Yankees' prospect Greg Bird named AFL MVP
New York Yankees minor-league first baseman Greg Bird slugged his way into some hardware Saturday, receiving the Joe Black MVP Award for his efforts in the Arizona Fall League.
AFL AWARDS-MVP Scottsdale's Greg Bird (@Yankees)
Dernell Stenson Award Surprise's Patrick Kivlehan (@Mariners) #AFL14 pic.twitter.com/DqxStwD7Hh
— Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 15, 2014
Bird, who was named the Yankees' fourth-best prospect by Baseball America this week, paced all players in homers (six) and runs (21), while ranking third in slugging (.556) and sixth in average (.313) across 26 games. The Scottsdale Scorpions slugger began the AFL year with a 16-game hitting streak and earned MVP honors in the mid-season Fall Stars Game.
"It's an honor," Bird told MLB.com. "Being a part of this league is huge privilege. I just came out to here to become a better player and meet some new guys. This is icing on the cake."
The Yankees' fifth-round pick of the 2011 draft hit .271/.376/.472 across two levels in 2014, hitting seven homers in 27 games for Double-A Trenton.
Bird, 22, is the first Yankees prospect to win the award named after Black, the 1952 National League Rookie of the Year and first African-American player to win a World Series game.
Seattle Mariners prospect Patrick Kivlehan was recognized for his teamwork and leadership qualities with the AFL's Sportsmanship Award.