Despite the fact that both the Double-A Reading Fightin' Phils and the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs have gotten themselves in two game deficits in their respective playoff series, it's hard to look at the 2016 season as anything less than a success for the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system.
The organization announced today that three players that were integral in the success of the team's upper level minor league teams were named the 2016 winners of the Paul Owens Award:
#Phillies name OF Dylan Cozens, 1B Rhys Hoskins, RHP Ben Lively as 2016 recipients of Paul Owens Award.
— John Clark CSN (@JClarkCSN) September 9, 2016
The award is normally only given to two players, the organization's best hitter and pitcher. Given the dominance of both Dylan Cozens and Rhys Hoskins, the Phillies seem to have made an exception in 2016.
Cozens, who was named the Eastern League MVP earlier this week, hit 40 home runs and 125 RBIs this season. The 22-year-old broke Darin Ruf's record for most home runs in one season with Reading, en route to winning the Joe Bauman Award, which is given to the minor leaguer with the most home runs.
His teammate, Rhys Hoskins, also had a memorable season, hitting 38 home runs and driving in 116 RBIs, which is probably why the Phillies elected to give the award to two hitters in 2016. Hoskins was named the Eastern League's Rookie of the Year this week.
Ben Lively, who the team acquired in the December 2014 trade of Marlon Byrd to the Cincinnati Reds, was dominant at times during 2016. After starting the season with Reading, where he went 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA in nine starts, Lively proved that he could handle Triple-A, as he went 11-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 19 starts. Overall, the 24-year-old went 18-5 with a 2.69 ERA, which was good enough to edge out the since graduated Jake Thompson for the award.
Future Phillies stars to previously win this award, which was first handed out in 1986, include Scott Rolen, Pat Burrell, Ryan Madson, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.
