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Single-A award winners and All-Stars

Quero, Chourio, De Los Santos garner MVP accolades
@JoshJacksonMiLB
November 10, 2022

Minor League Baseball has revealed the end-of-season award winners and All-Star teams for the three Single-A circuits, based on votes cast by league managers. Highlighting the winners for the California League were the Angels' Edgar Quero, who took home MVP honors, Pitcher of the Year Joseph Hernandez of the Mariners

Minor League Baseball has revealed the end-of-season award winners and All-Star teams for the three Single-A circuits, based on votes cast by league managers. Highlighting the winners for the California League were the Angels' Edgar Quero, who took home MVP honors, Pitcher of the Year Joseph Hernandez of the Mariners and James Wood, who was named the Top MLB Prospect for his stint on the circuit prior to a trade from the Padres to the Nationals.

In the Carolina League, the Brewers' Jackson Chourio was named MVP as well as Top MLB Prospect. The Guardians' Will Dion garnered the league's Pitcher of the Year honor.

In the Florida State League, the Mets' Omar De Los Santos won the MVP award and the Cardinals' Tink Hence was named Pitcher of the Year. The Yankees' Jasson Domínguez was selected as the FSL's Top MLB Prospect.

Here are the major award winners from each circuit as well as the full All-Star teams.

View all the 2022 Minor League All-Stars >>

California League

Most Valuable Player: Edgar Quero, Inland Empire (LAA)
Quero, who got a 10-game taste of the California League in 2021, turned 19 just before Opening Day this year and broke out with offensive production rare among teenage catchers in their first full season ... or among any catchers anywhere, for that matter. The Cuban-born Angels prospect delivered a .312/.435/.530 slash line over 111 games for the 66ers, leading the loop in slugging and OPS, placing second in OBP, third in batting average and sixth with 17 home runs.

Pitcher of the Year: Joseph Hernandez, Modesto (SEA)
Hernandez not only led the Cal League in ERA, but his 3.39 mark was 89 points lower than the next best hurler. His 143 strikeouts -- compiled over 116 2/3 frames for the Nuts -- also topped the league, as did his 1.14 WHIP and 1.93 average against. He capped the season with a Cal League Pitcher of the Week award on Aug. 28.

Top MLB Prospect: James Wood, Lake Elsinore (SD)
Traded to the Nationals in the Juan Soto deal at the Deadline, Wood established himself as a prospect worthy of being involved in that kind of blockbuster with a remarkable 50-game showing for the Storm. The outfielder didn't turn 20 until mid-September, but showed a mature approach in putting up a .337/.435/.601 line while swatting 10 homers and 19 doubles and stealing 15 bases.

All-Star Team (view stats »)

1B: Hunter Goodman, Fresno (COL No. 23)
2B: Juan Brito, Fresno (COL)
SS: Adael Amador, Fresno (COL No. 3, MLB No. 61)
3B: Marcos Castanon, Lake Elsinore (SD)
C: Edgar Quero, Inland Empire (LAA No. 3)
OF: Grant McCray, San Jose (SF No. 4)
OF: James Wood, Lake Elsinore (SD/WSH No. 3, MLB No. 34)
OF: Damon Keith, Rancho Cucamonga (LAD)
DH: Yanquiel Fernandez, Fresno (COL No. 12)
RHP: Joseph Hernandez, Modesto (SEA)
LHP: Mason Green, Fresno (COL)
RP: Jose Cruz, San Jose (SF)
Manager: Eric Junge, Lake Elsinore (SD)

Carolina League

Most Valuable Player: Jackson Chourio, Carolina (MIL)
Chourio was promoted out of the Carolina League on July 25, yet the top Brewers prospect still finished the year tied for third on the circuit with 40 extra-base hits and tied for eighth with 23 doubles. What more needs to be said? His .324/.373/.600 line with 12 homers and 10 steals over 62 games likely answer any outstanding questions.

