Toronto Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia (R) high fives teammate Travis Snider at home plate, after hitting his second home run of the game, against the Tampa Bay Rays in their American League MLB baseball game in Toronto August 7, 2010. The game was Arencibia's first major league start.FRED THORNHILL/Reuters
The Toronto Blue Jays honoured catching prospect J.P. Arencibia as the most valuable player on the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s on Wednesday, handing him an R. Howard Webster Award recognizing the best minor-league players in the organization.
Arencibia, who was also named Pacific Coast League MVP, batted .301 with 32 homers and 85 RBIs and hit two home runs in his big-league debut last month.
Other winners of Webster Awards were: outfielder Eric Thames (double-A New Hampshire), first baseman Mike McDade (single-A Dunedin), infielder Sean Ochinko (low-A Lansing), catcher Carlos Perez (short-season A Auburn), outfielder Jake Marisnick (rookie ball) and right-hander Eyerys Guerrero (Dominican Summer League).
The Blue Jays also honoured Tim Rooney with the Al LaMacchia Award for amateur scouting, Kevin Briand of St-Hubert, Que., as the 2010 Pro Scout of the Year, Dane Johnson as the Bobby Mattick Award winner for excellence in player development, and Matt Daly with the community service award.