First, and before he was a Los Angeles Dodger; Gavin Lux was a minor league player. Obviously it was his stellar play at that level which had him on the Dodgers’ radar ahead of schedule with the big league club. Without the numbers he put up in 2019 before he got to Los Angeles, he might still be a player trying to crack the roster in 2020 spring training.
Instead, he’s up for a Minor League award which is being called a ‘MiLBY’. Moreover, you can check out the page right here to see the guys Lux is up against. Equally important, it’s a big one. Lux is up for 2019 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year honors.
The best of MiLB, on and off of the field…
It's the 2019 MiLBY Awards!
Vote now and enter to win prizes: https://t.co/jkN4xCvbOT pic.twitter.com/BOi4EExLLN
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 17, 2019
Here’s what credentials the MiLBY page gives to Lux during his 2019 season in the minors which have him nominated for this award.
Lux’s path to the Dodgers’ postseason roster got a hot start in Double-A Tulsa, but his production rose to new heights after reaching Triple-A at the end of June. He hit safely in his first 16 contests, blasted six homers in five games at one point and didn’t let his average dip below .400 until Aug. 28, five days before getting the call to the bigs.
In all, Lux posted a slash line of .347/.421/.607 in 113 minor league games before his promotion. This included 26 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 99 runs scored.
Finally, Lux’s ascent to the big leagues and adequate performance there show how tough an adjustment it is for a young player. He finished the regular season with a .240 average and .700 OPS in a month with Los Angeles. Notably, he talked about how tough it was to spend his first month in the big leagues trying to win a postseason roster spot.
Obviously, the Dodgers have a tremendous cornerstone for their future in Lux. Right now, he can hopefully add to his hardware with something hard to come by. This would be that award that says he was the best in the minors with the bat in 2019.
