Padres Hand Out July’s Minor League Awards

Mandatory Credit: Arizona Tourism and Events

Top Pitcher: Elvin Liriano (Arizona League):

Despite all the talk about top prospect Rymer Liriano and the impact he is and going to have, another Liriano is quietly making a name for himself. Elvin Liriano has been with the Padres organization since 2011 and failed to impress in his first 3 years with the club. They didn’t see enough to move him up out of rookie ball, but they saw just enough not to give up on him completely. That patience is starting to pay off in 2014. Aftyer a strong June to open the year he blew everyone away in July allowing just 2 runs over 15 innings to the tune of a 1.20 ERA. He also punched out 21 batters and and hitters where only able to hit .132 off of him.

Even though he’s in his 4th season with the Padres’ organization he’s still only 21-years-old. At that age he’s got plenty of time to build on his strong 2014 and have it translate into a big league career way down the line. Like Davis, he’s starting to force his way into the Padres future and will be a guy to watch going forward.