Moore claims Carolina MVP award

Nationals prospect Tyler Moore was rewarded for his huge year, claiming Carolina League MVP honors Thursday when the league recognized its top performers of the season.

Moore, a first baseman who hit .262 with a league-leading 29 homers and 107 RBIs for Potomac, was a four-time Carolina League Player of the Week in 2010, his third season in the Minors.

Lynchburg's Jordan Hotchkiss was voted the league's Pitcher of the Year after the Reds prospect went 10-4 with a league-best 2.30 ERA through 31 outings. He struck out 90 and walked 32 in 113 2/3 innings.

Moore started off slow, taking a .197 average into July, but caught fire thereafter, raising his average to .266 in August. His production numbers, though, rarely suffered -- after hitting two homers on April 28, the infielder got especially hot in mid-July, going deep seven times in nine games from July 15-24. A pair of five-RBI efforts in July were dwarfed by season-high two homers and six RBIs on Aug. 5. He homered in three straight games Aug. 13-15 and again from Aug. 18-21, when he drove in 13 runs in that span. He hit .358 in July and .336 in August.

Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway anchored a solid infield that includes fellow Salem prospects Will Middlebrooks at third base and Oscar Tejeda at second. Former first-round pick Eric Hosmer (1B) of Wilmington, joins Winston-Salem's Eduardo Escobar (SS) and Jon Gilmore (utility).

A pair of Orioles farmhands, Xavier Avery and Ronnie Welty, both of Frederick, joined Winston-Salem's Brandon Short and Justin Greene in the outfield. Adrian Ortiz, who hit .287 for Wilmington, earned a tie with Greene for the utility outfield spot.

Moore earned a spot on the team at designated hitter despite only getting 52 of his 488 at-bats at DH this year.

The Kinston duo of starter Joe Gardner, who went 12-5 with a 2.69 ERA, and reliever Cory Burns, who led the league with 27 saves, made the roster. Despite his Pitcher of the Year honors, Hotchkiss did not earn a roster spot on the All-Star team.

Dash manager and former Major League infielder Joe McEwing was voted Manager of the Year for the second straight season. The Blue Rocks' Dave Iannicca was selected as the top trainer.

The postseason team and award winners were voted upon by league field managers, general managers and local media. Iannicca was selected by his fellow trainers. The full roster is below:

2010 Carolina League Postseason All-Star Team
POS	PLAYER	TEAM	W-L	ERA	S
SP	Joseph Gardner	Kinston	12*-5	2.69	0
RP	Cody Burns	Kinston	2-Jan	1.49	27*
POS	PLAYER	TEAM	AVG	HR	RBI
C	Ryan Lavarnway	Salem	0.289	14	63
1B	Eric Hosmer	Wilmington	.354*	7	51
2B	Oscar Tejeda	Salem	0.303	11	68
3B	Will Middlebrooks	Salem	0.285	3	39
SS	Eduardo Escobar	Winston-Salem	0.277	12	68
UT INF	Jon Gilmore	Winston-Salem	0.315	5	77
OF	Brandon Short	Winston-Salem	0.316	15	79
OF	Xavier Avery	Frederick	0.28	4	48
OF	Ronnie Welty	Frederick	0.279	17	77
UT OF	Justin Greene	Winston-Salem	0.309	10	45
UT OF	Adrian Ortiz	Wilmington	0.287	1	33
DH	Tyler Moore	Potomac	0.262	29*	107*

Most Valuable Player: Tyler Moore, Potomac
Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Hotchkiss, Lynchburg
Manager of the Year: Joe McEwing, Winston-Salem
Athletic Trainer of the Year: David Iannicca, Wilmington