Mullins named O's Minors Player of the Year

Mullins named O's Minors Player of the Year

Akin, Lowther share Jim Palmer Pitcher of the Year Award

September 14th, 2018

BALTIMORE -- Outfielder and left-handed pitchers Keegan Akin and Zac Lowther were recognized Friday as the club's top Minor League players. The trio will be honored in a pregame ceremony prior to Saturday's Orioles-White Sox game.
Mullins, the Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year Award winner, played in 109 games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. Following his promotion to Norfolk on June 1, he hit .269/.333/.438 (65-for-242) with 17 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 41 runs, 19 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 60 games.
He made his Major League debut on Aug. 10, and became the first player in Orioles history to record three hits in his debut.
Akin earned a share of the Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award after being named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in Double-A. Akin went 14-7 with a 3.27 ERA and a career-high 142 strikeouts in 25 starts (14 quality starts) for Bowie.
Lowther, who will share the award with Akin, pitched to a combined 8-4 record with a 2.18 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 22 starts (23 games) between Class A Delmarva and Class A Advanced Frederick.
Outfielder Zach Jarrett will also receive this year's Elrod Hendricks Minor League Community Service Award, and Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson received the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award. This is Johnson's second Cal Ripken Sr. Award, as he also won in 2015.
Area scout Rich Morales will receive the Jim Russo Scout of the Year Award, named in honor of the man who spent 33 years in various scouting capacities with the Orioles, beginning with their move from St. Louis in 1954. Morales was the signing scout for three players who made their Major League debuts this season: Mullins, Ryan Meisinger and catcher .
The Orioles will also recognize Minor League strikeouts leader Dean Kremer. The righty struck out 178 batters across three different teams this year. PBATS Gulf Coast League Trainer of the Year Adam Sparks, who spent the past year as the GCL Orioles' trainer, will also be recognized in the ceremony.