Brewers name Lewis Brinson and Corbin Burnes as their 2017 minor leaguers of year
Tom Haudricourt
The Milwaukee Brewers announced their annual minor-league awards Friday, with outfielder Lewis Brinson named the 2017 player of the year and right-hander Corbin Burnes the pitcher of the year.
Burnes, 22, was an easy choice after putting together one of the best seasons of any pitcher in the minors. Splitting the year between advanced Class A Carolina and Class AA Biloxi, he was 8-3 with a 1.67 ERA in 26 starts, with 103 hits, 36 walks and 140 strikeouts in 145 2/3 innings.
Burnes was a fourth-round draft pick in 2016 out of St. Mary's (Calif.) College.
Brinson spent a couple of stints with the Brewers this season but otherwise played at Class AAA Colorado Springs. In 76 games before being lost to a hamstring injury in August, he batted .331 with a .400 OBP and .562 slugging percentage. He compiled 22 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and 48 RBI.
Brinson, 23, was acquired on Aug. 1 of last season from Texas as one of three prospects in a trade for catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress, who was reacquired this year. He is currently rehabbing his hamstring injury at the Brewers' training facility in Phoenix with hopes of being activated before the end of the season.
The choice of Brinson is a bit curious because he played in only 76 games in the minors. Brett Phillips, currently up with the Brewers, played in 105 games at Colorado Springs, batting .305 with a .377 OBP, .567 slugging, 19 home runs and 78 RBI.
The Brewers also announced they have selected the contract of right-hander Aaron Wilkerson from Colorado Springs. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, the Brewers designated infielder Yadiel Rivera for assignment.
Wilkerson, 28, went 11-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 24 starts for Biloxi. He was moved up to Colorado Springs for the playoffs and pitched seven no-hit innings against Memphis. Wilkerson was acquired from Boston last season in the Aaron Hill trade.
Rivera, who batted .183 for the Brewers in 162 games from 2015-'17, spent most of this year at Colorado Springs, batting .218 in 107 games.