting in 21 straight games from July 25 to August 14 (.384, 33-86). Pillar also had an 18-game hit streak, April 17 to May 6, and was twice named IL Player-of-the-Week (May 4 and August 3). His efforts this season were rewarded with a place on the International League's Post-Season All-Star Team.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Eastern League (AA): Jon Berti (5-10, 190 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 24; Born: Troy, MI
2B Jon Berti…picked up his 2nd consecutive Webster Award after winning one with Dunedin (High-A) in 2013. This season Berti was a Mid-Season Eastern League All-Star, and finished 2nd in the league with 146 hits and 40 stolen bases, while he also ranked 4th in the league with seven triples. He hit .270 with 21 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs, 50 RBI, 69 runs scored, and 40 stolen bases in 136 games for New Hampshire in 2014. Berti will be headed to the Arizona Fall League on October 1st.
Dunedin Blue Jays, Florida State League (High-A): Dwight Smith Jr. (5-11, 195 lb.)
Bats: Left; Age: 21; Born: Peachtree City, GA
OF Dwight Smith, Jr….was Dunedin's most consistent offensive producer in 2014, leading the team in batting average (.284, 11th in FSL), on-base percentage (.363, T-7th), home runs (12), RBIs (60), stolen bases (15), and doubles (28, T-9th). The 21-year-old from Georgia topped the league with 83 runs scored, an .816 OPS, and finished tied for the FSL lead with eight triples. Smith also collected 14 outfield assists this season, second among active players in the FSL at the end of the season. Smith Jr. was named to the Florida State League's Post-season All-Star Team.
Lansing Lugnuts, Midwest League (Low-A): Mitch Nay. (6-3, 225 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 21; Born: Chandler, AZ
3B Mitch Nay…was arguably Lansing's best hitter this season, and was the league's best fielding 3B according to Baseball America. Nay led the Lugnuts with a .285 batting average, 34 doubles (4th in MWL), 59 RBI, and 135 hits (2nd in TOR MILB org.). He compiled two 11-game hit streaks, and one 14-game hit streak during the season. The right-handed hitter also had 39 multi-hit games this season for Lansing, and was named to the Midwest League's Post-Season All-Star Team. Nay was last season's Northwest League Post-Season MVP. The right-handed hitter finished the season in Dunedin after a promotion on August 20
Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League (Short-Season): Franklin Barreto (5-9, 175 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 18; Born: Caracas, Venezuela
SS Franklin Barreto…picks up his 2nd consecutive Webster Award after receiving the Award in 2013 for his efforts with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. Barreto was among the best hitters in the Northwest League in most categories this season, ranking 1st in runs scored (65), hits (90), RBI (61), total bases (139), and was T-1st with 23 doubles. Barreto also ranked T-4th in triples (4) and 3rd in stolen bases (29), while finishing the season with a .311 batting average, a .384 OBP, .481 SLG, and .865 OPS in 73 games.
Bluefield Blue Jays, Appalachian League (Rookie Advanced): Richard Urena (6-1, 170 lb.)
Bats: Left; Age: 18; Born: San Francisco de Macoris, Duarte, Dominican Republic
SS Richard Urena…was the top hitting shortstop in the Appalachian League. He hit a team-high (among qualifying players) .318 (5th in APP), .363 OBP, .796 OPS, 19 XBH, 15 doubles (T-7th), and was T-1st with 35 runs scored. The left-handed hitter had a 25-game hit streak from July 4 to August 3 and hit safely in 44 of his 53 games, with 21 multi-hit games. Urena was named to the Appalachian League's Post-Season All Star Team and finished his season with Vancouver, being promoted on August 20.
Gulf Coast Blue Jays, Gulf Coast League (Rookie): Juan Kelly (5-11, 190 lb.)
Bats: Switch; Age: 20; Born: Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic
C/1B Juan Kelly…impressed this season, hitting .287 in 54 games with a .363 OBP, 10 doubles, four triples, 21 RBI, 22 runs scored, and a .746 OPS. He committed five errors in 54 games, with just one error coming in 101 total chances at catcher.
DSL Blue Jays, Dominican Summer League: Enmanuel Moreta (6-3, 215 lb.)
Bats: Right; Age: 19; Born: Haina, Dominican Republic
1B Enmanuel Moreta…was named as the 2014 Webster Award winner for the DSL Blue Jays. Moreta finished T-3rd in the league with 21 doubles, and led the DSL Blue Jays qualified hitters with a .287 average, 73 hits, 37 RBI, seven triples, 29 XBH, 111 total bases, and an .804 OPS.