# International League Top MLB Prospect Award

The International League Top MLB Prospect Award is an annual award given to the best rookie player in Minor League Baseball's International League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, members of the media, coaches, and other representatives from the league's clubs have previously voted as well. Though the circuit was founded in 1884, it did not become known as the International League on a consistent basis until 1912. The first Rookie of the Year Award, as it was originally known, was not issued until 1950. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the Triple-A East in 2021 before reverting to the International League name in 2022. The Top MLB Prospect Award began to be issued instead of the Rookie of the Year Award in 2021.
Twenty-six outfielders have won the award, the most of any position. First basemen, with 13 winners, have won the most among infielders, followed by third basemen (10), and shortstops (9), and second basemen (4). Nine pitchers and three catchers have won the award.
Seventeen players who have won the Top MLB Prospect Award also won the International League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in the same season: Don Buford (1963), Joe Foy (1965), Mike Epstein (1966), Merv Rettenmund (1968), Luis Alvarado (1969), Roger Freed (1970), Jim Rice (1974), Mike Vail (1975), Rich Dauer (1976), Scott Bradley (1984), Dan Pasqua (1985), Randy Milligan (1987), J. T. Snow (1992), Chris Colabello (2013), Steven Souza Jr. (2014), Rhys Hoskins (2017), and Joey Meneses (2018). The only player to win the Top MLB Prospect Award and then later win the MVP Award is Ben Gamel, who was the 2015 Rookie of the Year and 2016 MVP. Of the nine pitchers who have won Top MLB Prospect, five also won the league's Pitcher of the Year Award (formerly the Most Valuable Pitcher Award) in the same season: Bob Trice (1953), Jason Isringhausen (1995), Brian Rose (1997), Brandon Duckworth (2001), and Julio Teherán (2011).
Seventeen players from the Rochester Red Wings have been selected for the Top MLB Prospect Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Syracuse Mets (7); the Columbus Clippers and Norfolk Tides (6); the Richmond Braves (5); the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (4); the Charlotte Knights, Gwinnett Stripers, and Pawtucket Red Sox (3); the original Buffalo Bisons, Durham Bulls, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Louisville Bats, and Montreal Royals (2); and the Columbus Jets, Havana Sugar Kings, Indianapolis Indians, Louisville Colonels, Memphis Redbirds, Omaha Storm Chasers, Ottawa Athletics, Richmond Virginians, Springfield Cubs, and Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) (1).
Twelve players from the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the New York Yankees organization (10); the Atlanta Braves organization (8); the Philadelphia Phillies organization (6); the Boston Red Sox organization (5); the Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals organizations (4); the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds organizations (3); the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations (2); and the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Nationals organizations (1).

