June 28, 2022

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

We know it’s early ...

But tis never too early to talk about award winners

Who will be the 2022 winner of the Canadian Baseball Network Player Of The Year named after the The Honourable Mr. Justice Randall Echlin, former head of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee?

The leaders are 1B Jared Young (Prince George, BC) triple-A Iowa Cubs, INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) class-A Lansing Lugnuts and 3B Damiano Palmegiani (Surrey, BC) of the class-A Vancouver Canadians.

Who will take the Canadian Baseball Network Pitcher Of The Year, renamed the Wayne Norton award for 2021?

Leading contenders include: RHP Garrett Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.) class-A Lake Elsinore Storm, RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) of the Akron Rubber Ducks and RHP Trevor Brigden (North York, Ont.) with the double-A Montgomery Biscuits.

Who will top the voting for the independent/Foreign Leagues Canadian Baseball Network Player Of The Year, which was renamed the Murray Zuk award for 2021 season?

The leading hitters are OF Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) Ottawa Titans, OF Raphael Gladu (Trois Rivieres, Que.) Trois Rivieres Aigles and 3B T.J. Bennett (Lethbridge, Alta.) of the Lake Country Dockhounds.

Top contenders for the Canadian Baseball Network Pitcher of the Year (Independent/Foreign Leagues) honour, renamed the Claude Pelletier award for the 2021 season are LHP Miguel Cienfuegos (Laval, Que.) of the Quebec Capitales, RHP Sam Belisle-Springer (Montreal. Que.) of the Trois Rivieres Aigles and RHP Kyle Thomas (Mississauga, Ont.) Trois Rivieres.

Affiliated Hitters and Pitchers

(Min 100 At bats) (Min 10 Games)

Hitter Team At bats Pitcher Team Games

Leblanc Jacksonville - AAA 215 Diaz Mississippi - AA 24

Young Iowa - AAA 214 Smith Lake County - A 20

Peters Wisconsin - A 205 Onyshko Arkansas - AA 20

Palmegiani Dunedin - A 195 Pop Jacksonville - AAA 19

RUNS WINS

Clarke Stockton - A 38 Brettell Springfield - AA 3

Peters Wisconsin - A 37 Mcaffer Vancouver - A 3

Young Iowa - AAA 34 Hawkins Lake Elsinore - A 3

Black, Tyler Wisconsin - A 33

Hits Saves

Leblanc Jacksonville - AAA 66 Smith Lake County - A 5

Peters Wisconsin - A 56 Diaz Mississippi - AA 2

Young Iowa - AAA 56 Brigden Montgomery - AA 2

Palmegiani Dunedin - A 50 Brash Tacoma - AAA 2

Home Runs Innings pitched

Young Iowa - AAA 11 Hawkins Lake Elsinore - A 48.1

Palmegiani Dunedin - A 11 Marks West Michigan - A 45.0

Leblanc Jacksonville - AAA 9 Brigden Montgomery - AA 33.0

Clarke Stockton - A 7 Brettell Springfield - AA 31.2

Runs batted in Strikeouts

Young Iowa - AAA 37 Hawkins Lake Elsinore - A 70

Palmegiani Dunedin - A 37 Smith Lake County - A 44

Caissie South Bend - A 37 Brigden Montgomery - AA 40

Leblanc Jacksonville - AAA 34 Brash Tacoma - AAA 35

Batting average Earned run average

Leblanc Jacksonville - AAA .307 Onyshklo Arkansas - AA 1.93

Black, Tyler Wisconsin - A .286 Pop Jacksonville - AAA 2.22

Clarke Stockton - A .277 Mcaffer Vancouver - A 2.75

Peters Wisconsin - A .273 McGuigan Everett - A 2.89

Independent leagues

Hitters (Min 75 At bats) Independent (Min five games)

