The Preseason selections were shipped away so here are the Postseason selections:
Try as we could, the great minds at MLB.com could not choose between two deserving candidates and so awarded “co-hitter” honors:
Stefan Gartrell, OF: Gartrell, who was just added to the White Sox’ 40-man roster , combined to hit .281 with 23 homers and 89 RBIs between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, with 31 doubles and a .513 slugging percentage. These stats were especially heartening for the Sox since he was coming off a serious shoulder separation suffered last fall in the Arizona Fall League. The 31st-round pick in 2006 was a University of San Francisco teammate of Poreda.
Christian Marrero, 1B/OF: The older brother of Nationals prospect Chris Marrero signed as a 2005 22nd-round draft-and-follow in ’06, the same year as his first-rounder brother, but Christian has kept pace with his sibling in the stats department. The left-handed hitter batted .308 with eight homers and 74 RBIs between Winston-Salem and Birmingham this season, seeing time at first base and both left and right field, while posting a .501 slugging percentage and collecting 30 doubles. He hit .323 in August.
Dan Hudson, RHP: There was no debate on this pick. In just his first full season, Hudson had arguably the best season of any starting pitcher in the Minors, rising from Class A Kannapolis all the way to Chicago with nary a bump in the road. He went 14-5, and his 2.32 ERA at four Minor League levels ranked ninth among all full-season starters, while his 166 strikeouts and 10.14 strikeouts per nine innings were among the leaders as well. Additionally, his .200 average against was second among all full-season starters. In six big league games, including a pair of starts, he posted a 3.38 ERA and limited hitters to a .225 average in 18 2/3 innings. With a fastball in the low 90s, a changeup with late sink and a solid slider, the Old Dominion product may be in the Majors for good.