## Winners

Key :
| Position | Indicates the player's primary position |
Winners :
| Year | Winner | Team | Organization | Position |
| 1950 | Randy Jackson | Springfield Cubs | Chicago Cubs | Third baseman |
| 1951 | Héctor Rodríguez | Montreal Royals | Brooklyn Dodgers | Third baseman |
| 1952 | Ray Jablonski | Rochester Red Wings | St. Louis Cardinals | Shortstop |
| 1953 | Bob Trice | Ottawa Athletics | Philadelphia Athletics | Pitcher |
| 1954 | Jim Owens | Syracuse Chiefs | Philadelphia Phillies | Pitcher |
| 1955 | Jackie Brandt | Rochester Red Wings | St. Louis Cardinals | Outfielder |
| 1956 | Fred Kipp | Montreal Royals | Brooklyn Dodgers | Pitcher |
| 1957 | Walt Craddock | Buffalo Bisons | Kansas City Athletics | Pitcher |
| 1958 | Rogelio Álvarez | Havana Sugar Kings | Cincinnati Redlegs | First baseman |
| 1959 | Charlie James | Rochester Red Wings | St. Louis Cardinals | Outfielder |
| 1960 | Bobby Wine | Buffalo Bisons | Philadelphia Phillies | Shortstop |
| 1961 | Tom Tresh | Richmond Virginians | New York Yankees | Shortstop |
| 1962 | Bob Bailey | Columbus Jets | Pittsburgh Pirates | Third baseman |
| 1963 | Don Buford | Indianapolis Indians | Chicago White Sox | Third baseman |
| 1964 | Jim Northrup | Syracuse Chiefs | Detroit Tigers | Outfielder |
| 1965 | Joe Foy | Toronto Maple Leafs | Boston Red Sox | Third baseman |
| 1966 | Mike Epstein | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | First baseman |
| 1967 | Curt Motton | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Outfielder |
| 1968 | Merv Rettenmund | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Outfielder |
| 1969 | Luis Alvarado | Louisville Colonels | Boston Red Sox | Shortstop |
| 1970 | Roger Freed | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Outfielder |
| 1971 | Rusty Torres | Syracuse Chiefs | New York Yankees | Outfielder |
| 1972 | Al Bumbry | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Outfielder |
| 1973 | Otto Vélez | Syracuse Chiefs | New York Yankees | Outfielder |
| 1974 | Jim Rice | Pawtucket Red Sox | Boston Red Sox | Outfielder |
| 1975 | Mike Vail | Tidewater Tides | New York Mets | Outfielder |
| 1976 | Rich Dauer | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Second baseman |
| 1977 | Dale Murphy | Richmond Braves | Atlanta Braves | Catcher |
| 1978 | Glenn Hubbard | Richmond Braves | Atlanta Braves | Second baseman |
| 1979 | Mookie Wilson | Tidewater Tides | New York Mets | Outfielder |
| 1980 | Bobby Bonner | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Shortstop |
| 1981 | Cal Ripken Jr. | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Third baseman |
| 1982 | Brook Jacoby | Richmond Braves | Atlanta Braves | Third baseman |
| 1983 | Brad Komminsk | Richmond Braves | Atlanta Braves | Outfielder |
| 1984 | Scott Bradley | Columbus Clippers | New York Yankees | Catcher |
| 1985 | Dan Pasqua | Columbus Clippers | New York Yankees | Outfielder |
| 1986 | Orestes Destrade | Columbus Clippers | New York Yankees | First baseman |
| 1987 | Randy Milligan | Tidewater Tides | New York Mets | First baseman |
| 1988 | Steve Finley | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Outfielder |
| 1989 | Francisco Cabrera | Syracuse Chiefs | Toronto Blue Jays | Catcher |
| 1990 | Phil Plantier | Pawtucket Red Sox | Boston Red Sox | Outfielder |
| 1991 | Luis Mercedes | Rochester Red Wings | Baltimore Orioles | Outfielder |
| 1992 | J. T. Snow | Columbus Clippers | New York Yankees | First baseman |
| 1993 | Chipper Jones | Richmond Braves | Atlanta Braves | Shortstop |
| 1994 | Shawn Green | Syracuse Chiefs | Toronto Blue Jays | Outfielder |
| 1995 | Jason Isringhausen | Norfolk Tides | New York Mets | Pitcher |
| 1996 | Billy McMillon | Charlotte Knights | Florida Marlins | Outfielder |
| 1997 | Brian Rose | Pawtucket Red Sox | Boston Red Sox | Pitcher |
| 1998 | Marlon Anderson | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons | Philadelphia Phillies | Second baseman |
| 1999 | Kurt Bierek | Columbus Clippers | New York Yankees | First baseman |
| 2000 | Aubrey Huff | Durham Bulls | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Third baseman |
| 2001 | Brandon Duckworth | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons | Philadelphia Phillies | Pitcher |
| 2002 | Carl Crawford | Durham Bulls | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | Outfielder |
| 2003 | Aaron Miles | Charlotte Knights | Chicago White Sox | Second baseman |
| 2004 | Jason Kubel | Rochester Red Wings | Minnesota Twins | Outfielder |
| 2005 | Francisco Liriano | Rochester Red Wings | Minnesota Twins | Pitcher |
| 2006 | Josh Fields | Charlotte Knights | Chicago White Sox | Third baseman |
| 2007 | Joey Votto | Louisville Bats | Cincinnati Reds | First baseman |
| 2008 | Randy Ruiz | Rochester Red Wings | Minnesota Twins | First baseman |
| 2009 | Austin Jackson | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees | New York Yankees | Outfielder |
| 2010 | Freddie Freeman | Gwinnett Braves | Atlanta Braves | First baseman |
| 2011 | Julio Teherán | Gwinnett Braves | Atlanta Braves | Pitcher |
| 2012 | Ernesto Mejía | Gwinnett Braves | Atlanta Braves | First baseman |
| 2013 | Chris Colabello | Rochester Red Wings | Minnesota Twins | First baseman |
| 2014 | Steven Souza Jr. | Syracuse Chiefs | Washington Nationals | Outfielder |
| 2015 | Ben Gamel | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders | New York Yankees | Outfielder |
| 2016 | Yandy Díaz | Columbus Clippers | Cleveland Indians | Outfielder |
| 2017 | Rhys Hoskins | Lehigh Valley IronPigs | Philadelphia Phillies | First baseman |
| 2018 | Joey Meneses | Lehigh Valley IronPigs | Philadelphia Phillies | First baseman |
| 2019 | Aristides Aquino | Louisville Bats | Cincinnati Reds | Outfielder |
| 2020 | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) | None selected (season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 2021 | Bobby Witt Jr. | Omaha Storm Chasers | Kansas City Royals | Shortstop |
| 2022 | Gunnar Henderson | Norfolk Tides | Baltimore Orioles | Shortstop |
| 2023 | Masyn Winn | Memphis Redbirds | St. Louis Cardinals | Shortstop |
| 2024 | Coby Mayo | Norfolk Tides | Baltimore Orioles | Third baseman |