Hitter Team At bats Pitcher Team Games

Bennett Lake Country - 138 Seabrooke Winnipeg - Ind 17

Glaude Quebec - Ind 126 Polancic Evansville - Ind 15

Lacroix Quebec - Ind 124 Bradwell Trois Rivieres - Ind 13

Runs Wins

Gladu Trois Rivieres - 28 Belisle-Springer Trois Rivieres - 4

Bennett Lake Country - Ind 25 Cienfuegos Quebec - Ind 3

Glaude Quebec - Ind 25 Poliquin Trois Rivieres - Ind 3

Gordon Evansville - Ind 25

Hits Saves

Gladu Trois Rivieres - Ind 42 Thomas Trois Rivieres - Ind 6

Bennett Lake Country - Ind 40

Glaude Quebec - Ind 34

Sanford Ottawa - Ind 34

Home runs Innings pitched

Sanford Ottawa - Ind 9 Cienfuegos Quebec - Ind 49.0

Bennett Lake Country 7 Belisle-Springer Trois Rivieres - 40.2

Gordon Evansville - Ind 7 Gauthier Trois Rivieres - Ind 35.0

Runs batted in Strikeouts

Sanford Ottawa - Ind 32 Cienfuegos Quebec - Ind 40

Gordon Evansville - 23 Belisle-Springer Trois Rivieres - 38

Bennett Lake Country - Ind 21

Glaude Quebec - Ind 21

Crouse Chicago - Ind 21

Average Earned run average

Gladu Trois RiviEres - Ind .368 Cienfuegos Quebec - Ind 2.57

Sanford Ottawa - Ind .324 Bradwell Trois Rivieres - 2.84

Gordon Evansville - Ind .316 Poliquin Trois Rivieres - 3.93

Dadson Ottawa - Ind .313

Honour Roll

Affiliated Players

Offensive Player Of The Year

(Re-named the The Honourable Mr. Justice Randall Echlin, award ion memory of former head of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee.

2008 _ Tim Smith (Toronto, Ont.) Rangers.

2009 _ Tyson Gillies (Langley, BC) Mariners.

2010 _ Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) Brewers.

2011 _ Taylor Green (Comox, BC) Brewers and Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) Jays.

2012 _ Oscar Taveras (Montreal, Que.) Cardinals.

2013 _ Sean Jamieson (Simcoe, Ont.) Diamondbacks.

2014 _ Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) Blue Jays.

2015 _ Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Mariners.

2016 _ Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Mariners.

2017 _ Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Mariners/Cardinals and Vladimir Guerrero (Montreal, Que.) Blue Jays.

2018 _ Vladimir Guerrero (Montreal, Que.) Blue Jays.

2019 _ Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) Astros.

2020 _ Minor league seasons cancelled, COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 _ Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) Blue Jays.

Pitcher Of The Year

(Renamed after Wayne Norton for 2021 season)

2008 _ Scott Diamond (Guelph, Ont.) Braves.

2009 _ James Henderson (Calgary, Alta.) Brewers and John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.) Brewers.

2010 _ Scott Mathieson (Langley, BC) Phillies.

2011 _ Mark Hardy (Campbell River, BC) Padres.

2012 _ James Henderson (Calgary, Alta.) Brewers.

2013 _ Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) Twins

2014 _ Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) Nationals.

2015 _ Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) Phillies and Shane Dawson (Drayton Valley, Alta.) Jays.

2016 _ Jameson Taillon (The Woodlands, Tex.) Pirates and Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) Phillies.

2017 _ Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) Braves.

2018 _ Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) Jays.

2019 _ Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) Twins.

2020 _ Minor league seasons cancelled, COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 _ Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) Mariners.

Affliated award winners

By organization: Blue Jays 7, Brewers 5, Mariners 5, Phillies 3, Braves 2, Twins 2, Astros, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Padres, Pirates, Rangers, Nationals one each.

By provinces: BC 12, Ontario 8, Quebec 5, Alberta 4, and Saskatchewan 1.

Independent/Foreign Leagues

Top Offensive Player Of The Year

(Named the Murray Zuk award for 2021)

2008 — Drew Miller (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.

2009 — Pete LaForest (Hull, Que.) Quebec Capitales and Colin Moro (Calgary, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.

2010 - Drew Miller (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.

2011 – Matt Rogelstad (Port Moody, BC) Edmonton Capitals.

2012 – Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) Quebec Capitales.

2013 – Jonathan Malo (Laval, Que.) Quebec Capitales.

2014 - Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) Quebec Capitales.

2015 - Jim Adduci (Burnaby, BC) Lotte Giants, Korea.

2016 - Carter Bell, (Courtenay, BC) Joliet Slammers.

2017 - Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns/triple-A El Paso.

2018 _ Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns, Korea

2019 _ Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns, Korea

2020 _ Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns, Korea

2021 _ David Glaude (Quebec City, Que.) Équipe Québec

Top hitters

By province: Ontario 6, Alberta 3, BC 3, Quebec 2.

Pitcher Of The Year

(Renamed the Claude Pelletier award for 2021 season)

2008 — Michel Simard (Charlesbourg, Que.) Quebec Capitales.

2009 — Aaron Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) New Jersey Jackals.

2010 – Aaron Cotter (Kitimat, BC) Sioux Falls Pheasants.

2011 – John Mariotti (Toronto, Ont.) Quebec Capitales

2012 – Jeff Duda (Surrey, BC) Quebec Capitales.

2013 – Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) Quebec Capitales.

2014 – Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) Quebec Capitales.

2015 – Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) Quebec Capitales.

2016 – Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) Quebec Capitales.

2017 - Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC) Yomiuri Giants.

2018 _ Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.). Orix Buffaloes

2019 _ Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) Ottawa Champions.

2020 _ Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.). Orix Buffaloes

2021 _ Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.) Uni President 7-Eleven Lions.

Indy/foreign lands winners

Pitchers

By province: Quebec 8, BC 3, Ontario 3, Saskatchewan 1.