The International League Top MLB Prospect Award is an annual award given to the best rookie player in Minor League Baseball's International League based on their regular-season performance as voted on by league managers. Broadcasters, Minor League Baseball executives, members of the media, coaches, and other representatives from the league's clubs have previously voted as well. Though the circuit was founded in 1884, it did not become known as the International League on a consistent basis until 1912. The first Rookie of the Year Award, as it was originally known, was not issued until 1950. After the cancellation of the 2020 season, the league was known as the Triple-A East in 2021 before reverting to the International League name in 2022. The Top MLB Prospect Award began to be issued instead of the Rookie of the Year Award in 2021.

Twenty-seven outfielders have won the award, the most of any position. First basemen, with 13 winners, have won the most among infielders, followed by third basemen and shortstops (10), and second basemen (4). Nine pitchers and three catchers have won the award.

Seventeen players who have won the Top MLB Prospect Award also won the International League Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in the same season: Don Buford (1963), Joe Foy (1965), Mike Epstein (1966), Merv Rettenmund (1968), Luis Alvarado (1969), Roger Freed (1970), Jim Rice (1974), Mike Vail (1975), Rich Dauer (1976), Scott Bradley (1984), Dan Pasqua (1985), Randy Milligan (1987), J. T. Snow (1992), Chris Colabello (2013), Steven Souza Jr. (2014), Rhys Hoskins (2017), and Joey Meneses (2018). The only player to win the Top MLB Prospect Award and then later win the MVP Award is Ben Gamel, who was the 2015 Rookie of the Year and 2016 MVP. Of the nine pitchers who have won Top MLB Prospect, five also won the league's Pitcher of the Year Award (formerly the Most Valuable Pitcher Award) in the same season: Bob Trice (1953), Jason Isringhausen (1995), Brian Rose (1997), Brandon Duckworth (2001), and Julio Teherán (2011).

Seventeen players from the Rochester Red Wings have been selected for the Top MLB Prospect Award, more than any other team in the league, followed by the Syracuse Mets (7); the Columbus Clippers and Norfolk Tides (6); the Richmond Braves (5); the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (4); the Charlotte Knights, Gwinnett Stripers, and Pawtucket Red Sox (3); the original Buffalo Bisons, Durham Bulls, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Louisville Bats, Memphis Redbirds, and Montreal Royals (2); and the Columbus Jets, Havana Sugar Kings, Indianapolis Indians, Louisville Colonels, Omaha Storm Chasers, Ottawa Athletics, Richmond Virginians, Springfield Cubs, Toledo Mud Hens, and Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) (1).

Twelve players from the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball (MLB) organization have won the award, more than any other, followed by the New York Yankees organization (10); the Atlanta Braves organization (8); the Philadelphia Phillies organization (6); the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals organizations (5); the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets organizations (4); the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds organizations (3); the Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations (2); and the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Nationals organizations (1).

