The Los Angeles Dodgers had yet another prospect take home hardware for the 2017 season, as Double-A Tulsa third baseman Matt Beaty was named the Texas League Player of the Year. Right-hander Scott Barlow was selected to the Texas League All-Star team.
This year is a second consecutive season that the Drillers had a player named Texas League Player or Pitcher of the Year. Last season, Chase De Jong took home Texas League Pitcher of the Year honors. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in March.
Beaty joins Bubba Smith (1996) and Ryan Shealy (2004) as the only Drillers to receive the Player of the Year Award. The Dodgers did not begin their affiliation with Tulsa until the 2015 season.
The Dodgers selected Beaty in the 12th round of the 2015 Draft. This season is his first with the Drillers.
Through 110 games, he’s batting .325/.380/.505 with 30 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs and 65 RBI. Beaty leads the Drillers in total hits (133), batting average and RBI, and is tied for third in home runs.
The 24-year-old also ranks favorably when compared to qualified hitters in the Texas League. He leads in on-base plus slugging percentage (.885), is second in doubles, third in batting average, fourth in hits and fifth in RBI.
Barlow was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round in 2011. He’s spent time with the Drillers and Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, and is 6-3 with a 2.15 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 18 starts across two stints with Tulsa.
Barlow has 118 strikeouts over 100.1 innings and held Texas League opponents to a .161 batting average. Including seven starts with Oklahoma City, the 24-year-old is 7-6 this season, with a 4.61 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
Other Minor League honors to roll in for the Dodgers organization within the past week was three prospects from High-A Rancho Cucamonga being named Postseason All-Stars, including outfielder D.J. Peters who also took home California League MVP honors.
