Tyler Black, Cade Smith, Kole Cottam and Brock Dykxhoorn have won year-end awards from the Canadian Baseball Network, the company announced Friday.
Black, from Stouffville, Ont., captured the Randy Echlin Award as the top minor league hitter in the affiliated ranks. Black had a .417 on-base percentage (OBP) and a minor league-leading 12 triples in 123 games between double-A and triple-A in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization.
Smith, from Abbotsford, B.C., earned the Wayne Norton Award winner as the minor league pitcher of the year. He had 15 saves and struck out 95 batters in 62 2/3 innings between double-A and triple-A in the Cleveland Guardians’ system.
The Memphis born Cottam, whose family is from Burlington, Ont., was named the Murray Zuk Award winner as top hitter in foreign or independent baseball. The right-handed hitting slugger batted .290 with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs for the independent Atlantic League’s Spire City Ghost Hounds in 2023.
Dyxhoorn, from Goderich, Ont., received the Claude Pelletier Award, as top pitcher in foreign or independent baseball.He posted a 10-7 record and a 2.83 ERA in 25 starts for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
Nine baseball experts were polled for the Canadian Baseball Network’s annual awards that have been handed out in 14 previous years.
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