The Dodgers have named right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart as the Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year and infielder Edwin Rios as the Minor League Player of the Year.

Stewart, who will turn 25 on October 3, completed a meteoric rise from Single-A to the big leagues this season, becoming the first Dodger since Hideo Nomo in 1995 to begin the year in Single-A and start in a Major League game the same season. He posted a combined 9-3 record with a 1.68 ERA (22 ER/118.0 IP) in 20 starts among Triple-A Oklahoma City, Double-A Tulsa and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, while striking out a combined 126 batters against just 18 walks this year.

Stewart posted a 2-0 record with a 0.82 ERA (1 ER/11.0 IP) in two starts for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and was named California League Pitcher of the Week for the period ending April 17. He was then promoted to Double-A Tulsa on April 15, where he went 3-3 with a 1.12 ERA (7 ER/56.1 IP) in nine starts and limited the opposition to a .188 average. Stewart earned a selection as a Texas League All-Star, but did not participate in the game due to his promotion to Triple-A OKC on June 10. In nine starts for the OKC Dodgers, he went 4-0 with a 2.49 ERA (14 ER/50.2 IP) and held opponents to a .217 average, while striking out 54 batters against just six walks.

Brock Stewart
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The Illinois native, who made his Major League debut with his first career start at Milwaukee on June 29, has appeared in four games (three starts) for Los Angeles this season, going 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA (15 ER/17.0 IP). Stewart was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2014 First-Year Player draft out of Illinois State University, where he was primarily an infielder during his four-year collegiate career.

Rios combined to hit .303 with 68 runs, 25 doubles, two triples, 27 home runs and 75 RBI along with a .344 on-base percentage and a .576 slugging percentage in 103 games for Single-A Great Lakes, Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa this season.

The 22-year-old left-handed slugger opened the season with Single-A Great Lakes in his second professional season, where he hit .252 with 17 runs, eight doubles, a triple, six home runs and 13 RBI in 33 games for the Loons. He was promoted to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on June 4 and during his 42-game stint with the Quakes, he led the California League in batting average (.367), hits (65), home runs (16), RBI (46), extra-base hits (28), total bases (126) and OPS (1.105) from June 5-July 27. Rios was promoted to Double-A Tulsa on July 28, where hit .252 with 14 runs, six doubles, five home runs and 16 RBI in 29 games for the Drillers.

Edwin Rios
(Photo credit – Steve Saenz)

The Puerto Rico native was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida International University.

Stewart and Rios will be honored in an on-field pregame ceremony on Saturday, September 24, prior to the 6:10 p.m. game against the Rockies.

(Article courtesy of Dodgers PR Department)