A trio of alums of the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series earned weekly awards from Minor League Baseball to start off this most recent week of games.
Robby Snelling, Henry Bolte and Justin Lange were all honored as Player or Pitcher of the Week at the Low-A level in their respective leagues after big performances.
Snelling, who was named the MVP of the 2021 National Tournaments in Lake Charles, Louisiana as a member of NorCal, was ultimately taken with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, and has been off to a torrid pace to start his professional career. In his first six starts with the Lake Elsinore Storm, the 19-year-old southpaw starter is now 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA, striking out 27 batters in 26 2/3 innings pitched.
A teammate of Snelling’s on the NorCal club that won the championship, Bolte (pictured over Snelling’s left shoulder) went 17 picks after Snelling with the No. 56 selection in the second round to the Oakland Athletics. After debuting in the Arizona Complex League last year, Bolte got his first assignment to full-season ball this year, heading to Low-A Stockton. He had a huge week against the Fresno Grizzlies, collecting nine hits in 18 at-bats, adding seven RBI in the process.
Lange has turned things completely around in his first foray into full season ball with the New York Yankees organization. The former Padres farmhand dazzled with a May 6 gem in which he struck out ten batters over five hitless frames, and followed that up with another gem in which he allowed just two hits and two runs through 4 2/3 innings, whiffing nine along the way.
Bo Naylor, C, Columbus Clippers, AAA
The 2017 International Week alum now leads all Triple-A catchers with nine home runs, and he made that point with authority on Saturday night, delivering two bombs, including a career-best 452-foot shot. Naylor, the first FSS alum to reach the big leagues, which he did with the Guardians last season, is now hitting .256 on the year with a .925 OPS that’s above his career average.
Edwin Arroyo, INF, Dayton Dragons, A+
Arroyo is getting out of his slump in a big way, and quickly re-established himself as one of the better prospects in the game. One of the key pieces the Reds got back from Seattle in the Luis Castillo deal, Arroyo, still only 19 years old, has now homered in back-to-back games for Dayton, and has upped his batting average by 33 points in just four days.
Tink Hence, P, Peoria Chiefs, A+
Three outings, three starts, zero runs. Zero chance for anyone facing him, too. That’s been the story for Tink Hence thus far in 2023, as he’s surely not long for High-A at this point. The 2019 International Week standout is holding batters to a career-best .162 average against, and has allowed just six hits in 10 2/3 innings while racking up 13 strikeouts along the way.
Drew Romo, C, Hartford Yard Goats, AA
A member of the unfathomably loaded Scorpions team at the 2019 National Tournaments — which includes Dylan Crews, as seen above — Romo hit his first career Double-A home run for the Yard Goats on Friday as part of a 2-for-4 night. Considered to be the Rockies catcher of the future, the 21-year-old already has five multi-hit games this season.
Dilan Rosario, INF, San Jose Giants, A
Rosario was a member of the World Team at International Week back in 2018, and has continued to make strides in the Giants organization after they took him No. 176 overall one year later. After missing some time earlier this month, Rosario returned on Saturday to continue a modest three-game hitting streak, coming through with an RBI in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
