
Former Lansing Lugnuts infielder Bo Bichette is this year’s Midwest League MVP and Prospect of the Year. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)
Former Lansing Lugnuts infielder Bo Bichette was named the 2017 Midwest League Most Valuable Player and Prospect of the Year on Friday.
Bichette, who turned 19 a month before the season started, dominated at the plate for the Lugnuts, even flirting with batting .400 for awhile. He batted .384 with 10 homers, 32 doubles, 60 runs scored, 51 runs batted in, and 12 stolen bases in 70 games before Toronto promoted him to the High-A Dunedin Blue Jays in early July. (He is batting .344 with 2 HR, 16 RBI and 8 SB in 30 games with Dunedin.)
The Midwest League also announced its Postseason All-Star Team, which includes Bichette, of course. The Kane County Cougars had three players honored, the most of any team.
The full team, with 2017 MWL statistics through Thursday’s games, is as follows (with two right-handed starting pitchers because there was a tie for that position):
First Base – Emmanuel Tapia (.211 BA, 25 HR, 18 doubles, 64 RBI in 109 games with the Lake County Captains)
Second Base – Robbie Tenerowicz (.313 BA, 11 HR, 22 doubles, 34 RBI in 80 games with the Bowling Green Hot Rods)
Third Base – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.316 BA, 7 HR, 21 doubles, 45 RBI in 71 games with the Lugnuts)
Shortstop – Bo Bichette
Outfield – Jose Siri (.296 BA, 19 HR, 23 doubles, 61 RBI, 39 SB in 112 games with the Dayton Dragons) Siri had a 39-game hitting streak this season, setting a new Midwest League record.
Outfield – Jesus Sanchez (.309 BA, 14 HR, 27 doubles, 77 RBI in 103 games with the Hot Rods)
Outfield – Marcus Wilson (.294 BA, 9 HR, 19 doubles, 5 triples, 46 RBI, 13 SB in 88 games with the Cougars)
Catcher – Chuckie Robinson (.290 BA, 12 HR, 28 doubles, 65 RBI in 93 games with the Quad Cities River Bandits)
Designated Hitter – Li-Jen Chu (.268 BA, 13 HR, 21 doubles, 55 RBI in 110 games with the Captains)
Right-handed Starting Pitcher – Clark Beeker (11-3, 2.03 ERA, two shutouts, 84 Ks, 17 BB in 128.2 innings/20 starts for the Cedar Rapids Kernels)
Right-handed Starting Pitcher – Sam McWilliams (11-5, 2.68 ERA, 86 Ks, 26 BB in 121 innings/22 starts for the Cougars)
Left-handed Starting Pitcher – Gregory Soto (10-1, 2.25 ERA, 116 Ks, 54 BB in 96 innings/18 starts for the West Michigan Whitecaps)
Right-handed Reliever – Tommy Eveld (1-0, 0.33 ERA, 14 saves, 33 Ks, 8 BB in 27.2 innings/22 games for the Cougars)
Left-handed Reliever – Wyatt Short (3-3, 3.50 ERA, 13 saves, 58 Ks, 17 BB in 54 innings/35 games for the South Bend Cubs)
Whitecaps skipper Mike Rabelo was named the Midwest League Manager of the Year. West Michigan is 81-38 (.681 winning percentage) so far this season, and the team’s pitching staff has already set a new MWL record with 24 shutouts pitched. The Whitecaps clinched a postseason berth by winning the Eastern Division in the first half of the season, with a 45-22 record.