North Shore Twins alum and current Everett AquaSox manager Louis Boyd (North Vancouver, B.C.) has been named Seattle Mariners Dave Henderson “Minor League Staff Member of the Year.” Photo: Seattle Mariners

September 28, 2021

Official Seattle Mariners News Release

Seattle Mariners Director of Player Development Andy McKay announced on Tuesday the Mariners Minor League Awards for the 2021 season:

-OF Cade Marlowe received the Ken Griffey Jr. Minor League Hitter of the Year.

-RHP Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) received the Jamie Moyer Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

-OF Julio Rodríguez received the Alvin Davis “Mr. Mariner” Award.

-RHP Isaiah Campbell received the Dan Wilson Minor League Community Service Award.

-OF Jack Larsen received the Edgar Martinez Dominate the Zone Hitter Award.

-RHP David Ellingson received the Dominate the Zone Pitcher Award.

-Manager Louis Boyd (North Vancouver) received the Dave Henderson Minor League Staff Member of the Year Award.

Marlowe, Brash, Rodriguez, Campbell, Larsen, Ellingson and Boyd will be honored in a pre-game ceremony at T-Mobile Park prior to the Mariners game vs. the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, October 2.

THE JAMIE MOYER MINOR LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE YEAR

RHP Matt Brash (AAA Tacoma/AA Arkansas/High-A Everett)

Brash, 23, went 6–4 with 1 save and a 2.31 ERA (25 ER, 97.1 IP) in 20 games, 19 starts combined between High-A Everett (5/4–7/7) and AA Arkansas (7/15-end of season). He limited opponents to a .180 (63x350) average, while walking 48 and striking out 142. He allowed 3 runs or fewer in all 20 of his appearances, including 10 appearances allowing 1 run or fewer. Brash struck out at least 10 batters in 5 starts this season, including a season-high 11 batters 3 times: July 7 at Eugene with Everett (5.2,5,2,2,3,11), Aug. 19 at Frisco with Arkansas (7.0,1,0,0,2,11) and Sept. 2 vs. Wichita with Arkansas (6.0,0,0,0,1,11). He average 13.13 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, which ranked 9th-most in the minor league this season (min. 90.0 IP). He trailed only Brandon Williamson (14.00 SO/9.0) for the most among all Mariners farmhands this season. Over a 5-game stretch with Arkansas, Aug. 5-Sept. 2, Brash went 3–0 with a 0.92 ERA (3 ER, 29.1 IP), including 3 consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts. Brash (6.0,0,0,0,1,11) and relievers Nate Fisher and Dayeison Arias combined on no-hitter as Arkansas shutout Wichita 6–0 on Sept. 2. It was the first no-hitter for the Travelers since Jordan Kipper on May 17, 2016. He was named Double-A Central Pitcher of the Week twice this season: Aug. 16–22 and Aug. 30-Sept 5.

Brash was acquired by Seattle as the PTBNL (on Sept. 17, 2020) from the San Diego Padres in exchange for RHP Taylor Williams on Aug. 31, 2020. He was originally selected by San Diego in the 4th round of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Niagara University. Brash is rated the Mariners 10th overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. He is also rated the Mariners 9th prospect by Baseball America in their end of the season rankings. In 2 minor league seasons with San Diego (2019) and Seattle (2021), Brash is 6–4 with 1 save and a 2.28 ERA (26 ER, 102.2 IP) in 25 games, 20 starts. He has limited opponents to a .181 (67x370) average, while walking 48 and striking out 150.

THE DAVE HENDERSON MINOR LEAGUE STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Louis Boyd (Manager — High-A Everett AquaSox)

In his third season in the Mariners organization, his first full season as the manager for the Mariners High-A affiliate, Louis Boyd was named the Dave Henderson Minor League Staff Member of the Year. He has been an integral member of the Player Development staff this season, making sure all of his players were prepared to succeed on a daily basis. The AquaSox led the High-A West leaders in nearly every offensive category, including runs scored (766), hits (1,031), doubles (274), triples (38), home runs (158), RBI (694), walks (572), average (.260), on-base percentage (.361), slugging percentage (.467) and OPS (.828). Among all full season minor league teams, the AquaSox ranked 2nd in doubles, 5th in runs scored, 6th in RBI and 10th in slugging percentage.

“On a daily basis, Louis led our staff and players through a remarkable season,” McKay said. “He kept his team in the playoff race until the final days of the season while promoting 14 of our players to our AA affiliate in Arkansas. Louis is a steady advocate for our process and helped the Seattle Mariners move closer to our ultimate goal of winning a World Series in Seattle.”

During the 2020 season, Boyd was a coach during Summer Camp 2.0 and was on the staff at the alternate site in Tacoma. He was scheduled to manage Short-A Everett in 2020 prior to the cancellation of the minor league season. Boyd served as a player/coach for High-A Modesto at the beginning of the 2019 season and went 19–19 in Short-A Everett’s final 38 games after taking over as manager on July 23. He was originally selected by the Mariners in the 24th round of the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arizona (2016–17). The North Vancouver, British Columbia, native, spent two seasons in the Mariners minor league system, batting .240 (65x314) with 41 runs scored, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 18 RBI, 28 walks and 3 stolen bases in 97 games spanning over four different levels in the organization.

Canadians Boyd, Brash among Seattle Mariners' 2021 Award winners