The Rochester Red Wings capped their International League championship season with All-Star selections for Trey Lipscomb and Yohandy Morales and a Manager of the Year award for Matt LeCroy.
The honors recognize two key players and the manager who helped Rochester win its first International League championship since 1997. The Red Wings finished 90-58, recorded the most regular-season wins in Minor League Baseball and won the franchise’s 20th league title.
Here is what to know about each honoree.
Trey Lipscomb named International League All-Star
Trey Lipscomb, 26, was selected as the International League All-Star at utility after batting .287 with 149 hits, 31 doubles, one triple, 32 home runs, 94 RBI and 90 runs in 134 regular-season games. He recorded a .325 on-base percentage, .536 slugging
percentage and .861 OPS.
Lipscomb led the league in hits, RBI, extra-base hits, total bases, games and at-bats. He ranked second in home runs and runs and third in doubles. His 278 total bases were 43 more than the league’s next-closest hitter.
He became the first Red Wings player since Steve Bilko in 1949 to hit at least 30 home runs and 30 doubles in one season. His 32 home runs tied Bobby Grich and Boog Powell for the fifth-highest single-season total in franchise history. He also became Rochester’s first player to reach 32 homers since Jim Fuller hit 39 in 1973.
Lipscomb, who was voted team MVP by Red Wings fans, played six defensive positions. He appeared 64 times at shortstop, 28 at second base, 27 at third base, 18 in left field, twice in center field and once in right field. He also played three games as the designated hitter.
Yohandy Morales named International League All-Star
Yohandy Morales, 24, earned the league’s All-Star selection at third base after batting .286 with 116 hits, 19 doubles, 25 home runs, 76 RBI and 82 runs in 104 games with Rochester. He posted a .363 on-base percentage, .519 slugging percentage and .882 OPS.
Despite spending September in the major leagues, Morales tied for fifth in the International League in home runs, ranked seventh in runs and finished 10th in total bases. Among qualified hitters, he ranked eighth in slugging percentage and OPS.
Morales made 40 appearances at third base, including 39 starts, and recorded a .964 fielding percentage over 329⅓ innings. He also appeared in 47 games at first base, one at second base and 18 as the designated hitter.
His performance with Rochester led to his first major league promotion. He debuted with the Washington Nationals on Sept. 1.
Matt LeCroy named Manager of the Year
Matt LeCroy received the International League Manager of the Year award after guiding Rochester to a 90-58 regular-season record and its first 90-win campaign since 1953. The Red Wings won the league’s second-half title at 45-30, returned to the postseason for the first time since 2013 and defeated Memphis for the franchise’s 20th league championship.
“This recognition is well deserved. Being named Manager of the Year is an honor I share with our entire coaching staff and every player who came through our clubhouse. Winning a championship together is what makes this year special,” LeCroy said.
Through the end of the regular season, LeCroy had a 1,022-1,096 record over 15 minor league seasons, all in the Washington Nationals organization. His six-season Rochester record was 408-455.
His 408 regular-season victories ranked sixth in franchise history. He also became Rochester’s first manager to serve six consecutive seasons since Joe Altobelli managed the club from 1971 through 1976.
LeCroy recorded his 1,000th managerial victory on Aug. 12 as Rochester defeated Charlotte 13-1. He is the first Red Wings manager to win the International League award since Marv Foley in 1997.
Rochester's championship season made franchise history
The honors capped one of the most successful seasons in modern Rochester Red Wings history. Rochester won the International League championship for the first time since 1997, advanced to the Triple-A National Championship Game and finished with the best regular-season record in Minor League Baseball.
Rochester captured the franchise's 20th league championship by defeating the Memphis Redbirds 3-2 in the best-of-three International League Championship Series. The title ended a 29-year championship drought and marked the club's first league crown as the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Red Wings also returned to the postseason for the first time since 2013 after winning the International League's second-half title.
The season nearly ended with a second championship. Rochester was six outs away from winning the Triple-A National Championship before the Oklahoma City Comets rallied for a 5-3 victory in 10 innings at Las Vegas Ballpark. Even with that loss, the Red Wings finished 90-59 overall after recording 90 regular-season victories, the most in Minor League Baseball.
Manager Matt LeCroy's club became the first Rochester team since 1953 to win 90 regular-season games and secured the organization's first International League championship in nearly three decades, cementing its place among the most accomplished teams in franchise history.
Information gathered from milb.com.
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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Championship season brings three major honors for Red Wings
