Dodgers name Michael Busch and Kyle Hurt Branch Rickey Minor League Players of the Year
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers named infielder Michael Busch as the 2023 Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year and right-handed pitcher Kyle Hurt as the 2023 Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Busch, 25, spent most of the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .322 (124-for-385) with 26 doubles, four triples, 26 homers and 89 RBI in 96 games for the Dodgers. He made his Major League debut on April 25 at Pittsburgh, going 1-for-3, recording his first Major League hit off Johan Oviedo. He made 27 appearances for the Major League team, recording 12 hits, including two homers and seven RBI. The former first round selection out of the University of North Carolina made his mark last season between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, slugging 32 homers and amassing 108 RBI in 142 minor league contests. In 355 minor league games with the Dodgers’ organization, he has hit .282 (387-for-1370) with 91 doubles, 78 homers and 266 RBI.
Hurt, 25, made his Major League debut on September 12, retiring all six batters he faced against the Padres as well as striking out the side in the ninth inning. The right-hander began the season with Double-A Tulsa, going 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA (30 ER/65.0 IP) and 110 strikeouts before getting promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City on August 2. In seven games (one start) for Oklahoma City, he posted a 2-1 record with a 3.33 ERA (10 ER/27.0 IP) and striking out 42 against 11 walks. On the season, he has fanned a minor league best 152 batters in 92 innings while sporting a .205 batting average against. The No. 12 prospect in the Dodgers’ organization according to MLB.com, was acquired from the Marlins on February 12, 2021 along with left-handed pitcher Alex Vesia in exchange for right-hander Dylan Floro. In three minor league seasons, he is a combined 11-13 with a 4.63 ERA with 297 strikeouts in 184.2 innings. The Southern California native was originally drafted by the Marlins in the fifth round of the 2020 First Year Player Draft out of USC.
Busch and Hurt will both be presented with their respective awards and honored in a pregame ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Sept. 22 prior to the Dodgers’ game vs. San Francisco.