Vote for the BCB Cubs Minor League Player of the Year

It’s time to vote for the BCB Cubs Minor League Player of the Year! The rules are the same as they were for the Player of the Month awards: I nominate one player from each team and you vote for the one who had the best season on the field. You don’t vote for the best prospect, but anyone who can make it through an entire year with a good season has to have at least a shot at a major league future.

I also have some leeway here as players who have terrific seasons have a tendency to get promoted. So I got to decide which team a player belonged to in order to get the best field.

Also, players who are currently playing for the White Sox, Tigers, Mariners or any other organization are not eligible for this award. Believe me, it would be easier for me if they were, but we’re not handing a Cubs award to a guy in a different organization.

Clicking on the player’s name will take you to their milb.com page.

The winners will be announced in tomorrow’s Playoff Wrap. There will be a separate article for the Pitcher of the Year tomorrow as well.

Note: if you’re reading this on Apple News or Google AMP, you won’t see the poll. You’ll have to vote on a browser.

Iowa Cubs catcher Victor Caratini: Caratini was named to the All-PCL team after hitting .343/.393/.558 with 10 home runs in only 83 games. His time in Iowa was limited by his six weeks in the majors. However, Caratini is still under the rookie limit and thus still eligible for the award.

Caratini, whom the Cubs got from the Braves in 2014 for Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell, took a huge step forward this year as he’d never hit .300 at any level before this year. His bat is certainly major-league ready. His still has work to do on his defense and handling of a pitching staff, but he has made progress this season in those areas.

Tennessee Smokies second baseman David Bote: Bote has been a utility player pretty much since the day the Cubs drafted him in the 18th round in 2012. Not only has Bote played every position but catcher (yes, he has seven innings as a pitcher), but he’s also been shuttled around from affiliate to affiliate to fill in where needed.

But this year, the Cubs left Bote in Tennessee and let him play second base all year. Not only did he provide strong defense at second base, but he hit .272/.353/.438 with 30 double, three triples and 14 home runs in 127 games. He had career highs in games played, at-bats, hits, doubles, triples, home runs and walks. Bote was named to the Southern League Postseason All-Star Team.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans shortstop Zack Short: Short started the season in South Bend and played pretty much an equal amount in low-A and high-A. Short earned a promotion to Myrtle Beach despite only hitting .237. But it was a loud .237 as he had an on-base percentage of .393, seven home runs and 15 stolen bases in 66 games. In 65 games in Myrtle Beach, Short hit .263/.372/.414 with six home runs. His combined line was .250/.383/.419 with 13 home runs and 18 steals.

Short was named as having the “Best Strike Zone Judgement” in the Midwest League.

South Bend Cubs infielder Vimael Machin: Machin was another player who started the season in South Bend and was promoted to Myrtle Beach a little more than two weeks after Short was. Machin tore up the Midwest League with a .320/.371/.500 line, including ten home runs in 72 games. He wasn’t quite as good in Myrtle Beach, .274/.341/.331, but the Carolina League is a pitcher’s league and those numbers are still solid. His overall record between the two teams was .303/.360/.438 with 11 home runs and 23 doubles.

By the way, his name is pronounced like “machine.” So when you say “he’s a machine,” you aren’t lying.

Eugene Emeralds center fielder Zach Davis: It was a tough call between Davis and third baseman Austin Filiere. But it’s Davis who gets the nod here based on his speed and defense in center field, as well as his strong on-base performance. In 56 games in Eugene, Davis hit .275/.374/.363 with two home runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples and 23 steals in 28 attempts. His overall numbers are dragged down a little by a rough four-game stint in South Bend in May, but that was just a fill-in situation.