Winners

+KeyPositionIndicates the player's primary position

+WinnersYearWinnerTeamOrganizationPosition 1950Springfield CubsChicago CubsThird baseman1951Montreal RoyalsBrooklyn DodgersThird baseman1952Rochester Red WingsSt. Louis CardinalsShortstop1953Ottawa AthleticsPhiladelphia AthleticsPitcher1954Syracuse ChiefsPhiladelphia PhilliesPitcher1955Rochester Red WingsSt. Louis CardinalsOutfielder1956Montreal RoyalsBrooklyn DodgersPitcher1957Buffalo BisonsKansas City AthleticsPitcher1958Havana Sugar KingsCincinnati RedlegsFirst baseman1959Rochester Red WingsSt. Louis CardinalsOutfielder1960Buffalo BisonsPhiladelphia PhilliesShortstop1961Richmond VirginiansNew York YankeesShortstop1962Columbus JetsPittsburgh PiratesThird baseman1963Indianapolis IndiansChicago White SoxThird baseman1964Syracuse ChiefsDetroit TigersOutfielder1965Toronto Maple LeafsBoston Red SoxThird baseman1966Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesFirst baseman1967Outfielder1968Outfielder1969Louisville ColonelsBoston Red SoxShortstop1970Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesOutfielder1971Syracuse ChiefsNew York YankeesOutfielder1972Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesOutfielder1973Syracuse ChiefsNew York YankeesOutfielder1974Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxOutfielder1975Tidewater TidesNew York MetsOutfielder1976Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesSecond baseman1977Richmond BravesAtlanta BravesCatcher1978Second baseman1979Tidewater TidesNew York MetsOutfielder1980Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesShortstop1981Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesThird baseman1982Richmond BravesAtlanta BravesThird baseman1983Outfielder1984Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesCatcher1985Outfielder1986First baseman1987Tidewater TidesNew York MetsFirst baseman1988Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesOutfielder1989Syracuse ChiefsToronto Blue JaysCatcher1990Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxOutfielder1991Rochester Red WingsBaltimore OriolesOutfielder1992Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesFirst baseman1993Richmond BravesAtlanta BravesShortstop1994Syracuse ChiefsToronto Blue JaysOutfielder1995Norfolk TidesNew York MetsPitcher1996Charlotte KnightsFlorida MarlinsOutfielder1997Pawtucket Red SoxBoston Red SoxPitcher1998Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red BaronsPhiladelphia PhilliesSecond baseman1999Columbus ClippersNew York YankeesFirst baseman2000Durham BullsTampa Bay Devil RaysThird baseman2001Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red BaronsPhiladelphia PhilliesPitcher2002Durham BullsTampa Bay Devil RaysOutfielder2003Charlotte KnightsChicago White SoxSecond baseman2004Rochester Red WingsMinnesota TwinsOutfielder2005Pitcher2006Charlotte KnightsChicago White SoxThird baseman2007Louisville BatsCincinnati RedsFirst baseman2008Rochester Red WingsMinnesota TwinsFirst baseman2009Scranton/Wilkes-Barre YankeesNew York YankeesOutfielder2010Gwinnett BravesAtlanta BravesFirst baseman2011Pitcher2012First baseman2013Rochester Red WingsMinnesota TwinsFirst baseman2014Syracuse ChiefsWashington NationalsOutfielder2015Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRidersNew York YankeesOutfielder2016Columbus ClippersCleveland IndiansOutfielder2017Lehigh Valley IronPigsPhiladelphia PhilliesFirst baseman2018First baseman2019Louisville BatsCincinnati RedsOutfielder2020 2021Omaha Storm ChasersKansas City RoyalsShortstop2022Norfolk TidesBaltimore OriolesShortstop2023Memphis RedbirdsSt. Louis CardinalsShortstop2024Norfolk TidesBaltimore OriolesThird baseman2025Memphis RedbirdsSt. Louis CardinalsShortstop2026Toledo Mud HensDetroit TigersOutfielder

Wins by team

Active International League teams appear in bold.

Team Award(s) Year(s)Rochester Red Wings171952, 1955, 1959, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2013Syracuse Mets (Syracuse Chiefs)71954, 1964, 1971, 1973, 1989, 1994, 2014Columbus Clippers61984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2016Norfolk Tides (Tidewater Tides)1975, 1979, 1987, 1995, 2022, 2024Richmond Braves51977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1993Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons/Yankees)41998, 2001, 2009, 2015Charlotte Knights31996, 2003, 2006Gwinnett Stripers (Gwinnett Braves)2010, 2011, 2012Pawtucket Red Sox1974, 1990, 1997Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970)21957, 1960Durham Bulls2000, 2002Lehigh Valley IronPigs2017, 2018Louisville Bats2007, 2019Memphis Redbirds2023, 2025Montreal Royals1951, 1956Columbus Jets11962Havana Sugar Kings1958Indianapolis Indians1963Louisville Colonels1969Omaha Storm Chasers2021Ottawa Athletics1953Richmond Virginians1961Springfield Cubs1950Toledo Mud Hens2026Toronto Maple Leafs1965

Wins by organization

Active International League–Major League Baseball affiliations appear in bold.

Organization Award(s) Year(s)Baltimore Orioles121966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1991, 2022, 2024New York Yankees101961, 1971, 1973, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2009, 2015Atlanta Braves81977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1993, 2010, 2011, 2012Philadelphia Phillies61954, 1960, 1998, 2001, 2017, 2018Boston Red Sox51965, 1969, 1974, 1990, 1997St. Louis Cardinals1952, 1955, 1959, 2023, 2025Minnesota Twins42004, 2005, 2008, 2013New York Mets1975, 1979, 1987, 1995Chicago White Sox31963, 2003, 2006Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati Redlegs)1958, 2007, 2019Detroit Tigers21964, 2026Los Angeles Dodgers (Brooklyn Dodgers)1951, 1956Oakland Athletics (Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics)1953, 1957Tampa Bay Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays)2000, 2002Toronto Blue Jays1989, 1994Chicago Cubs11950Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland Indians)2016Kansas City Royals2021Miami Marlins (Florida Marlins)1996Pittsburgh Pirates1962Washington Nationals2014

References Specific

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