## Wins by team

Active International League teams appear in bold.
| Team | Award(s) | Year(s) |
| Rochester Red Wings | 17 | 1952, 1955, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013 |
| Syracuse Mets (Syracuse Chiefs) | 7 | 1954, 1964, 1971, 1973, 1989, 1994, 2014 |
| Columbus Clippers | 6 | 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2016 |
| Norfolk Tides (Tidewater Tides) | 6 | 1975, 1979, 1987, 1995, 2022, 2024 |
| Richmond Braves | 5 | 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1993 |
| Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons/Yankees) | 4 | 1998, 2001, 2009, 2015 |
| Charlotte Knights | 3 | 1996, 2003, 2006 |
| Gwinnett Stripers (Gwinnett Braves) | 3 | 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| Pawtucket Red Sox | 3 | 1974, 1990, 1997 |
| Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970) | 2 | 1957, 1960 |
| Durham Bulls | 2 | 2000, 2002 |
| Lehigh Valley IronPigs | 2 | 2017, 2018 |
| Louisville Bats | 2 | 2007, 2019 |
| Montreal Royals | 2 | 1951, 1956 |
| Columbus Jets | 1 | 1962 |
| Havana Sugar Kings | 1 | 1958 |
| Indianapolis Indians | 1 | 1963 |
| Louisville Colonels | 1 | 1969 |
| Memphis Redbirds | 1 | 2023 |
| Omaha Storm Chasers | 1 | 2021 |
| Ottawa Athletics | 1 | 1953 |
| Richmond Virginians | 1 | 1961 |
| Springfield Cubs | 1 | 1950 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1 | 1965 |

## Wins by organization

Active International League–Major League Baseball affiliations appear in bold.
| Organization | Award(s) | Year(s) |
| Baltimore Orioles | 12 | 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2022, 2024 |
| New York Yankees | 10 | 1961, 1971, 1973, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2009, 2015 |
| Atlanta Braves | 8 | 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1993, 2010, 2011, 2012 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 6 | 1954, 1960, 1998, 2001, 2017, 2018 |
| Boston Red Sox | 5 | 1965, 1969, 1974, 1990, 1997 |
| Minnesota Twins | 4 | 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013 |
| New York Mets | 4 | 1975, 1979, 1987, 1995 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 4 | 1952, 1955, 1959, 2023 |
| Chicago White Sox | 3 | 1963, 2003, 2006 |
| Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati Redlegs) | 3 | 1958, 2007, 2019 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers (Brooklyn Dodgers) | 2 | 1951, 1956 |
| Oakland Athletics (Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics) | 2 | 1953, 1957 |
| Tampa Bay Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) | 2 | 2000, 2002 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 2 | 1989, 1994 |
| Chicago Cubs | 1 | 1950 |
| Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland Indians) | 1 | 2016 |
| Detroit Tigers | 1 | 1964 |
| Kansas City Royals | 1 | 2021 |
| Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins) | 1 | 1996 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1 | 1962 |
| Washington Nationals | 1 | 2014 |