Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday its yearly awards for the Double-A level, widely considered one of the biggest tests for players trying to make it to the show.
For the Southern League, which includes Mississippi’s lone MiLB team in the Biloxi Shuckers, Chattanooga’s Sal Stewart was named MVP and Montgomery’s Ty Johnson won Pitcher of the Year. Two Biloxi players, Luke Adams and Brock Wilken, were named to the All-Star team.
Adams – the No. 7 Milwaukee Brewers prospect, per Baseball America – was moved up from High-A Wisconsin after eight games and played 64 with Biloxi. Fielding at first base while batting .232 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles, and 10 stolen bases, the stat line was good enough to earn Adams his first postseason nod since playing in the Carolina League in 2023. The 21-year-old also set the Shuckers franchise record by reaching base in 39 consecutive games between April 29 and June 19.
Wilken – the No. 13 Milwaukee Brewers prospect – earned his first All-Star selection after setting career highs in home runs (18) and extra-base hits (35), despite missing some of the season due to injury. Serving as the team’s designated hitter, the 23-year-old finished the season with a .226 mark from the plate while drawing 69 walks in 79 games.
Biloxi manager Joe Ayrault was named Southern League Manager of the Year after leading the Shuckers to a first-half title in the South Division. Balancing an ebb and flow roster with players coming in and out while also recently beating colon cancer, Ayrault guided the team to the Southern League playoffs, where they fell to the Montgomery Biscuits in the opening round.
Overall, under Ayrault’s leadership, the Shuckers led the Southern League in runs (639), doubles (197), home runs (111), walks (621), on-base percentage (.337), slugging percentage (.362), and OPS (.699). Several single-season franchise marks were also reached by this year’s team, including the second-most steals (190) since the team began playing in Biloxi in 2015.
Also in the Southern League, Pensacola Blue Wahoos and former Ole Miss outfielder Kemp Alderman was named to the All-Star team. Alderman – the No. 10 Miami Marlins prospect – was elevated to Triple-A Jacksonville with two weeks left in the season. But the 23-year-old’s play with Pensacola, including a .282 average with 15 home runs and 53 RBI, was good enough to still nab the honor.
Former Jackson Prep standout Konnor Griffin was named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America after splitting time between Single-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro, and Double-A Altoona. Griffin – the No. 1 Pittsburgh Pirates prospect – had a .333 average across 122 games with 161 hits, 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBI, and 65 stolen bases. The 19-year-old led all of minor league baseball with 117 runs scored. Griffin was also recently named the top prospect in all of professional baseball.