Pitcher of the Year: Will Dion, Lynchburg (CLE)
It's inarguable: nobody in the Carolina League was more dominant than Dion. Armed with a devastating curveball, the Cleveland southpaw cruised to the league lead in ERA (2.26), strikeouts (142 -- with a mere 31 walks), WHIP (1.03) and average against (.207). His 115 1/3 innings for the Hillcats ranked second in the league.

Top MLB Prospect: Jackson Chourio, Carolina (MIL)
The toolsy outfielder, who won't turn 19 until spring, played his way up to the Double-A level by year's end, catapulting up to No. 10 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Fans who got the opportunity to see him with the Mudcats this season likely knew they were looking at something special.

All-Star Team (view stats »)

1B: Niko Kavadas, Salem (BOS No. 21)
2B: Joey Loperfido, Fayetteville (HOU )
SS: Carson Williams, Charleston (TB No. 3, MLB No. 81)
3B: Eddinson Paulino, Salem (BOS No. 13)
C: Carter Jensen, Columbia (KC No. 13)
OF: Jackson Chourio, Carolina (MIL No. 1, MLB 10)
OF: Shane Sasaki, Charleston (TB)
OF: Jeremy De La Rosa, Fredericksburg (WSH No. 10)
DH: Marcelo Mayer, Salem (BOS No. 1, MLB No. 7)
RHP: J.J. Niekro, Augusta (ATL)
LHP: Will Dion, Lynchburg (CLE)
RP: Austin Vernon, Charleston (TB)
Manager: Blake Butera, Charleston (TB)

Florida State League

Most Valuable Player: Omar De Los Santos, St. Lucie (NYM)
De Los Santos led the Florida State League and tied for third in all of Minor League Baseball with a whopping 70 stolen bases. (No other player had half as many in the FSL.) With a ripped-off bags total like that, it might be tempting to assume he was a one-trick, uh, race horse. Not the case. The Mets outfielder slugged 16 homers (third-most in the league) in addition to posting a .271 average (third-highest in the league).

Pitcher of the Year: Tink Hence, Palm Beach (STL)
The 63rd overall pick of the 2020 Draft, Hence was just about unbeatable -- sometimes unhittable -- in his first full professional season. The Cardinals right-hander held FSL hitters to a .174 batting average, piling up 81 strikeouts and walking 15 while posting a 1.38 ERA over 52 1/3 innings across 16 games for Palm Beach. And he set the tone with three perfect frames in the Cardinals' first no-hitter since 2012.

Top MLB Prospect: Jasson Domínguez, Tampa (NYY)
Given that Domínguez wrapped up the Minor League campaign as a playoff hero two levels up with Double-A Somerset, then moved on to the Arizona Fall League, close observers of the prospect scene may have already forgotten just how good he was before getting promoted to High-A Hudson Valley on July 22. Over 75 games for the Tarpons, he posted a .373 OBP while tallying 28 extra-base knocks and stealing 19 bases. He also started the year with much to prove, having put together a 56-game season last year that was decent but not stellar after coming into 2021 with the loftiest expectations any teenager has faced in a long time. This season, he showed those assumptions may not have been too far off base, and the bulk of that showing came together in the FSL. And he still won't turn 20 until Feb. 07, 2023.

All-Star Team (view stats »)

1B: Rainer Nunez, Dunedin (TOR)
2B: Hao Yu Lee, Clearwater (PHI No. 6)
SS: Tsung-Che Cheng, Bradenton (PIT)
3B: William Lugo, St. Lucie (NYM)
C: Noah Cardenas, Fort Myers (MIN)
OF: Omar De Los Santos, St. Lucie (NYM)
OF: Alex Ramirez, St. Lucie (NYM No. 4, MLB No. 85)
OF: Gabriel Martinez, Dunedin (TOR No. 8)
DH: Jasson Domínguez, Tampa (NYY No. 2, MLB No. 39)
RHP: Tink Hence, Palm Beach (STL No. 6, MLB No. 91)
LHP: Jaylen Nowlin, Fort Myers (MIN)
RP: Andrew Marrero, Palm Beach (STL)
Manager: Brian Meyer, Fort Myers (MIN)

Josh Jackson is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter @JoshJacksonMiLB.