When Trey Magnuson first saw Gavin Lux in the summer of 2015, the Dodgers’ area scout for the Upper Midwest was immediately drawn to Lux’s athleticism and lefthanded bat.
The actions Lux showed at shortstop were rare in a teenager from cold-weather Wisconsin. Even more rare was his advanced feel to hit and comfort facing velocity.
As Magnuson began digging deeper and getting to know Lux in the ensuing months, something else began to stand out even more.
“You put a little obstacle in front of him, he was going to prove he could get through it,” Magnuson said. “He has that resilience. He has that maturity that’s going to make any kid succeed.”
In time, Lux would prove Magnuson’s assessment spot-on.
Lux overcame a rough first full pro season and years of throwing issues to become one of the top performers in the minor leagues this season.
The Dodgers’ 21-year-old shortstop prospect thrived at the two highest levels of the minors on his way to his first major league callup in September.
In 113 games at Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, Lux hit .347 to rank fourth in the minors, while his .421 on-base percentage ranked 10th and his .607 slugging percentage placed sixth. In terms of OPS, he ranked fourth (1.028) overall, behind just Kevin Cron, Jared Walsh, and Mark Payton, a trio of older, bat first players at Triple-A.
Lux pieced together a 50-game on-base streak that stretched from early July to mid-August and slashed his errors from 27 last year to 13 this season.
For his performance, Lux is our Minor League Player of the Year.
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.
ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGS
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH NEW ROSTER LIMITS
No one can fully predict what will happen with the reduced 165-player minor league roster limits, but baseball officials weighed in with predictions for 2024, some of which we heard repeatedly.
NO MORE SLACK IN THE SYSTEM
The in domestic minor leagues creates consternation for farm directors
INTERNATIONAL TREASURES
Why MLB teams value foreign professionals more than ever
HIGH-FLYING BIRDS
Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule
ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Early promotions of star prospects led to a bit of a down season for the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Even before the Rookie-level Florida Complex League season began, scouts who saw extended spring training gushed over the Yankees' talent, starting with shortstop Roderick Arias and 6-foot7 pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange. Outfielder John Cruz mashed 10 home runs as a 17-year-old.
SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL
When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.