West Michigan broadcaster Ben Chiswick interviews Whitecaps OF Wynton Bernard prior to this year’s Midwest League All-Star Game. Bernard recently was named the league’s MVP, and Chiswick the MWL’s top broadcaster.

Now that the Midwest League’s regular season is over, it’s time to look at who the league leaders were in the 10 major statistical categories.

West Michigan Whitecaps OF Wynton Bernard (this year’s Midwest League MVP) won the MWL batting title with a .323 average, 17 percentage points better than Bowling Green Hot Rods 2B Kean Wong, who finished second with a .306 batting average.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 2B Kean Wong

South Bend Silver Hawks SS Andrew Velazquez (this year’s MWL Prospect of the Year and MiLB record holder for the most consecutive games reaching base) led the league with 94 runs scored. Bernard and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers OF Michael Ratterree tied for second place with 91 runs.

South Bend Silver Hawks SS Andrew Velazquez

Velazquez also led the league with 50 stolen bases, but it is worth noting that former Fort Wayne TinCaps OF Mallex Smith finished second with 48 SB despite being promoted to High-A after the Midwest League All-Star break. Smith stole 40 bases for the Lake Elsinore Storm, giving him a total of 88 SB this year.

There was a three-way tie atop the home run leaderboard. Timber Rattlers C Clint Coulter, Silver Hawks 1B Daniel Palka, and Lake County Captains 1B Nellie Rodriguez each finished the season with 22 HR.

Lake County Captains 1B Nellie Rodriguez

TinCaps 2B Fernando Perez drove in 95 runs, good for first place in the Midwest League and a new franchise record for Fort Wayne. Coulter finished second with 89 RBI.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers C Clint Coulter

Dayton Dragons RHP Nick Travieso led the league with 14 wins. Lansing Lugnuts LHP Scott Silverstein, RHP Jonathan Martinez (who started the season with the Great Lakes Loons and ended it with the Kane County Cougars), and Cougars RHP Daury Torrez each had 11 wins.

Kane County Cougars RHP Daury Torrez

Torrez had the league’s best WHIP (1.00). Whitecaps RHP Austin Kubitza finished second with a 1.08 WHIP.

Kubitza also finished second in ERA (2.34 in 131 IP) behind teammate Kevin Ziomek, who posted a 2.27 ERA in 123 IP.

TinCaps RHP Kyle Lloyd led the league with 155 strikeouts, three more than runner-up Ziomek.

Silver Hawks RHP Silvino Bracho collected a league-best 26 saves. Dragons RHP Alejandro Chacin finished second with 20 saves.

*All photos by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler