The Orioles today announced the winners of their player development and scouting awards for 2024, including infielder COBY MAYO as the club’s top minor league player and right-handed pitcher BRANDON YOUNG as the club’s top minor league pitcher. Latin America Coordinator of Instruction SAMUEL VEGA and Area Scout DONOVAN O’DOWD will also be honored for their contributions to the organization. The award winners will be recognized in an on-field ceremony prior to the game against the Detroit Tigers on Friday, with awards presented by Orioles Vice President of Player Development and Domestic Scouting, Matt blood, Orioles Director of Player Development, Anthony Villa, Orioles Director of Minor League Operations, Kent Qualls, and Orioles Manager of Domestic Scouting, Chad Tatum.
Mayo, 22, slashed .293/.369/.574 (99-for-338) with 23 doubles, three triples, 22 homers, 61 runs scored, 67 RBI, 39 walks, and four stolen bases in 87 regular season games at Triple-A Norfolk. His contract was selected on August 2, and he made his Major League debut that day at Cleveland. Mayo was later optioned on August 15, before being recalled again on September 1, for his second MLB stint. His 22 home runs with the Tides rank seventh in the International League, despite stints on the Injured List and the Orioles’ Major League roster. Mayo’s 25 homers in the Minors this year are the most by an MLB Top 100 prospect this season and his .943 OPS and .574 slugging percentage would pace all qualified hitters in the International League. Mayo was named the O’s Minor League Player of the Month in April after slashing .330/.400/.652 (38-for-115) with six doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 21 runs scored, 25 RBI, and 12 walks across 28 games. Mayo was ranked as the sixth-best overall MLB prospect in ESPN’s midseason rankings and is currently ranked the eighth-best prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He is also currently ranked as the top Orioles prospect by Baseball America, ESPN, and MLB Pipeline. Mayo was drafted 103rd overall by the Orioles in the fourth round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft.
Young, 26, has posted a 5-5 record with a 3.48 ERA (41 ER/106.0 IP), allowing 96 hits, 46 total runs, eight home runs, two hit batters, 34 walks, and 129 strikeouts in 26 games (23 starts) through September 16, between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. Young was promoted on May 28, after going 0-2 and producing a 4.09 ERA (10 ER/22.0 IP) on 21 hits (1 HR), 10 total runs, and four walks with 36 strikeouts in seven games (6 GS) for the Baysox. He has gone 5-3 with a 3.32 ERA (31 ER/84.0 IP) on 75 hits allowed (7 HR), 36 total runs, 30 walks, and two hit batters with 93 strikeouts in 19 games (17 GS) for the Tides. He ranks among Orioles organizational leaders in strikeouts (3rd), games started (4th), and innings pitched (7th). Among Orioles minor leaguers with at least 90.0 innings pitched, he ranks third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (21.6), fourth in WHIP (1.23), sixth in ERA, and sixth in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (10.95). Young was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Orioles on June 14, 2020, out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is currently ranked as the No. 19 O’s prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 24 Orioles prospect by Baseball America.
Vega has been named the winner of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Player Development Award, in honor of the late Orioles coach and manager who is widely regarded as the architect of “The Oriole Way.” Each year, a minor league staff member who exemplifies Ripken’s qualities as an instructor is recognized with the award. Vega was named the Orioles Latin America Field Coordinator in 2022, overseeing the development of the club’s international prospects. Vega has played an instrumental role in getting the O's brand-new state-of-the-art Dominican Republic training facility up and running, creating a culture of hard work and accountability among the international players. Under Vega's instruction, several of the Orioles Dominican Summer League players earned league-wide accolades, including outfielder JORDAN SANCHEZ who was named MiLB’s Player of the Week for the week of June 17 to 23, being named the Orioles MiLB Player of the Month for June, and being named a DSL All-Star. In July, right-handed pitcher KEVIN VELASCO was named the Orioles’ MiLB Pitcher of the Month, and right-handed pitcher ADRIAN HEREDIA was named the MiLB Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 5 to 11. The Orioles currently have 12 international prospects in their top 30, according to MLB Pipeline, the most since Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias, joined the organization in 2019 and a testament to the work Vega and his team are doing in the DR. This year, the DSL Orioles Orange clinched a playoff berth for the first time under Mike Elias in the inaugural season of the new Dominican Republic Academy.
O’Dowd was named the Jim Russo Scout of the Year, named in honor of the man who spent 33 years in various scouting capacities with the Orioles beginning with their move from St. Louis in 1954. O’Dowd has been in the organization since 2019, proving to be a key member of the Orioles’ scouting operations as he patrols the country’s Northeast area, which ranges from Virginia to Maine. Since joining the organization, he has provided valuable insight in a way that is respected, taking the initiative to learn and implement the organization’s scouting philosophies in his process. Some of his recent signees include two of the Orioles top three draft picks this year, GRIFF O’FERRALL (Virginia), and ETHAN ANDERSON (Virginia), as well as undrafted free agents TREY GIBSON (Liberty) and TT BOWENS (Central Connecticut State).
2024 AWARD WINNERS
Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the Year: Coby Mayo (Norfolk)
Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Brandon Young (Bowie/Norfolk)
Cal Ripken, Sr. Player Development Award: Samuel Vega
Jim Russo Scout of the Year Award: Donovan O’Dowd