Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
The season has ended for all but one of the Padres' Minor League teams. The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas begin the best 3-of-5 Pacific Conference finals of the Pacific Coast League playoffs Wednesday night against Tacoma at Southwest University Park in El Paso.
The 2016 season produced two league Most Valuable Players from the Padres' organization. El Paso outfielder Hunter Renfroe was named the Most Valuable Player of the Pacific Coast League and was one of four Chihuahuas named to the All-PCL team. He was joined by catcher Austin Hedges, second baseman Carlos Asuaje and center fielder Manuel Margot. Asuaje was the Rookie of the Year in the PCL.
Lake Elsinore second baseman Luis Urias, 19, was named the MVP and Rookie of the Year in the Class A Advanced California League. He also won the league batting title with a .330 average.
Right-handed San Antonio closer Jason Jester was named to the Double-A Texas League post-season All-Star team. Fort Wayne catcher Austin Allen was named to the Class A Midwest League postseason All-Star team.
Other highlights:
• Center fielder Franchy Cordero set the all-time single-season Padres minor league record for triples with 16, split equally between Lake Elsinore and San Antonio.
• Renfroe led the PCL in extra-base hits (69) and total bases (297); tied the league lead in homers (30); finished second in RBIs (105), hits (163) and slugging percentage (.557); tied for third in doubles (34); finished fourth in runs scored (95), and finished eighth in OPS (.893). He finished with a .306 batting average.
• Asuaje led the PCL in hits (1878), tied teammate Margot for first in the PCL in runs scored (98), finished second to Margot in triples (11), finished third in total bases (258), finished fourth in batting average (.306), seventh in doubles (32) and eighth in on-base percentage (.378).
• Margot led the PCL in triples (12), tied Asuaje for the league lead in runs (98), finished third in hits (157), fifth in steals (30) and 10th in batting average (.304).
• Hedges, who missed almost two months due to hand surgery, was eighth in RBIs (82) and tied for ninth in homers (21). Had he had enough at-bats to qualify, he would have ranked second in slugging percentage (.597) and third in batting average (.326) and OPS (.951).
• Left-hander Will Headean led the Northwest League in strikeouts (77), was third in innings pitched (73), fifth in WHIP (1.38) and seventh in ERA (4.32).
• Left-handed starting pitcher Omar Fernandez led the Dominican Summer League in ERA (0.76) and was second in WHIP (0.74).
AROUND THE FARM
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (73-70): Albuquerque 4, CHIHUAHUAS 2. Asuaje (.321) had a double and a homer in four at-bats for two RBIs. Hedges (.326) was 3-for-4 with a steal. Renfroe (.306) was 2-for-4 with a steal. Margot (.304) was 1-for-2 with a run scored. Pimentel (12-8, 5.65 ERA) allowed four runs on nine hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in eight innings. LHP Daniel Moskos (3.39) pitched a perfect ninth.
DOUBLE-A SAN ANTONIO (36-34, 58-82): Corpus Christi 4, MISSIONS 2. DH Ryan Miller (.232) had a two-run double in four at-bats. 1B Taylor Lindsey (.202) was 2-for-3 with a walk LHP Tim Berry (6.80 ERA) allowed four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in six scoreless innings. RHP Jose Rafael De Paula (2.44) allowed a hit in a scoreless inning. RHP Yimmi Brasoban (3.03) allowed a hit and a walk with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. RHP Daniel McCutchen (1-2, 4.50) allowed four runs on four hits (including a grand slam) with a strikeout in an inning to suffer the loss.
CLASS A ADVANCED LAKE ELSINORE (37-33, 69-71): High Desert 4, STORM 3. CF Jon Jay (.300) was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored on his rehab assignment. 2B Jemile Weeks (.228) was 2-for-5 with two RBIs on his rehab assignment. Starting RHP Luis Diaz (3.29 ERA) allowed two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in five innings. RHP Jose Castillo (1.59) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning. RHP Gerardo Reyes (5.00) allowed a run on a hit in an inning. RHP Mark Zimmerman (2.20) struck out two in a perfect inning. RHP Trey Wingenter (2-1, 2.03) allowed a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in an inning.
CLASS A FORT WAYNE (26-44, 62-78) :BOWLING GREEN 13, Tin Caps 2. SS Chris Baker (.286) was 3-for-5 with a RBI. CF Taylor Kohlwey (.357) was 2-for-5 with a RBI. 2B Peter Van Gansen (.237) was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Starting RHP Cal Quantrill (0-1, 17.96) allowed seven runs on eight hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. RHP Blake Rogers (5.58) allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. RHP Lake Bachar (0.00) allowed a walk with a strikeout in three innings. RHP Evan Miller (1.93) allowed two hits in a scoreless inning.
SHORT-SEASON TRI-CITY (15-23, 34-42): DUST DEVILS 6, Vancouver 3. Easley (.261) was 2-for-4 with a walk, a steal and two runs scored. CF Buddy Reed (.254) was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, a RBI and two runs scored. C Kyle Overstreet (.253) was 2-for-3 with a steal, a walk and a run scored. Starting RHP Eiler Sanchez (1-1, 5.74) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts in five innings. RHP Diomar Lopez (2.98) allowed a hit with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings. LHP Nathan Foriest (2.87) allowed two walks with a strikeout in a hitless inning. RHP Jesse Scholtens (1.65) allowed a hit with a strikeout in a scoreless inning for his fourth save.
ARIZONA ROOKIE PADRES (25-30): The Arizona Rookie League season is complete.
DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE PADRES (36-33): The DSL season is complete.