Gallo, Gonzalez named Rangers' top Minor Leaguers

ARLINGTON -- Third baseman Joey Gallo has been named the Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year in the Rangers organization and will be honored on Jan. 23 at the team's annual awards banquet.

Gallo will be joined by Alex Gonzalez, who is the club's Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Infielder Hanser Alberto was named Defender of the Year and Phil Klein was selected as the Reliever of the Year.

In addition, Dominican Rangers manager Aaron Levin has been named the Bobby Jones Player Development Man of the Year and Midwest scout Roger Coryell will receive the Don Welke Scout of the Year Award.

Video: 2014 Futures Game: Gallo on winning Futures Game MVP

The 2015 Dr. Pepper Awards Dinner will be held on Friday, Jan. 23 at the Dallas Omni Hotel. Tickets can be purchased at www.texasrangers.com/awards, with proceeds benefiting the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.

Gallo set a Rangers single-season Minor League home run record with 42 in 126 games for Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco. He also combined to hit .271 with 106 RBIs. He is the first Minor League player to have back-to-back 40-home run seasons since Ron Kittle in 1981-82.

Gonzalez, who was the Rangers' No. 1 Draft pick in 2013, combined to go 12-6 with a 2.66 ERA in 25 starts and one relief appearance between Myrtle Beach and Frisco. Alberto, who made just 11 errors on the season, has already been awarded a Gold Glove for being the top defensive shortstop.

Video: Top Prospects: Alex Gonzalez, RHP, Rangers

Klein was 3-0 with a 0.52 ERA and 10 saves in 33 appearances with Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock. At one point, he had a 35-inning scoreless streak. He also had a 2.84 ERA in 17 relief outings after being called up to the Major Leagues in August.

Klein was taken by the Rangers in the 30th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Youngstown State. He was scouted and signed by Coryell, the Rangers' area scout in Ohio and Michigan who also found outfielder Ryan Rua in the 17th round of the 2011 Draft at Lake Erie College.

Levin is being honored after leading the Rangers' Dominican Summer League team to its second straight title. He was also the league's Manager of the Year.

• The Rangers have signed pitcher Mason Tobin to a Minor League contract. Tobin pitched for the Rangers in 2011 as a Rule 5 Draft pick out of the Angels' organization. He appeared in four games before coming down with an elbow injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. He has spent the past two seasons in the Giants' organization.

• The Rangers also signed first baseman Mike McDade to a Minor League contract. He was a sixth-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2007 out of Las Vegas (Silverado) High School who has yet to reach the big leagues. He is a switch-hitter with a career average of .261, a .319 on-base percentage and a .407 slugging percentage.