Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Dalton Rushing was named the 2024 Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year. Jackson Ferris was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year for this season.
They follow in the footsteps of Michael Busch and Kyle Hurt receiving the honors last year.
Coincidentally, Busch was included along with Yency Almonte in a trade with the Chicago Cubs that sent Ferris and Zyhir Hope to the Dodgers.
Additional Dodgers Branch Rickey Award winners include Gavin Lux (2018-2019), Tony Gonsolin (2018), Walker Buehler (2017), Corey Seager (2014), Joc Pederson (2014, 2012), Chad Billingsley (2004-2005), Mike Piazza (1992) and Eric Karros (1991), among others.
The Dodgers are going to present Rushing and Ferris with their respective awards during a pregame ceremony on the field at Dodger Stadium before Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
2024 Dodgers Minor League Awards
Jackson Ferris: Branch Rickey Pitcher of the Year
Ferris began the season with High-A Great Lakes before earning a promotion to Double-A Tulsa in early August. The left-hander went 4-4 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 119 strikeouts over 20 starts for the Loons.
After joining the Drillers, Ferris went 1-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in seven starts. His final outing of the year was on Sept. 12, when the 20-year-old allowed just one hit over five shutout innings.
MLB Pipeline ranked Ferris as the No. 82 prospect in baseball and fifth-best left-handed pitcher in their 2024 midseason update.
The Cubs selected Ferris out of IMG Academy in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
Dalton Rushing: Branch Rickey Player of the Year
Like Ferris, Rushing also played for multiple Dodgers Minor League affiliate this year.
Rushing began the 2024 season with the Drillers and joined Triple-A Oklahoma City on Aug. 6. He batted .270/.378/.512 with 15 doubles, 17 home runs and 59 RBI over 77 games with Tulsa.
In 35 games with the Oklahoma City Baseball Club, Rushing hit .269/.392/.477 with six doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBI. Along with maintaining his offensive production at the Triple-A level, the 23-year-old adjusted well to learning how to play left field.
Overall this season, he has hit a combined .270/.383/.501 with 21 doubles, 24 home runs and 82 RBI across 112 games. Rushing is among Dodgers Minor League leaders in batting average (fourth), homers (fourth), RBI (third), slugging percentage (second), on-base plus slugging (first, .884) and total hits (first, 111)
Rushing is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 36 overall prospect in baseball and fourth at the catching position.
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