Bradenton’s Endy Rodriguez was named the Low-A Southeast League Most Valuable Player today. The announcment was made by Minor League Baseball.

The 21-year-old Rodriguez is the third player in Marauders history to take home MVP honors along with Josh Bell in 2014 and Alex Dickerson in 2012 when the team played in the Florida State League. Rodriguez is also the first full-season Low-A Pirates farmhand to take home MVP accolades since Hickory’s Jorge Cortes was named the South Atlantic League’s Most Valuable Player in 2003. Rodriguez was also named to the Southeast League post-season All-Star team as a catcher.

Rodriguez hit .294 (111-for-377) with 25 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs, 73 RBI, a .380 OBP, .512 slugging percentage and .892 OPS in 98 games while spending the entire season with Bradenton. Rodriguez became the first Marauder to lead the league in batting since Josh Bell paced the Florida State League with a .335 average in 2014. Rodriguez also ranked first in extra base hits (46), total bases (193) and runs scored (73), second in RBI (73), slugging (.512), OPS (.892) and hits (111), tied for third in home runs (15) and fourth in OBP (.380).

Rodriguez hit safely in 20 of his final 23 games during the regular season (34-for-94, .362) before going on to hit .462 (6- for-13) with a double and RBI in the Low-A Southeast League championship series against the Tampa Tarpons.

Rodriguez, who is currently rated as Pittsburgh’s 19th-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was one of five players (also David Bednar, Omar Cruz, Drake Fellows and Hudson Head) acquired by the Pirates in a three-team trade with the New York Mets and San Diego Padres on January 19, 2021.