Anderson and Castillo 2016 Marlins Minor League Award Winners

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville Suns third baseman Brian Anderson and right-hander Luis Castillo were named the 2016 Miami Marlins Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, announced by Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill on Friday.

Anderson, 23, began the season with the High-A Jupiter Hammerheads, hitting .302 with three home runs and 25 RBI before joining Jacksonville May 30. In his first season at the Double-A level with the Suns, he played in 86 games and hit .243 with eight home runs and 40 RBI. Anderson's 128 total hits led all Marlins minor leaguers, while his .348 on-base percentage ranked third, his career-high 65 RBI ranked fourth, and his .265 batting average ranked ninth this season.

A native of Edmond, Oklahoma, Anderson was drafted by the Marlins in the third round of the 2014 draft out of the University of Arkansas. Anderson entered 2016 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect, the "best defensive infielder" and the "best infield arm" in the Miami organization. Anderson is the Marlins No. 4 prospect, according to MLB.com. This season, Anderson was named the Southern League Player of the Week for August 15-21, when he hit .423 (11-for-26) with three home runs, eight runs batted in, two doubles and seven runs scored. Anderson was also the Marlins Minor League Player of the Month in May and a Florida State League Midseason All-Star for a second straight season.

Castillo, 23, also began the season with Jupiter and was the Florida State League Pitcher of the Year, as he went 8-4 in 23 games and 21 starts with a league-leading 2.07 ERA and .219 opponents' batting average, with a 0.96 WHIP that ranked second. He made his Double-A debut in Jacksonville Aug. 23 and finished 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in three Southern League starts. This season, Castillo's 2.26 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and .219 opponents' batting average led all Marlins minor leaguers. He tied for fifth among Marlins minor leaguers with his career-high eight wins and career-high 103 strikeouts.

A native of Bani, Dominican Republic, Castillo was acquired by the Marlins in a trade from the San Francisco Giants along with former Suns right-hander Kendry Flores in exchange for infielder Casey McGehee on Dec. 20, 2014. Ranked by MLB.com as the No. 5 prospect in the Marlins organization, Castillo was a Florida State Midseason All-Star and Postseason All-Star.

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