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San Diego Padres: San Antonio Missions Players Of The Year

By Nick Stevens

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: Fernando Tatis #23 of the San Diego Padres and the World Team flies out against the U.S. Team during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Nationals Park on July 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: Fernando Tatis #23 of the San Diego Padres and the World Team flies out against the U.S. Team during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Nationals Park on July 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Continuing our post-season MiLB awards series, we name the top hitter and top pitcher for the San Diego Padres AA affiliate, the San Antonio Missions.

Goodbye, dear friends! The San Antonio Missions may no longer be an affiliate of the San Diego Padres, however, let’s take one last look at the 2018 season and hand out our awards for the top hitter and top pitcher of the year.

The Missions had a fantastic season in the Texas League, finishing with a record of 71-67 and ending their tenure in Double-A with a thrilling playoff run that fell just short of claiming a Texas League title. They now head off to join the Milwaukee Brewers as their AAA affiliate in the Pacific Coast League. Padres fans will still get their fair dose of the Missions, now as opponents of the El Paso Chihuahuas.

Outside of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the Missions had the most exciting roster in the organization. Prized prospect Fernando Tatis Jr.provided tremendous play and excitement before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Chris Paddack brought his cowboy-swag home as he continued to show why he’s one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. Fans were also treated to watching the growth of intriguing prospects like Austin Allen and Josh Naylor.

So who put up the best numbers in San Antonio? Let’s name the top hitter and top pitcher of the 2018 San Antonio Missions.

So much catching depth for the San Diego Padres.

This year’s Top Hitter Award for the San Antonio Missions goes to catcher Austin Allen. Allen became the subject of many conversations after the acquisition of Francisco Mejia, however, those conversations have been warranted with Allen’s play down on the farm.

Allen appeared in 119 games, hitting .290 with an impressive .351 on-base percentage. He tied his career-high in both doubles and home runs with 31 (third-highest total in the Texas League) and 22, respectively. Allen completed a third-straight season of finishing with a wRC+ close to 130, finishing with a mark of 131 (2016), 127 (2017) and 130 this year.

Allen will now head to the Arizona Fall League to continue to refine his game and maybe learn a new position? He appeared at first base in 19 games this season in San Antonio and is now blocked by the top defensive catcher in the majors and the catching prospect in the majors. It will be very intriguing to see how the San Diego Padres handle this situation.

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Another Allen takes home an award.

Let’s keep it with the Allens and name Logan Allen as this year’s San Antonio Missions Top Pitcher of the Year. Allen made 19 starts with the missions before finishing the year with the El Paso Chihuahuas, working a perfect 4-0 record with a 1.63 ERA in the Pacific Coast League.

As for his time in San Antonio, Allen finished with a 10-6 record, a 2.75 ERA, and a 1.05 WHIP. Opponents hit just .205 against him as Allen limited hitters to 89 base-hits across 121 Double-A innings. He fanned 125 hitters and issued 38 walks, continuing an impressive string of minor league seasons with high strikeout rates and low walk rates. He led the team in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts

His command, powerful fastball, and elite changeup figure to translate well into the major league game. After dominating AAA competition, Allen will be in a prime position to take a starting rotation spot in 2019 with the Padres.

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We will complete our minor league award series tomorrow with the El Paso Chihuahuas. Take a look at each of our winners from the rest of the Padres farm system….

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