The Milwaukee Brewers have announced the recipients of the 2016 Robin Young Performance Awards, presented annually to the organization’s top Minor League performers.
Right handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff was named Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and infielder Isan Diaz was named Brewers Minor League Player of the Year. Woodruff began the season with Class-A Brevard County and finished with Double-A Biloxi. Diaz spent the entire year with Class-A Wisconsin.
Woodruff went 14-9 with a 2.68 ERA in 28 starts combined between Class-A Brevard County and Double-A Biloxi. The 23-year old struck out 173 batters, which not only led the Brewers farm system, but all of Minor League Baseball.
Woodruff was the Brewers 11th-round draft pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of Mississippi State University and was a midseason All-Star in the Florida State League. He was awarded Brewers Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors after going 3-1 with a 0.29 ERA, 5 walks and 42 strikeouts in July.
Diaz finished his first season in the Brewers organization hitting .264 with 34 doubles, five triples, 20 home runs, 75 RBI, 72 walks and 11 steals. The 20-year-old also led the organization in games (135), doubles, home runs and RBI and was second in hits (134) and walks.
Diaz was acquired from Arizona in the Jean Segura deal last January (30).