Milb.com runs a series every offseason in which they honor the best minor league players at each position for each organization- regardless of age or prospect status.

So, as usual, Brilliant Reader, All Things Valley League has culled the lists to find any former VBLers… and there are ten of them.

  • Brandon Gold (Harrisonburg 2014) was named to Colorado’s list at right handed starter. Gold went 12-6, 3.56 in 144 innings in 2019, with a 1.31 WHIP.
  • Vinnie Pasquantino (Charlottesville 2017) was named at first base in Kansas City’s system. Pasquantino hit .294/.371/.592 in 211 at-bats, with 17 doubles and 14 home runs.
  • Another Royal, Michael Gigliotti (Covington 2015), was named in the outfield. He hit .282/.369/.368 in 337 at-bats, along with 36 stolen bases.
  • Randy Dobnak (Front Royal 2015) was named at right handed starter for the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota’s minor league pitcher of the year, Dobnak blasted through four levels in 2019, ending up starting game two of the Divisonal Series against the Yankees.
  • Boston’s Thad Ward (Staunton 2016) was named as the Red Sox’s top right handed starter. Ward went 8-5, 2.14 over 126 innings, along with a 1.16 WHIP and 29.9% K rate.
  • Ryan McBroom (Haymarket 2011-12) made the New York Yankee’s list at utility. (That means “hitter.”) After raking to the tune of .315/.402/.574 in 413 Triple-A at-bats, McBroom was traded to Kansas City, where he put in 75 at-bats.
  • James Reeves (Staunton 2013) was named to the same list as McBroom, only at reliever. Reeves struck out 83 batters over 67 1/3 innings at two different levels.
  • Brendan Donovan (New Market 2016) was the St. Louis Cardinals’ selection at second base. Donovan hit .268/.380/.409 in 403 at-bats; all but one of those at-bats happened for Peoria in the Midwest League.
  • Michael Brosseau (Waynesboro 2015) was named to Tampa Bay’s list at third base. His season was a bit like Dobnak’s, in that he started the season in the minors, and ended up in the majors for much of the year, and also appeared in the playoffs.
  • Last but not least, Nate Pearson (Staunton 2016) was named to Toronto’s list, as a honorable mention at right handed starter. Pearson went 5-4, 2.30, with a 0.89 WHIP in 101 2/3 innings pitched… and 119 strikeouts. (Baseball America considers Pearson to be the top righthanded pitching prospect in the entire major leagues, by the way.)

Congrats to all!

Donovan
Ward
McBroom
Pearson
Pasquantino
Dobnak