The Los Angeles Dodgers honored prospects Michel Busch and Kyle Hurt as their 2023 Branch Rickey Award winners, which highlights the best Minor League seasons in the organization.
Busch was named as the Dodgers’ 2023 Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year, while Hurt won Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Both will be presented with their awards and honored during a pregame ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
Busch spent most of the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .322/.426/.613 with 26 doubles, four triples, 26 homers and 89 RBI through 96 games thus far.
The 25-year-old made his MLB debut on April 25 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, going 1-for-3 and recording his first Major League hit off Johan Oviedo. Busch made 27 appearances for the Dodgers, recording 12 hits, including two homers and seven RBI.
Busch made his mark last season between Double-A Tulsa and Oklahoma City, slugging 32 homers and amassing 108 RBI in 142 Minor League contests.
In 355 Minor League games with the Dodgers’ organization, he has hit .283/.389/.527 with 91 doubles, 78 homers and 266 RBI since being selected in the first round, 31st overall, of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina.
Hurt began the season with the Tulsa Drillers, going 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 65 innings with 110 strikeouts before getting promoted to Triple-A on August 2.
In seven games (one start) for OKC, he posted a 2-1 record with a 3.33 ERA in 27 innings while striking out 42 against 11 walks. On the season, Hurt has a MiLB-best 152 strikeouts in 92 innings while sporting a .205 batting average against.
The 25-year-old made his Major League debut on September 12, retiring all six batters faced against the San Diego Padres as well as striking out the side in the ninth inning.
In three Minor League seasons, Hurt is a combined 11-13 with a 4.63 ERA and 297 strikeouts in 184.2 innings.
The Southern California native was picked by the Miami Marlins in the fifth round of the 2020 Draft out of USC before being acquired by the Dodgers along with Alex Vesia in exchange for Dylan Floro.
Notable previous Dodgers Branch Rickey Award winners
Last season, the Branch Rickey Awards went to Diego Cartaya and Gavin Stone, with the latter also making his MLB debut this season.
Additional Dodgers Branch Rickey Award winners in the past include Gavin Lux (2018-19), Tony Gonsolin (2018), Walker Buehler (2017), Corey Seager (2014), Joc Pederson (2014, 2012), Chad Billingsley (2004-05), Mike Piazza (1992) and Eric Karros (1991).
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